Red States Blue States

Red states, blue states, battleground states. The geography of America isn't defined on a compass anymore. It's not the North versus South nor is it East Coast versus West Coast. America's geography has been carved up by politics: Blue of Democrats, red for Republicans. It was not so long ago that elections were fought on the campaign trail. Rather than media buys in battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. As the mid-terms approaches and past, this year's elections maybe the most significant since 1194 when Republicans first gained both house of Congress.

This year's election is crucial to what will happen in the next two years leading up a presidential election where there is no incumbent and there's an open field of candidates. If the Democrats regained Congress, Pres. Bush will become a lame duck president by default. Any thing that would need Congressional approval would most likely not be decided since the Democrats believe they can win the next presidential election and would block any further actions of the President.

The last few weeks the GOP have been under fire with scandals. Aside from the Abramoff influence scandal, scandals' involving Republican congressmen and inappropriate behavior with under aged pages undermines the value argument the GOP have long had. As well as the outing of other Republican congressmen have the GOP nervous heading into Tuesday.

According to several polls, most Americans are fed up with the quagmire that is Iraq as well as a struggling economy where most manufacturing jobs have been outsourced overseas as well as white collar, service oriented jobs as well. The culmination of all these issues as well as a growing discontent for the current administration shows most voters will seek new leadership in the Congress.

It was only a few months ago where the likelihood of the Democrats winning back control seemed remote. At the time the Democrats would have needed to sweep all the elections now it seems they do not need too anymore.

This election also has seen more attack ads than prior mid-terms, which help illustrate just how wide open and vulnerable incumbents are and how important gaining or regaining control of Congress is. Recent gaffs by both Democrats and Republicans have made pariahs out of Sen. John Kerry after an inadvertent comments in a speech last week as well has the President's low approval rating has him sitting on the sidelines while other more notable Republicans stump for candidates.

Another major concern is the growing deficit and debt due to the war in Iraq. The lack of true economic growth has most people worried as well as rapid outsourcing of jobs have more Americans looking for other means to provide. In the end these elections may prove to be a turning point for the US. With issues such as the war on terror, border patrols and other immigration issues, Medicare and civil rights violations, the time for a change seems nigh.

Already on both sides of the aisle everyone is arming themselves for the next two years as prominent politicians on both sides prepare for the 2008 campaign trail. Polls show Sen. Hillary Clinton D-NY and Sen. John McCain R-AZ. as the frontrunners for their respective parties.

There are growing concerns over voter turn out, many polls indicate that African American voters have become so disillusioned by the political process that some will not vote which may spell disaster to Democrats especially in the South. In order to win the Democrats need all hands on deck while the Republicans are hoping several issues that will be decided in some key races, such as gay marriage bans help bring out their voter base. But once again a sex scandal involving an influential Evangelical minister who engaged in a homosexual relationship involving a male prostitute and drugs have called into question the same moral values touted by Republicans.

In the end, the main issue is that most Americans hope that these elections can yield some solutions.