Oh bull. You hate the man, and did so long before he was elected the first time. Now whether your hatred is based on policy or his curly hair doesn’t matter much. You have a visceral reaction to the man that has at least the potential to cloud your logic.
Now, I’ll freely admit to similar feelings amongst some folks on my side of the aisle, but I don’t think they’re nearly as widespread. Sure, I opposed Kerry, and Gore, and Clinton - but I also had the honor of shaking their hands.
Gosh, Moto, I had no idea you could peer into another’s mind and inventory the contents! What a gift!
Let’s make a deal. I’ll tell you the truth as best I can, and you believe it or not as it suits you. In return, you won’t pretend to be know me better than I do. OK?
No deal, elucidator. You seem to find great sport in looking into the dark hearts and twisted minds of conservatives, and freely interpreting what you think you see.
I know you about as well as you know me, yet this hasn’t stopped you from subjecting me to this treatment.
You really don’t seem the thin skinned type to me, so I don’t know why you’re kicking up such a fuss.
You misunderstand, XT. By the people “catching on”, I don’t by any stretch of imagination mean that such ensures an unbroken string of Dem victory, or even one. If one is committed to democracy, as I am, one assumes that one’s political stance will not invariably prevail, and that’s as it should be! As an honest lefty, I need an honest Right to negotiate and argue with. and to occassionally chuck my guys out of office when they get fat, corrupt and lazy. Which they will, 'cause they’re human. The Dems aren’t nearly left enough for me, I just vote that way because its the best deal I can get. And I am committed to governance by negotiation and accomodation. Which ends up meaning, from the center.
But these guys aren’t conservative! Barry Goldwater wouldn’t wipe his butt with GeeDubya! And its truly disheartening to see John McCain suck up to them, for reasons I cannot fathom. The Bushiviks aren’t about principle, they are about power. (Bushivik poker: they get seven cards, you get five, all of yours are dealt face up and they get to draw twice…) Bushiviks play dirty, exploit religious prejudice and bigotry because they have no core principles except a slavish adoration for money and power. They are Pharisees, publicly pious and privately corrupt.
GeeDubya is a pampered, privileged mediocrity, if he hadn’t been born rich, you never would have heard of him.
You got an honest conservative? Bring him on, with my blessings. I’ll vote against him, sure. But at least you won’t need to be ashamed of him. And then we can fight clean, fight hard, and fight honest: like citizens and patriots should. Hell, Thomas Jefferson didn’t like that little bitch Al Hamilton! But we never would have made it without both of them.
Yeah, its kind of like an exhibit of Diane Arbus’ photos.
Sight? Site? Oh, hell, this is no time for a flashback!
Got that shit right. As the Aussies say, good on ya, mutt. Lot of faults, delicate ain’t on the list. Not really making a fuss, just giving as good as I get. If you know me so good, how come you can’t tell the difference?
Can’t let you off the hook there either, elucidator.
The left may need an honest right, but that doesn’t mean for one second that they’ll always engage them in honest debate, free of slur and innuendo.
I’m happy to see you express such respect for Barry Goldwater, a man worthy of no less. He didn’t get this much when he was in his political prime, though. The election of 1964 was nasty and deeply personal, at a time when this was needless. The election of LBJ that year was a foregone conclusion.
Lest you blame this solely on the campaign, please note that an awful lot of liberals and leftists were all too happy to jump on the dogpile.
Nixon was a moderate Republican, and the left despised him. Reagan was similarly loathed and belittled. I’d have to go back pretty far before I find a conservative that wasn’t subjected to such abuse in the political sphere. The left is always ashamed of conservatives, or afraid of them.
::YAWN:: Who still considers this to be news? President Bush won, get over it. If democrats want to win the next election, spend more time explaining to the fense sitters (like me) why you would be good for the country, and less time whining about how slim the win was. If you want my vote, whining about Bush isn’t gonna get it. Don’t give me vague “I’m gonna improve the economy” promises. Tell me HOW. And for god’s sake, figure out a better message than “We were close, you didn’t win by much!”
