Tuesday, April 24, 2018

The Former Confederacy & Modern American Politics, Part Twenty-Six

The were many legislative discussions and maneuverings prior to the 1996 presidential election, but about a year before that election, Republicans and President Clinton were on a showdown course over the 1996 federal budget. Republicans were able to get measures through both houses, but the President vetoed the bill, as it essentially contained too many cuts he did not favor. Both sides agreed in principle to balancing the budget, but it was the means of doing that that brought confrontation, as Republicans wanted changes in Medicare and Social Security. After negotiations between the two sides failed to produce a deal, a part of the government shut down, which ended a few days later, due to a temporary agreement to extend government funding as negotiations continued. When these negotiations failed, the government shutdown (part two), went into effect. This shutdown lasted about three weeks, with parts of the economy and the public feeling the affects. Then Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich of Georgia, announced that part of the reason he had let the government shut down, was because President Clinton had made him sit in the back of the plane during a trip to Israel. Democrats pounced and the story took on a life of its own, as Gingrich was seen to be a cry baby who threw a tantrum, which costs millions of Americans money and inconvenienced millions more. Eventually the Republicans and Clinton came to an agreement similar to one proposed weeks before, prior to the painful shutdown.

 By election day Clinton won easily with just over 49% of the vote, but with 379 electoral votes; while Dole garnered less than 41% of the vote and 159 electoral votes. Perot received more than 8% of the vote, and no electoral votes. Again Clinton carried several southern states, depriving Republicans of their stranglehold on the region. So the Democrats had a two term president, but he failed to receive at least 50% of the vote either time. In the former Confederate states, Clinton carried Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee. In the US Senate in the former Confederacy, Republicans won an open seat in Alabama (Jeff Sessions was the victorious GOP candidate) and they won another open seat in Arkansas. In elections for seats in the House of Representatives in the former Confederacy: Republicans gained 2 seats in Alabama, making that delegation 5 Republicans and 2 Democrats; Arkansas remained 2 Republicans and 2 Democrats; Florida remained 15 Republicans and 8 Democrats; Georgia remained 8 Republicans and 3 Democrats;* Louisiana remained 5 Republicans and 2 Democrats (each party gained a seat, keeping the overall number the same); Mississippi saw a 1 seat gain for Republicans making the delegation 3 Republicans and 2 Democrats; in North Carolina, Democrats gained 2 seats, making the delegation 6 Republicans and 6 Democrats; South Carolina remained 4 Republicans and 2 Democrats; Tennessee remained 5 Republicans and 4 Democrats; in Texas, Republicans won 2 Democratic seats and Democrats won 1 Republican seat, giving the Republicans an overall 1 seat gain and making the delegation 17 Democrats and 13 Republicans; Virginia remained 6 Democrats and 5 Republicans. There was only one election for governor in the former Confederacy in 1996, and that was in North Carolina, where the Democratic incumbent won reelection. 

* In Georgia, one representative elected in 1994 as a Democrat, switched to the Republican Party in 1995, making that delegation 8 Republicans and 3 Democrats.     

WORD HISTORY: 
Shut-This word is related to "shoot" and "shot," both of which are English words from its Germanic roots. It goes back to Indo European "skeud," with the notion of, "to project, to throw, to thrust outward, to move quickly." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "skeutanan," with the same general meanings. This then gave West Germanic "skutjanan," meaning, "to bolt/to lock" (from the notion of "thrust, project); thus also, "to enclose, to close off." This gave Old English "scyttan," meaning, "to close off with a bolt;" thus also, the figurative, "to finish something, to pay off." This then became "schutten/shutten," before the modern version. Forms in other West Germanic languages: German has "schützen," meaning "defend, protect," which developed from the idea of "closing off from danger, keeping out something harmful;" Low German Saxon "schütten," meaning, "to shut, to shut or lock in;" Dutch "schutten" meaning, "to lock;" Frisian "apparently" does not use a form in modern times, but it once had "sketta," meaning, "to lock, to close off."  

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posted by Randy at 9:29 AM

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