Everyone has their own theory about what this current political climate means. I think more than anything it’s shown the limits to government coercion. The Gov’t can prod us gently in the direction they want, and achieve their goals over time, which has been the prevailing strategy until recently. They’ve lost patience, or deluded themselves that their time had come, and have now decided to push us hard in the direction they want, but when they push there’s a lot of pushback.
If this pushback is temporary, they won’t have to change. But what if it’s not? The left has always supported an ever growing Federal gov’t, because they’ve perceived that to be to their benefit. What if the Federal gov’t changed into an entity that was hostile to, or at least unrelentingly obstructive to the left? When they’re repudiated at the National polls, will some see that their National effort is futile, since I doubt they’ll ever get this much power again, or at least it’s not forseeable. Some will continue to believe, but others may not and begin the process of redirecting their efforts. At some point might they retreat to the States and become Federalists?
That would be a great outcome, as we could then unite left and right around that principle. Return power to the states, and let the 50 laboratories work out the optimum principles for organizing society. Many of the social issues could lose force: abortion is an example. I’m not sure how incensced someone from a Conservative State that outlawed abortion would be if they were still available in Massachusetts. As long as they weren’t participating by funding this, and weren’t forced to allow the procedure within their state, the issue would be defused, at least somewhat. SSM would probably be less of an issue, since those who oppose would not see a national effort to impose that on them via the Courts. I don’t think most people would give a rats behind about whether Mass legalized SSM, other than the fact that they rightly believe that it is the opening shot in a program to force them to accept it in the places where they live. Take that fear away, and the issue is nowhere near as volatile.
