GUEST COLUMN : No more mandates

Electoral disaster awaits ultraliberal efforts

By Doug Matayo

Posted: August 27, 2009 at 6:03 a.m.

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SPRINGDALE — It has occurred to me during the health care town hall meetings taking place across America that the political classis missing something, and in particular, the White House and Congress are making a huge electoral misstep. Democratic Party leaders actually believe they received a mandate to do whatever they want merely because they won an election.

Here is a news flash to every politician in America: Mandates do not exist in this country. There are no more mandates.

There was a time in our nation's infancy when we trusted our elected officials to "do the right thing." We elected representatives to travel to the Capitol building in horse and buggy, and we - the people - had no idea what went on under the Capitol dome, but we trusted our representatives to do what was best. We have come a long way with our technological advances and access to information. Our expectations have changed, and we now take a more active and direct approach to our political scene. We have entered an era in politics where we demand action - and will get action ourselves if necessary.

One exhibit is the rise of the ballot initiatives. The people of Arkansas wanted to ban gay marriage, so they gathered signatures to get the issue on the ballot. Then the people of Arkansas voted overwhelmingly to make their wishes known. Another example is the recently passed initiative legalizing and authorizing the lottery in Arkansas. The people are pushing direct democracy every day in America and Arkansas. Just ask any congressman who is enduring their own health care-related town hall meetings. They are under the hot, bright lights, and the people attending are ticked off (and many are scared of what this new plan will mean to them and their quality of health care).

Add to this mix an arrogant ruling class. This year it is the congressional leadership and president. The speaker of the House has been quoted numerous times this year stating that the minority party (Republicans) should essentially "sit down and shut up." She further stated that no opposition toher plans and the White House plans should be offered because Democrats won the 2008 elections and have a mandate for change. That's just crazy talk at this point in time in America.

The 2008 elections were more a referendum on President Bush than an electoralembrace for all things liberal. We have entered an electoral phase where people are voting against something or someone more than for the other person. The fact that new polling data show the Republicans opening up 3-5 percent leads in generic ballots over the Democrats reinforces this point. The GOP gains are due to the Democrats overreaching on big issues, such as bailing out big business, universal health care, nationalizing U.S. automakers, bailing out banks, bailing out insurance companies and exploding the deficit. And they have only had the White house for seven months. The poll respondents are not saying they are now Republicans but are rejecting the Democrats' actions. The Democrats are pushing their ideology over the wishes of the people. This will have disastrous electoral consequences if they follow their plans through to their conclusion.

Americans are an independent bunch, and we don't just give anyone a blank check or carte blanche to do whatever they want. The free fall in polling numbers for President Obama, Congress and the Democratic Party emphasizes this point. A lesson should be learned by all would-be leaders (politicians) that there is no such thing as a mandate in American politics anymore. We have always been an independent and rebellious bunch going back to our inception as a country. Ask King George. Any president or speaker of the House or Senate leader who thinks we - the people - are giving them a mandate to do whatever they want without checking with us first is sadly mistaken. They just aren't in touch with the America in which the rest of us live.

Doug Matayo is a former House member of the Arkansas General Assembly. He is currently president of the board of directors at the Children's Safety Center in Springdale.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 08/27/2009

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