COMMENTARY | It goes against my better nature to discuss how 9/11 affected America's politics. The truth is, 9/11 should never be politicized. But as the days turned into years, and now a decade, it is important to contemplate our government's response to that fateful day. No one likes to admit politics are a reflection of our society, but they are.
We choose representatives among us who we hope will project our views. And in times of tragedy, we look to them for guidance. 9/11 changed this country, and it is vital to know how.
Who We Elected
There is no doubt 9/11 altered American elections. The 2002 midterm elections saw the Republicans gain eight seats in the House of Representatives and two in the Senate. For only the second time in the nation's history, an incumbent president's party gained seats in both houses of Congress, according to the St. Petersburg Times. The elections were held a little more than a year after the attacks, when fear of terrorism was entrenched in the American psyche. For better or for worse, Americans were unwilling to shake the political foundation of a country at war.
The environment in 2002 carried into 2004, as President George W. Bush was elected to a second term. As a wartime president, Bush leaned on the nation's fear of another attack, and characterized Democratic challenger John Kerry as a flip-flopper - a man unfit to lead during war. Having never dismissed a wartime president, America re-elected Bush.
Bush struggled in his second term while Americans became war weary. According to Gallup, Bush's average approval rating fell 25 percent from his first term to his second term. In 2006 and 2008, Democrats pounced on a weakened administration, taking control of not only both houses of Congress but the White House as well. Although political swings are not uncommon in American history, such dramatic swings were fueled by 9/11.
A Super Executive
The Constitution is a living document, and its institutions established over 200 years ago live as well. History shows us that during tragedies, the office of the president gains strength. Congress and "the people" are more willing to cede power when crises loom. Lincoln suspended habeas corpus during the Civil War. Franklin Roosevelt changed the role of government during the Great Depression and interned Japanese Americans for no other reason than their ethnicity during WWII.
Following 9/11, Bush presided over a rubber-stamp Congress that gave him most of what he wanted, especially on the foreign policy front. Domestically, Congress gave unprecedented power to the federal government in the 2001 Patriot Act, which was passed in a whirlwind.
Interestingly, as the economy began to overshadow terrorism in importance after the recession of 2007, a movement against federal power ensued. In addition, Republicans in Congress have been critical of President Obama's foreign policy. This would have been unthinkable after 9/11, when Congress feared the repercussions of challenging a president in a national time of mourning.
Nonetheless, 9/11 gave us a powerful Bush administration which achieved its agenda. These decisions affected everything from American policy in the Middle East to the fiscal state of the country. George W. Bush left an imprint on America that will not fade for decades.
One Nation
If there is one silver lining that came from 9/11, it was the unity it evoked. Perhaps the biggest effect on politics was that politics were put aside and, if only for a moment, we weren't Republicans and Democrats, but Americans. Flags waved from the porches of houses, the antennas of cars, and the hands of children. Notes of condolences poured in from liberal and conservative states alike. Americans volunteered for the military, gave blood to the Red Cross, and rushed to New York to search for survivors, filling the void of a towerless skyline with humanity.
Sadly, it was only for a moment. At some point we returned to division. But the days following 9/11 serve as a reminder of what America is at its best: A country that in the face of adversity continues to strive for ideals bigger than itself. So, on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, let us continue to heal, but also reflect. Reflect on where we were that day, and how far we've come.
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