A wave of voter discontent

Yet another wave has crashed against the nation's political shores.

Republicans had a very good night Tuesday as midterm election results rolled in from Iowa and across the country. The GOP grabbed control of the U.S. Senate, with the help of Iowa's history-making Senator-elect, Joni Ernst of Red Oak. Ernst is Iowa's first woman in Congress.

Republicans also increased their U.S. House majority, with the help of Republican Rod Blum, who won here in Iowa's 1st District. Iowa's House and Senate delegation now has five Republicans and one Democrat, U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, who won re-election.

Republicans are elated, and deservedly so. In many cases they out-hustled and out-organized their opponents, and capitalized on widespread voter discontent with Washington, D.C., and President Barack Obama's leadership.

But that elation should be tempered by the reality that electoral politics in this country has become a churning sea, where crashing waves have become normal. We've lurched to Democrats in 2006, and 2008, then back to Republicans in 2010, on to Obama's re-election in 2012 and now back toward the right in 2014. Anyone who believes victory for their side is a permanent condition is engaging in wishful thinking.

One constant through all this waving is a deepening discontent with our federal government, it's leaders, and their seeming inability to work together in the interest of properly governing the nation. Hammering out solutions and consensus has taken a back seat to hammering political opponents. Lockstep partisan rigidity has washed away the spirit of consensus building. Sound bites are drowning out constructive debate.

If 2014's wave leads to more of the same, expect more deluges to roll in from the American electorate. Spending the next two years fighting the next election is unacceptable, and would be a remarkable misreading of Tuesday's verdicts. Voters sought change because they can no longer endorse a status quo of bickering, blame and inaction.

It's notable that, in Iowa, a wave did not hit the Iowa Legislature, where Republicans still control the House and Democrats will hold their Senate majority. Maybe that's because our Legisalture was able to forge major compromises on big, contentious issues. Democrats and Republicans overcame their differences. Congress should take note, or brace for waves.

' Comments: (319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com