Mandate? I thought Bush was against gay marriage. <rim shot>.
Bush now has four years of rope with which to hang himself and his party. By 2008, the Dems will take over the Senate, House, and Presidency. You read it here first. By 2006, the voters will be ready to toss out everybody that had anything to do with Iraq. Bush has a mandate to steer the ship of state directly into a reef- which is exactly what he is doing.
Nice prediction, BobLibDem. Care to back it up?
Give us all a reason to remember your clairvoyance, and do a Bricker.
What I find most annoying about the mandate rhetoric is the sound bite where someone mentions that Bush recieved more votes in 2004 than any other presidential candidate in history. I.E. Bush got more votes than BushJr’00, Clinton’96’92, BushSr’88, etc. Since he got the Most. Votes. EVAR! he’s got a mandate, right? Right.
Kerry also recieved more votes in 2004 than any other presidential candidate in history. Where does that put BushJr’s mandate?
Same place it puts JFK’s mandate, as I noted above.
Bush won. Didn’t you get the memo?
Had Kerry won, would any of you be advising him not to do some of the things he promised in his campaign, because his mandate wasn’t clear?
He wasn’t going to have a landslide win no matter what happened, remember.
I would adivse every elected official that they represent more than just the people who vote for them.
Then clarify that I don’t mean corporate donors, either.
In fact, yes, if there were a particular issue upon which the electorate was strongly opposed to Kerry’s position. Can you specify one for us?
That kind of sensible talk gets you branded as a “flip-flopper” and “waffling” by the contingent of moronic black-and-white-is-all-we-need pols.
A lob, softly over the plate……
The American electorate firmly rejected the Kerry-Dean plan to force Eagle Scouts into gay marriages.
A cabinet position for Jane F. Turner, as Sec of Self Esteem and Aerobics
Recarving a face on Mt. Rushmore, to depict Eugene V. Debs (personally, this one has me bereft…)
Marine “basic” to consist entirely of tai chi exercises and sensitivity training.
Probity, wisdom and common sense as guiding principles in foreign policy.
Did somebody post the “I won the election, I have a mandate” cite and I missed it?
Um, I seem to recall a post-election poll of Democrats showing Hillary with a vast lead over John Edwards, the other “fave” candidate for '08. The nomination is hers to refuse, and nothing we’ve seen indicates her ambition would allow her to do so.
All those who voted for Bush have opened the door wide for Hillary to run. And depending just how badly GWB fouls things up the next few years, she just might win. Fuss and fume all you like, GOP voters. You allowed it to happen.
Enjoy.
So, if you don’t share his goals, screw you.
Then the thread should have been titled “Bush claims political capital? Not by a long shot!!”
Sounds a bit sillier, no?
I am just tired of all the gripes about "He didn’t win a mandate. How can he do those nasty things when he doesn’t have a mandate??
He won. He can. And he will. Worrying about whether he has a true mandate only makes one look foolish, and distracts from the need to build enough political capital to start turning his crew out of office beginning in two years.
I don’t think even the most sanguine GOP partisans think they’ll pull off that trick of gaining Congressional seats in an off-year twice in a row.
It’s more than just gloating, though there’s plenty of that. Its about reassurance, its a defensive display.
Congress is a nervous herd, corrupt and cringing. As Iraq worsens, the taint of blood in the water increases. Those who campaigned exclusively as devout Bushiviks are looking over their past statements for wriggle room…just in case. They start making phone calls for the next campaign contributions five minutes after their opponent makes his concession speech. They are a nervous herd of corrupt rats, and if GeeDubya starts looking like a political liability, they will be over the side and swimming for it, toot sweet.
Keep your eye on Tom DeLay (R, Undead). If he wasn’t from Texas, he already would be indicted, if not actually perp-walking. If he takes the fall he so richly deserves, it will be a knell for the Bushiviks. They would be lucky to pass a resolution for a more sincere celebration of Mother’s Day.
Elections are intermittent, and temporary. Dread of elections is permanant, and informs every move.