Politics in America by Ronan S. Estoque, MA (November, 2006)

Ronald Wilson Reagan was a Republican who served as an American President from 1981 to 1989. His Vice-President George Herbert Walter Bush Sr. succeeded him from 1989 to 1993. From 1981 to 1993, American politics was under the Republican rule.

From 1993 to 2001, a Democrat candidate named William Jefferson Clinton was elected. From 2001 up to the present date, the Republicans again ruled American administration in the person of George Walker Bush Jr. The latter will certainly serve up to 2009 unless an unexpected death takes him away. Last November 7, a mid-term elections transpired and from the Republican domination (Senate, House of Representatives and List of Governors), a complete turn-around of American voters elected a Democrat Senate, a Democrat Congress and a majority of Democrat Governors.

To appease a legislature dominated by the Democrats, President George Bush announced the acceptance of the courtesy resignation of his Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. The latter is widely attributed as the fiercest advocate of the Middle East war. Now that the Democrats are back in the legislative saddle - certain compromises needs to be taken and sacrificing Rumsfeld in the altar of bi-partisanship is one of the ingredients for the solution of the Middle East riddle.

All in all, the Republicans are considered conservatives while the Democrats are deemed liberal. The difference is felt in abortion, stem cell research and even same-sex marriage. With a Democrat Congress, a pendulum swing is in the horizon. From the days of the hawks, it will now be the era of doves. Diplomacy will be the new lexicon of the American realm and whether it is admitted or not, President George Bush is starting to look and act like a lame duck executive.

If there is one thing that History subject proved eternal, is the lesson that "everything must always come to an end". Years from now, students of political science will always look at the capture of party dominance by the Democrats as a signal for an eventual Republican downfall.

Allow me to boldly predict that it will be the turn of the Democrats to install the next leader of the free world and from the way the pretenders are projecting themselves, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama will just have to slug it out in the DNC primaries - which in turn is another topic for the next article.