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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Police Reports Measure 92 recount shows little change in Jackson County Ashland: Lions Club steps up for vision tests Police allege Ashland pizza parlor owner tried to blow up building Survey: Ashland is an affordable rental market Education Ashland: Lions Club steps up for vision tests Ashland Rotary Student Youth of the Month: Avery Nicole Jesmer AHS arts festival is Friday AHS, SOU seek arts program director In Portland, mindfulness classes ease stress of high school Environment Home Help: Make your new house feel like home ‘Tis the season — for wild mushrooms Don't like weather where you are? 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(Aiken) Stella Demo Death Notices Sports Latest Stories Grizzlies get their groove back, crush Mustangs Aldridge passes Porter on Blazers' all-time scoring list in win Two Grizzlies make first-team all-state Atanda named All-America honorable mention Mariota named one of three Heisman finalists High school Grizzlies get their groove back, crush Mustangs Two Grizzlies make first-team all-state North Medford boys run away from Ashland with first-half surge SOU volleyball team's season ends with loss to Vanguard at nationals Southern Oregon roughed up by defending champs Southern Oregon University Two Grizzlies make first-team all-state Atanda named All-America honorable mention Mariota named one of three Heisman finalists Florida, here they come North Medford boys run away from Ashland with first-half surge Opinion Latest Stories Our View: 92 backers should move on Guest Opinion: The environmental tipping point Granlund cartoon: CIA torture report Guest Opinion: Shelter is a basic human right Granlund cartoon: William and Barack Editorial Our View: 92 backers should move on Our View: Raiders are winners Our View: Celebrating more students Our View: A morning well spent Other Views: Tax reform won't be easy Letters Letters to the Editor, Dec. 8 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 5 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 4 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 3 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 2 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: The environmental tipping point Guest Opinion: Shelter is a basic human right Guest Opinion: Refugee children at our border Guest Opinion: Why giving market food vendors 'a break' is poor public policy Guest Opinion: Ashland feeds them, we deal with them Revels Latest Stories Community blog: William Stafford: His Writing, His Life SOU presents all-percussion concert Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists 4 Things to do this Weekend At the movies Theater Meet the real Jacob Marley New design for Bricks takes shape Hard to keep a straight face with 'Red Noses' 'Red Noses' is a romp through slapstick and pathos 'The Drunken City': Bachelorettes meet bar-crawlers Music SOU presents all-percussion concert Peter Chianca: Top 40 songs even a dad could love The Farr Side: Different artists, common songs Longtime area musician Steve Read, 64, dies The Farr Side: CMA telecast was a disappointment Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies At the movies Interview: Benedict Cumberbatch on playing ‘The Imitation Game’ Interview: Reese Witherspoon experiences life in 'The Wild' Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas 'Citizenfour' is a matter-of-fact bore Food and Drink Blue bows out of Granite Street site, Agave moving in Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Lost in Suburbia: Row, row, row your basement Dear Monty: When a lawyer’s fee is four times higher than the quote 5 Things to Do This Weekend (Dec. 12-14) Dave Ramsey: Helping financially irresponsible brother stay on track Shayne Looper: Are you infected with ‘solution aversion?’ Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs NEWS NOW Our View: 92 backers should move on ... Ashland Calendar ... Guest Opinion: The environmental tipping point ... Our View: 92 backers should move on ... Ashland Calendar ... Guest Opinion: The environmental tipping point ... COMMENTARY Chris Honoré: Was the midterm election a mandate? By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Nov. 17, 2014 @ 12:01 am By Chris Honoré Posted Nov. 17, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News In both substantive and subtle ways, the results of the midterm election will ripple outward, like a stone thrown into the center of a still pond, while raising the question: Does the vote in the aggregate represent a mandate? Well, count on Republicans to insist that it does, despite the fact that less than 40 percent of all eligible voters cast ballots. Upon reflection, there does seem to be an aspect of bipartisan protest embedded in the outcome. Voters are downright furious with Congress and President Obama and the chronic gridlock. It’s also true that neither party gave the electorate anything to vote for — the Republican platform, put simply, was to vote against the president. The Democrats cravenly failed to defend their party, its accomplishments and their president. But still — the results do feel like a puzzling approbation of the Republicans’ performance. Find below a few head-scratching questions, the answers to which seem elusive. Regarding the Affordable Care Act, the intent of those on the right amounts to scorched earth. Republicans have repeatedly promised to dismantle ACA down to the last clause, while insisting that it is doing great harm to America. Having said that, they offer few details regarding exactly what that harm entails. What they refuse to acknowledge is that ACA is an unprecedented response to a societal problem that has haunted America for generations. It impacts those who existed in that perilous place where they had no insurance and faced each day knowing that if they were confronted with serious injury or diagnosis, ruinous bankruptcy was only a step away. Plus, under the umbrella of ACA, those with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied insurance and young people can remain on their parents’ policies until they are 26. And those are but a few examples of the changes the act has put in place. But instead of offering ways to fix what surely still needs fixing, the Republican solution is captured in one word: “repeal” and offering nothing to put in its place. Are voters indicating that they want to return to what was then instead of what is now? Are voters not in favor of a comprehensive immigration plan, one that humanely addresses the almost 12 million people now living in the shadows? A bipartisan bill has already been crafted and passed in the Senate and sent to the House, where it is stalled. Again, instead of working the bill, conservatives say only that our borders must first be secured — a specious response to an issue that begs for legislation. Begin with the children of illegal immigrants (call them “Dreamers”), who know only America, and then go forward. If Congress refuses to act on immigration, President Obama will, using his executive authority. When he does this — and he’s said, clearly, he will before the end of the year — the reaction, according to the Republican leadership, will be political mayhem. That mayhem will take the form of a cresting wave of vitriolic protest from the right, insisting that this “lawless” president should be impeached. Already the word “impeachment” is voiced in Republican corridors and is on the wish list of many conservatives. Is the dissatisfaction of the voters with the president so intense that articles of impeachment is an outcome they desire? Do Americans actually want to overturn Roe v. Wade? Surely they must know that the Republican agenda has its repeal as part of their agenda. Already countless clinics across the nation are under siege by Republican legislators, and “personhood” legislation has been seriously argued. Does the electorate want to disenfranchise an increasing number of voters by insisting on fewer early voting days, compounded by esoteric voter I.D. laws using the fraudulent Republican rationale that there is rampant voter fraud? Do the election results mean voters agree that unless the administration bends to the Republicans will, they should once again shut down all or part of the government? Does this election mean that consumer protection laws, such as Dodd-Frank, should be loosened or jettisoned? That the EPA should be hobbled and carbon emission standards and clean water laws be truncated or eliminated and the Keystone pipeline be built? Should minimum wage and equal pay for equal work legislation continue to be shelved? Perhaps the meaning of this midterm election is lost in translation and all that can be gleaned is that the next two years will be, once again, high drama with little accomplished as the Republicans continue to obstruct the president’s agenda while strategizing about 2016. Chris Honoré lives in Ashland.   By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Nov. 17, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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