You see, voters were overwhelmingly voting anti-Republican. If there were any third party candidates, most voters avoided them in the fear that they would be handing the election to the incumbent (which is reasonable, although it's what keeps us shackled to a two-party system). So, voting anti-Republican means choosing a Democrat, but the motivations behind that choice are very different.
Look at it this way: Jack and Jill are married. Jill finds Jack cheating on her with Goldilocks, so in retribution she sleeps with Wee Willie Winkie. In retribution, you see. If Jack had been faithful, Jill wouldn't have looked twice at Wee Willie. The Republicans are Jack. They cheated on the public, broke our trust, and they neglected us.
I've heard some pundits waffle about how the country is obviously much more liberal than anyone thought. Really? In only 2 years? Then we must be dealing with a scenario straight out of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," because *I* haven't seen any radical shifts to the left. The U.S.A. remains centrist. Both parties would be wise to remember that, but usually they don't.
This may be the best thing that could have happened to the Republicans! If the Democrats are stupid, and the Republicans play their cards right, they can still win the Presidential election in two years. This is their wake-up call. It's time for them to return to their roots and throw out that silly neo-con platform that no one (except the neo-cons) ever warmed up to. Become a party of the people again!
Jack married Jill for her money.Jill went by the voice in her heart.
Jack said that he was Jill's honey,
But he ran off with another tart.
Jack thought Jill was very silly,
And that he could easily cheat.
So then Jill turned to Wee Willie,
Much to Jack's defeat.
9 comments:
I've thought the same thing. You voiced it well.
True. There hasn't been such a huge shift in two years. The 2004 election was very close in numbers, although it seemed big because the republicans won so many seats. Same this year... although the democrats gained a lot of seats, the actual numbers were very close. Elected officials will do well to remember they must serve ALL the people. Neither party has a mandate, whiatever they may say.
You are starting to sound like someone on Fox News here! They have been saying "the democrats did not win, the republicans lost" all along.
And I say to them "explain the difference".
The numbers were close, but only because the public is lazy and dumb. Lets say that 60% of the population is registered to vote (actual numbers are lower). And lets say that there is a "huge turnout" of 70% on election day. Now lets take a block of 100 random people. If 60 of them are registered, and of that 60 70% vote, then 42% of the population actually voted. And these are large numbers here. More likely 30% or less vote.
So counting on this low turnout, who do you pander to? To your base. And who are your base? in the case of republicans, crazy people. People like the formerly reverend Haggard. And on the democrat side, I am not exactly clear on who the base is. We will have to see who they decide to pander to in the next two years.
I am going to vote republican for the next president. Why? Because the republican party had a boner to invade Iraq - so let THEM figure out a way out. You see there is no way out. Either we leave now, or leave later. The end result is probably going to be the same either way. The only difference is how many American Troops die in the process. If it is a democrat president that pulls out, the republicans will be able to accuse the democrat party of loosing the war. But if it is a republican president that pulls out - then what? Lets see Fox News spin that one!
As if it was the democrats that SQUANDERED the rock solid worldwide support the USA had after September 11 2001. Every single nation was behind us and willing to support us. And what did Bush do? How is our international support now?
I have my own index that I use to predict election results. I call it the "bumper sticker index". I started my sticker collection in late 2002 / early 2003. At first most of the comments I got about them were negative. Stuff like "iff'n you like them there terrorist so much, yall should move to France!". And worse. I had people tell me that they hope I would be killed in the next terror attack - just because of a sticker that said "like a rock, only dumber" with the President's picture.
But as time passed, the comments changed. And now, people will say stuff like "those are great! Where did you get them?"
The public is like a rock. Only dumber.
I think that the Asian culture's concept of Yin and Yang fit best here. If we go too far one way, then the other side is going to pull back harder. Things come and go in cycles. Nothing is new under the sun. etc. etc. But you did a great job in summing it up and I loved the poem at the end!
hmmmm Saur kraut
Am I reading between the lines
that Jill still got a soft spot for hard Jack
and Wee Willie is just getting used for Jill to get her own back?
Alas, some men always want the greem grass on the other side ...
whereas some women live in hope that the long grass will eventually blow their way ...
but I say to you once the grass is cut, the cut grass with the wind blows
Saur,
Crist does have a wee willie, PE silly.
Very good points, it is pretty obvious why the republicans lost. They, to be general, were horrible. I mean the scandals were non stop for the past year. And that hurt many elections, even those where the republican was not a sexual predator.
Saur, this is an excellent post! Your points are so true and also thought provoking at the same time. It's great to hear someone make some sense of this mess.
I agree with the idea that the US hasn't become liberal over night, I think that's flawed thinking but there has been a move to the centre ground and flawed thinking on Iraq helped the GOP lose and the Dems win.
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