Democrat Retirements Signal Weakness in mid-terms

The last few weeks has seen the retirement announcement of a few very senior Democrat politicians and many political analysts say that it shows that Democrats realize that their fate is sealed.

This week, Henry Waxman (D-CA) announced he would retire at the end of his term. George Miller (D-CA) will also leave at the end of this Congressional session. Jim Moran (D-VA) earlier announced he’s leaving the House after 20+ years and there are many others

The theory being offered is that if the Democrats had even a slight chance of re-taking the majority in the House of Representatives, these long-time stalwarts would have stayed around to enjoy the perks of being in the majority. Think of all the craptastic laws they could pass with no Congressional opposition and a guaranteed signature from the President. Those laws would have certainly had their names on them as they have been, and would be, chairmen of important committees.

Rep. Moran adds credence to the theory. When asked if he was leaving because being in the House majority was frustrating, he answered, “That’s part of it. . . . There is some frustration.”

On the other side of the argument is Rep. Waxman who clearly doesn’t believe their is any way Republicans can hold on to the House majority:

I don’t accept the idea that Democrats won’t get the House back. I think that the Republicans have nothing to offer. They’re against everything. They’re against everything Obama wanted. They have no alternatives on health care policy.

But alas, he scurries off into the obscurity of post-Congressional life.

What’s more interesting is the delusion present in Waxman’s comments. Of course the Republicans are against everything Obama wants – check the polls, so is the rest of America.

• Americans want the Keystone pipeline, its jobs, its wealth, its opportunity. Obama does not.
• Americans think that Obamacare is an expensive, oppressive and ineffective program.  Obama does not.
• Obama thinks that immigration reform is the most important issue facing the country right now. Americans do not.
• Obama is pushing equality of outcome. Americans want equality of opportunity.
• Obama (and Hillary) wants to forget Benghazi. Americans do not.
• Obama thinks cozying up to the fortune 500 will help long-term unemployment. No one else does.
• Americans want lower taxes. Obama does not.
• Americans want lower energy bills. Obama does not.

These senior Democrats are leaving because they have no chance at chairing a committee in the next Congress. Obama’s abysmal approval ratings make his coattails worthless and his policies a scarlet letter O.

Senior Democrats are leaving, because they have the experience to see the writing on the wall and the self-preservative instinct to get out before the roof falls on their heads.