Red Room Where the Writers Are

The race is officially on. Today is Tuesday, November 4, 2008, a historic day in America and around the world. The inevitability of the first non-white, male president or vice president optimistically awaits or ominously looms (depending on your perspective). By the end of the day (or at least hopefully by the end of the month) we will know who the next president elect is. However, we must not forget the all important Congressional elections that take place today as well.

Until very recently, the media and people of America have largely ignored the races for Senate and House seats. I believe this is a mistake. We have given so much more validity and power to the office of the president by inflating its perceived role in our government. Not to say that the president does not paly a significant part, but his role is severely limited without the support of Congress. This year, based on polls and projections, there is a strong possibility that an already blue Congress could reach filibuster levels for the Democratic Party.

There are two sides to this coin: If John McCain were to win the election, his role would likely be largely devoted to his veto power because a blue Congress would control the introduction and passing of legislation. Even at filibuster levels, Congress would be unable to override a significant number of vetoes, creating a gridlock situation in which none of the change promised by the McCain campaign will be able to come to fruition. Of course, a McCain administration could use consensus decision-making, but general trends in partisanship between both parties lead me to believe that the likeliness of gridlock is high.

On the other hand, an Obama administration will lead to the exact opposite concern. With a democratic filibuster majority in Congress and a democratic president in office, significantly more policy initiatives will pass without hesitation from either branch of government. Some have argued that this "absolute reign" over the legislative and executive will threaten our system of checks and balances. America will fall into a more European mold of policy-making, with consensus between the legislature and the executive and an even heavier emphasis on party politics. The threat exists in that we could become change-happy and fly legislation through without reviewing its true merits or consequences (see Patriot Act).

I have my opinions on which system would be better for this country, but the point of explaining each situation is not to persuade, but to remind everyone that the 2008 Congressional races are just as important as the race for the White House. So when you fill out your ballots, remember the influence that our legislature has on the abilities and powers of our president.