In the leftist euphoria - the tears, cheers and parties - that followed the 2008 presidential election, many liberal progressives believed that the country had finally chosen to follow the path of European style socialism.  Barack's "Change We Could Believe In" was on its way.

Look around.

There is indeed a revolution that we are experiencing today.  And it is indeed the result of Barack Obama's presidency (with a healthy dose of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid thrown in).  But it is a revolutionary backlash against the Obama-Pelosi-Reid government overreach. 

And the scope of it is often overlooked:

But here's the real kicker.  Two years of Obama-Reid-Pelosi overreach and excesses may have been the table-setter for the real revolution now unfolding.  Voters and taxpayers first needed to see the irresponsibility and recklessness of unalloyed liberalism to appreciate that conservative government is far superior.  Thank you, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid.

 

Of course, the real revolution began last year with the 2010 midterm elections.  Yes, the GOP made the largest gains in U.S. House seats since 1948.  But the underappreciated story is that the GOP racked up huge gains in state legislative contests, and further down ballot, Republicans swept plenty of local offices.  State legislatures control congressional redistricting.  Republicans now dominate enough key statehouses to lock-in GOP congressional electoral advantages for a decade.      

The author of this piece, J. Robert Smith, reminds readers that Jefferson once told us that the states were the "laboratories of democracy."  Certainly that is the case today as Governors Walker, Kasich, Daniels, Christie and others, are slashing budgets and returning to the concept of individual autonomy, states rights, and constitutional government.

As Smith points out:

Christie, Kasich, and Walker are seeking to demonstrate that limited, financially responsible government is best for economic and societal health.  If successful -- and we should all have high confidence that these governors will succeed -- the lessons will not be lost on voters and politicians in other states.  Revolutions are like that; it takes just a few courageous leaders to embolden others and for revolutions to spread.

We desperately needed "change we could believe in."  It seems we are getting it.  And Barack Obama will forever be credited for spawning it - just not in the way he or his fawning worshippers intended or expected.