# Mandate?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 20, 2001, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandate/51043 "2001-01-20T18:55:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandate/51043/1 "2001-01-20T18:55:23Z")
I keep hearing from the Republican camp that Bush has a ‘mandate’ to govern in a particular way. A mandate from _whom_, exactly? The other guy got 500,000 more votes than he did. How is that a ‘mandate’ for his policies? Due to the workings of the EC, and the outcome of FL, he’s legally the President of the United States, and we’re stuck with him for four years. That’s what he’s got - the office and its associated powers, which (as Clinton busily demonstrated in recent weeks) are not inconsiderable. Plus the help of a Congressional majority, however narrow, for his party. But a **mandate**?? Gimme a break. ---
**Author:** ![Krispy\_Original](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@Krispy\_Original](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krispy_Original)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandate/51043/2 "2001-01-20T18:58:51Z")
Yep, a mandate from big business… ---
**Author:** ![PatrickM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@PatrickM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickM)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandate/51043/3 "2001-01-20T19:11:56Z")
A “mandate” is a rhetorical position to convince political opposition that they should acquiesce. “You cannot hope to successfully oppose my policies because the voters unquestionably favor my position, so you should too if you know what’s good for you.” Use of the term mandate is rhetorical flim-flam. ---
**Author:** ![Sterra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sterra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterra)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandate/51043/4 "2001-01-20T20:07:01Z")
Do mandates mean anything at all?🙂 IMHO no. I have heard that Bush doesen’t have a mandate alot, and I do not care. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandate/51043/5 "2001-01-20T20:11:21Z")
It sure sounds odd hearing all these right wingers claiming that they’ve got a man-date ! What with all their grouching about homosexuals, you’d think they’d want to keep it a secret ! ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandate/51043/6 "2001-01-21T02:21:13Z")
I must have missed this – RT, could you remind me of an instance or two in which a GOP spokesperson claimed a mandate? - Rick ---
**Author:** ![ScoobyTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@ScoobyTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScoobyTX)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandate/51043/7 "2001-01-21T03:00:29Z")
The only mandate that matters was the one he uttered at Noon EST today- the oath of office. Whether he does any better or worse than his predecessors have, or his competitors would have, remains to be seen. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandate/51043/8 "2001-01-21T03:42:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RTFirefly \* > \*\* > But a **mandate**?? Gimme a break. \*\* That’s what I said when Clinton got 43% of the vote and called it a mandate. It’s just meaningless politician-talk, but to me it doesn’t cause me cringes nearly as severe as when I hear politicians on talk shows telling us “_What The American People Want_.” ---
**Author:** ![Sapphire\_Bullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Sapphire\_Bullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapphire_Bullet)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandate/51043/9 "2001-01-21T05:01:38Z")
[hijack] TXLonghorn, There is an Austin dopefest on Feb 3. Go [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=53363) to check it out. It would be cool if you could make it. Sorry, continue debating 🙂 [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mandate/51043/10 "2001-01-21T09:15:36Z")
> [@](#): > > **he’s legally the President of the United States** , and we’re stuck with him for four years. That’s what he’s got - **the office and its associated powers** Bolding mine. That’s his “mandate”. Deal with it. Or you can always move to Canada, though we’d miss you. 😃