Simon Tisdall (Guardian Utd): Consensual politics? Probably not

[Jack Rabbit]

From the Guardian Unlimited
Dated Thursday November 4

Consensual politics? Probably not
By Simon Tisdall

George Bush's success in winning both the popular vote and the electoral college has given a massive boost to his personal standing and political authority.

But while Mr Bush, backed by a Republican-controlled Congress and a conservative-minded supreme court, holds all the reins of power, serious questions remain about the legitimacy of his agenda at home and abroad.

Notwithstanding the narrowness of his defeat of Al Gore in 2000, Mr Bush interpreted that victory as a mandate for pursuing radical policies reflecting the hard right or neo-conservative thinking of his principal advisers.

Whether he will now do so again, despite the fact that 48% of voters rejected him and regardless of the deep societal divisions revealed by the campaign, is the central issue for the second Bush term.

Read more.

[ladjf]

1. That's assuming that the reported vote count is legitimate.