Now what?

I haven’t gotten the full flavor of post-election GOP joy and Dem depression, having been waylaid by a 24-hour bug.  But, as best I can tell, Obama and the rest of the Dems say they are willing to compromise (they’ve said, but not done much of that since January of 2009) with the GOP folks.  The GOP folks say that of course they’re willing to compromise, they always have been (despite a record of being the Party of No).

But, let’s look at what has changed.  Obama is still in office.  The Dems control the Senate, with a few less votes; but, they are still in charge.  The GOP controls the House.  What’s changed?

I’d posit that nothing’s changed.  Running the House just makes it easier for the GOP to say no.  It doesn’t give them the necessary votes to actually do much of anything unless the Dems go along.  Both sides will begin immediate jockeying for 2012.  Neither side is going to put itself out on a limb that can be sawed off by the other side.  Indeed, I’d bet the GOP will do more nay saying and try to set up vetoes by Obama to provide campaign fodder.

While Rome burns, both sides will be scheming to rule the ashes.

But there may be a surprise on the way.  Remember all that stimulus money?  Remember how the GOP whined and groaned about how it was the ruination of all that’s good in America?  Remember how a lot of it found its way to state governments who used it to balance their budgets, enabling them to continue services and not raise taxes?

There won’t be billions to throw around for state 2011 and 2012 budgets:

So, what are state governments and their dependent cities and counties going to do?  They are going to cut services and raise taxes for all those tea party folks that voted for them. 

The result?  I’m not sure.  People are going to bitch; but, who are they going to bitch at?

All of the national GOP people are saying they want to cut taxes.  I suppose they’ll argue come 2012 there hasn’t been enough time for the benefits to trickle down (sound familiar?), if they renew the Bush tax cuts and blame the Dems if they don't.  The Dems are going to argue that they were right in the first place, look at all the suffering that has resulted.

And if the economy is still in the dumper, I’ve got money (not confidence) on the GOP in 2012.