Their Opportunism, Our Opportunity

The Republicans had yet to concede Virginia and there were around a dozen House races still too close to call when New York magazine hit the stands the week of the midterm elections. It featured a picture of Hillary Clinton and the words: "And now the real race begins."

Elsewhere CNN had already designed a banner for the bottom of the screen that read "America Votes 2008." The Economist ran a cartoon of Clinton and John McCain on horseback with the headline: "And they're off! The real election campaign gets under way."

November's elections, which saw both houses of Congress switch sides, were, it appears, at best symbolic and at worst meaningless. For a substantial vote with real results we must wait two years--2008, it seems, is the new 2006.

Subscriber Login

User Name

Password

Subscribe Now!

The only way to read this article and the full contents of each week's issue of The Nation online is by subscribing to the magazine. Subscribe now and read this article -- and every article published since for the past five years -- right now.

There's no obligation -- try The Nation for four weeks free.

• Get The Nation at home (and online!) for 68 cents a week!
• If you like this article, consider making a donation to The Nation.
• Reprint this article. Click here for rights and information.