Reflections on the first election of 2006

Nothing like a good ol-fashioned shake-up to put political know-it-alls in their place.
Okay, so there will be those who claim John Boehner is not exactly the reform candidate he claimed to be. However, one verifiable and universally accepted fact is that he is not Roy Blunt, and for the Republican party, that is a very good thing when it comes to the Majority Leader race.
When the news finally broke that after two rounds of voting (akin to a PHC student government election), Boehner had won 122 votes to Blunt’s 109, and the mood – at least insofar as I observed – was shock. Emailing a coworker, as instructed to do as he left for a meeting, I received a frantic, aghast reply from his blackberry: “What????? Are you sure?????”
We had our own reasons for reflection in the office upon Boehner’s win, but I can’t help but think this will be a good thing. I particularly relish the fact that it completely obliterates self-righteous headlines like today’s New York Times (which was actually changed on their website since the vote) - House Republicans Reject a Broad Shake-Up. Yes, because choosing the underdog for Majority Leader is too passé for Republicans. Only the noble Democrats would ever consider the person who is not favored to win. Please. There is an election to think about.
This also demonstrated a willingness among Members to vote for someone other than the “well, duh” candidate – someone outside the inner sanctum of the leadership establishment, albeit the chairman of a powerful committee, Boehner’s had his share of being on the outside looking in. But now it will be his job to set the walls that determine who is in and who is out.
Of course, I also enjoyed the perverse pleasure of being right when the rest of my coworkers were wrong, but I decided to keep that knowledge relatively quiet. I just write the letters. *wry grin*
After today’s pleasantries, we’ll see how the rubber meets the road, see exactly how firmly Blunt will whip a Boehner agenda. Hypothetically, they shouldn’t be too far off – not in a year where we need the conference to look strong. Everyone is trying to cast doubt on Republicans’ ability to unify, and if Members are able to prove them wrong, it will be a good day for America, not only because the conference will be better positioned for the future, but because it will evidence that some are still willing to put their own glory aside for the cause.
We shall see.