Is liberalism dead?
From Robert Novak
CNN
Editor's note: In our Behind the Scenes series, CNN analysts, anchors, and correspondents share their experiences in covering news around the world.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The problem that some people, specifically some die-hard liberal Democrats, don't want to admit is that it's the ideology that the people can't accept. This year's results seem to indicate that the public, as a whole, is embracing conservative causes and philosophy more so than liberal ideals -- and that leads to Republican victories.
Take what happened in the state of Georgia, for instance, with Republican Rep. Saxby Chambliss defeating incumbent Democratic Sen. Max Cleland.
Just look at Democratic Sen. Zell Miller, who some of his fellow Democrats accuse of being of too accommodating to Bush. After all, he not only voted, but cosponsored, the president's tax cut and is cosponsoring some anti-union provisions in Bush's Homeland Security legislation.
But he is incredibly popular in Georgia. I think you can say that Miller can get elected to any office in this state, while the guy who opposed the president on the union provisions and sided with Democratic leaders on many other matters, Mr. Cleland, is out.
The only surprise that I had on election night was that there was not a really big surprise. The only little surprise that I had, and none of these things were very surprising, was Rep. Steve Largent, a Republican, apparently being defeated for governor of Oklahoma.
The question is, and all kidding aside this is a really serious question: Is the Republican success tonight because of not enough of this medicine, or too much of this medicine?
By that, I mean, are Democrats siding too much with Bush and his policies, or not supporting him enough. That's the real question.
The dogs just won't eat that dog food any more. And maybe liberalism has to wait for another era to make a comeback.
