Still hoping for progress

Being an independent who has voted both Democrat and Republican, locally and nationally, I am in hopes of actual governing suddenly breaking out in our nation’s capital. Clearly, with only 36 percent of registered voters actually voting, Republicans cannot say – with a straight face anyway – that they have a clear mandate going forward.

Democrats need to realize that this loss of Senate control and many seats in the House illustrates an embarrassing inability to get their message to the masses regarding the successes of the last six years. Yes, there have been many, whether people want to admit it or not.

The voice that comes from the GOP far right clearly drowned out the other side. Republicans would do better for their prospects in 2016 by moving away from the politics of retribution and not spending the next two years trying to undo the last six.

Democrats had better find a way to work within this new dynamic to show that they have not now become the party of no. I have sincere hope that some true progress may actually occur within our government. Call me an optimist, I guess, but I still have hopes for the Seahawks this year.

Bill Bancroft

Liberty Lake