Hope and Change.  That really was great campaign platform for Obama to run on.  Given America’s sentiment towards Republicans and Washington politics in general, almost any Democrat could have won the 2008 Presidential election against a progressive like John McCain.   However, Barak Obama was their guy, and with his smooth rhetoric, a well organized base, and the fact that John McCain was John McCain, he sold America a bill of goods and the majority of Americans took it hook, line, and sinker (a southern fishin’ analogy for the New Englanders).  Now, with trillions of taxpayer dollars spent on bailouts and failed stimulus programs, an unwanted health care overhaul bill, and numerous other radical changes (and more looming), America seems to be waking up from the dazed state Obama’s speeches put them in.

Americans are still looking for hope and change, except now it’s not from the government but of the government.  Greg Knapp from Big Journalism posted a promising report from The Pew Research Center that shows Americans are seeking less government after realizing what big government really is:

By almost every conceivable measure Americans are less positive and more critical of government these days…

Just 22% say they can trust the government in Washington almost always or most of the time, among the lowest measures in half a century…

Rather than an activist government to deal with the nation’s top problems, the public now wants government reformed and growing numbers want its power curtailed. With the exception of greater regulation of major financial institutions, there is less of an appetite for government solutions to the nation’s problems — including more government control over the economy — than there was when Barack Obama first took office…

This increased desire for smaller government is without question in reaction to the radical government oversteps by the Obama Administration:

A desire for smaller government is particularly evident since Barack Obama took office. In four surveys over the past year, about half have consistently said they would rather have a smaller government with fewer services, while about 40% have consistently preferred a bigger government providing more services…

With this revitalized sentiment in America, Republicans are poised to win big in the November elections.  Democrats who have safely held Congressional seats for years now find themselves in a political fight to keep their jobs.   Republican Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas stated that anything short of taking back the House would be a failure.  RealClearPolitics does a great job breaking down the November election battlegrounds for House, Senate and Governor races.

A person with common sense looking at this situation would likely wonder why Democrats continue to support the unpopular policies that got them in this mess and push for more unwanted policies such as Cap and Tax and a VAT.  They are either committing political suicide for the socialist “greater good” or they are just that out of touch with their constituents.  Either way, the Democrats who have not already bolted for the exits like Chris Dodd, Evan Bayh, and Bart Stupak, are digging their heels in, counting on Obama’s effort to reconnect with “young people, Latinos, African-Americans, and women” to allow them to slide in a victory.

The November elections are fast approaching and many contested races will definitely be interesting, even if just to watch Democrats try and weasel their way around the political landmines they are personally responsible for.  Democrats will no doubt put up a good fight and the media will do everything within their power to help them win another battle.  Yet, unlike the 2008 elections, Americans this time are putting their desire for hope and change in the hands of conservatives.

This is a great opportunity for Republicans.   If Republicans are smart, they will remember that Americans are giving them power to do the job Democrats are unwilling to do:  get the government back in line with the Constitution by reducing the size of government, drastically cutting spending, lowering taxes, and ending the too-big-to-fail mentality.  It’s our job to make sure they do not forget that.

We clearly have our work cut out for us, but if we work together to educate and empower, we can put this country back on the foundation built by our Founders – a foundation that made us the greatest nation in history of the world.