"Geoffrey Garin, a Democratic pollster, said, “An important feature of this election, with implications for 2008, is that the center of the electorate clearly doesn’t like to be ignored in an era of base politics. The Republicans played to the base at their great peril among the middle.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/us...rtner=homepage
===========
I wonder how the Repugs are going to spin their losing the house.
Seriously, its simple.
Iraq.
To a lesser degree, Bush Jr.
And corruption. That was a big deal in the exit polls.
1. Iraq
2. George W. Bush
3. Republican Congressional corruption
This is how I feel about last night
But don't blame this loss on the social conservatives. This loss is squarely on the shoulders of the republicans who became wussified and wouldn't stand up for anything (except for more spending). They ignored their conservative base and their base stayed home! The democrats won EVERY demographic - when's the last time that happened?
Now I'll just sit back and wait to see if the democrats can come up with a plan for change now that they got what they wanted. And we'll see how the republicans rebound and regroup. This was a huge wake-up call for the republicans - let's see how they respond to the message.
One last thought - last night was a victory for the democrats, but not necessarily for the liberal agenda. Many of the democrats who won were just as conservative as their republican opponents. That's my only bright spot.
"They ignored their conservative base "
Not at all. Their incredibly repulsive dishonest negative campaigning pandered to their base while ingoring moderates and independents.
After the 2000, 2004, and 2006 elections have been extremely close, only spin-crazy assholes can claim "the USA is a conservative country". This "conservative country" voted by 600,000 votes more for Gore to keep dubya and his assholes out of office.
When Democrats started considering moral victories and, at best, a return to the status quo, as victory...
You guys remind me of the Mavs hanging their WC Championship banner....it's cute, in it's own sad little way. Baby steps.....
A "moral victory"? They captured the House and the Senate. A moral victory is Republicans saying the loss was good for them because it was a much needed "shot in the arm."
1. Bush and Congress not being fiscal conservatives.
They lost a lot of their base.
2. Corruption and hypocrisy.
3. Iraq
Look for that talking point be spewed forth ad infinitum on Fox News.
A "moral victory"? They captured the House and the Senate. A moral victory is Republicans saying the loss was good for them because it was a much needed "shot in the arm."
Midterms = Moral victory...and since Congress and the Whitehouse have traditionally been opposing parties....it's at best a return to the status quo instead of the total vote of no confidence that Crats recieved in 04.
A "moral victory"? They captured the House and the Senate. A moral victory is Republicans saying the loss was good for them because it was a much needed "shot in the arm."
Seriously...don't let it go to your head. Not getting embarrassed in one of the most humiliating losses of face in American history, as the Crats suffered in 04, does not equal a great victory.
If you guys consider this a great victory there is absolutely no way you will regain the whitehouse.
There's no "moral victory" here for the republicans - there's no way to spin this - the republicans got s acked.
However, I think when all the votes are counted and this election is analyzed, I think boutons will be wrong. Many, many of these races were very close - 51-49, 52-48. I think it was the christian conservatives who stayed home that lost those races.
Also, as far as the corruption and scandals are concerned - conservatives may be forgiving of the person, but they are less tolerant of their behaviors and want them removed from power. Liberals talk a lot about the "culture of corruption", but they don't seem to punish any of their own. They just keep re-electing them! I mean, Ted Kennedy is a perfect example - and he was re-elected with 70% of the vote!
Are they going to support the troops or leave them out to hang? I suspect the later.
Well then the troops are ed then aren't they, but
1) it's all volunteer so nobody forced them to join
2) We have to win "no matter what the cost" American lives are a kind of cost so like the Alamo we can turn this loss into a victory.
I think the democrats were involved in voter intimidation and tampering of the ballots.
Associated Press Exit Polls: A Third Of Evangelicals Vote For Dems
By Greg Sargent | bio
The Associated Press has just posted a piece on its exit polls, and just like CNN's exit polls found, AP is finding that corruption is a key issue driving voters today. AP's exit numbers are also finding a surprisingly high number of evangelicals going Dem, a trend that many political analysts noted early in the cycle:
Those early exit polls also showed that three in four voters said corruption was very important to their vote, and they tended to vote Democratic. In a sign of a dispirited GOP base, most white evangelicals said corruption was very important to their vote — and almost a third of them turned to the Democrats.
AP also finds, unsurprisingly, that voters are heavily driven by the Iraq war:
Two out of three voters called the war very important to them and said they leaned toward the Democrats, while six in ten voters said they disapproved of the war. About the same number said they were dissatisfied with the president — and they were far more likely to vote Democratic.
Yeah, they sent out letters to all the rich, white Republicans saying if they showed up to vote, SEC officials would be there waiting to arrest them.
Last edited by PixelPusher; 11-08-2006 at 11:40 AM.
America took a smart pill last night. Republicans can now discover that the world is not flat and the moon is not made of cheese.
"W" will be changing his name to "Mr. Veto".
Go ahead enjoy the party while it lasts. You idiots just guaranteed a republican presidential victory in '08!!
Nascardad is one of my favorites!!!!
Cmon, lets get real here.
This midterm was not some big Democrat victory. It wasnt.
It was a declaration that most Americans dont approve of Bush or Iraq. The RNC just took the bullet instead of Bush. He is the sole reason that his party lost the seats it did.
People had to make a choice, status quo or change. They chose change.
Change just by proxy meant they voted Democrat, not necessarily they were Democrats.
Really, this is a good thing. No one party should control Congress and the WH, but I have a sinking feeling the Democratic leadership will squander this golden opportunity just like the Republicans did in 04.
The Dems will waste precious time and effort on tasks that do not further American interest, they will stake in partisan squabbles only with a bigger dog in the fight.
Although, in happy-world, they could be the bigger party, admit their previous shortcomings, forget the crap thats happened in the past, and reach out to the moderate right and get some things done.
The only "squabble" I agree they should turn stones over for is Iraq. Beyond that, let a sleeping dog lie. Dont, Dear God, even mention the "I" word. Let the past be the past, move forward, work together, and lets get some done.
But then again, this is politics. I forsee too many supeonas, too much back-biting, too many scores being settled.
Mark my words (and anyone else who has said the same thing), if the Dems squander this opportunity by going too far with the limited power they have been given, the RNC will have the ultimate laugh in 08.
Please, PLEASE Dems, dont get drunk with this and think this is some sort of revolution of ideals. Its not. Its change. Change is good. But temper it with progress and truly, TRULY reach across the aisle and hammer out some ideas and get some down around here.
I'd like to see them "hammer out some idea's", but i'm afraid there will be too much contempt in the early going. Dems have to start by pushing their weight around, then look for compremise.
Is there a reason you have a quote from me as your sig? Are you obsessed with me? Do you love me? What is it?
DarkReign - that was an excellent, well-articulated post.
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True.