ABC News: Analysts Predict Split Congress, Political Gridlock

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2006/story?id=2630173&page=1

Analysts Predict Split Congress, Political Gridlock

Experts Predict That Democrats Could Subpoena Administration Officials

By JOHN YANG

Nov. 5, 2006 — - A Democratic House and a Senate that is virtually tied -- that's the consensus of political analysts canvassed by ABC News, who also predict two years of confrontation and gridlock.

"This election will not produce a mandate," says James A. Thurber, a political scientist at American University. "It will produce deadlock."

"It's been difficult to govern, really, since 2000," says ABC News' Cokie Roberts, a long-time observer of Congress. "The country has been split down the middle and the Congress has been split down the middle. There's no reason to believe that that will really change after Tuesday unless there's a huge Democratic wave."

All the analysts ABC News talked to predict a slim Democratic majority in the House, which would make running the chamber difficult for the person poised to be speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Her task would be further complicated by the fact that many of the new lawmakers who will have given the Democrats their majority will be moderate-to-conservative Democrats from the South and West -- more conservative that the Democratic caucus as a whole.

...

[AndyA]

1. Note to Roberts: Congress has NOT been split down the middle since

2000! Where are you getting your information?

The GOP has been in charge of the House, Senate, and Executive Branch. ALL OF THE MESS IS THEIR FAULT. PERIOD. They have had everything.

[gully]

5. Exactly.

!

[central scrutinizer]

10. Exactly how many bills has Bushco vetoed?

leading to gridlock? Oh right, that would be zero. Get a clue, you stupid hack.

[BadgerKid]

27. The only veto

I believe, is for halting federal funding of stem cell research.

[John Q. Citizen]

16. Cokie is a neocon, and has been so for years. This is just more of the same.

[trogdor]

29. The two houses were split almost even.

Although a five-seat advantage in the Senate is a lot bigger than a 15 seat margin in the House, that's where Cokie is more-or-less correct. It is worth noting that since the GOP takeover the Republicans have not been able to manage a majority larger than the one they enjoyed in 1995-97. Too many people are too wary of the Republicans to give them more than a 5% edge in either chamber since 1994. 5% ain't shit.

The bad news is, as long as the Republicans have nominal control of Congress, they couldn't care less how much or how little gets accomplished there, as long as they leave George W. Bush and his proxies to do what they want to do.

It takes a tremendous amount of resources to convince an ever-smaller number of people of their bullshit. They can out-spend the Democrats ten to one, and the best they have been able to do in this decade is a shift of onesies and twosies at a time. Even now, they're spending mountains of cash and not having much impact because people are doing their best to tune it out. So, in one fell-swoop, the absolute worst we will do tomorrow (what Karl Rove is hoping for) is to erase all the gains made by the Republicans in 2002 and 2004. I think we'll do a whole hell of a lot better than that.

[C_U_L8R]

2. James Thurber?

[Beetwasher]

3. "This election will not produce a mandate,"

Well, that's bullshit. If the Dems take back the Senate and House that sure as hell IS a mandate, regardless of whether or not it leads to deadlock. The two are not related, not at all. Mandate does not mean "no deadlock" you fucking tool (Yang). It would be a very clear repudiation of the Repub policies and, depending on the margin of victory certainly WOULD be a mandate against Bush and Repubs.

So, fuck you John Yang and ABC you rotten, vile propogandists.

[rodeodance]

14. Nancy Pelosi will not let gridlot happen. simple as that. so cookie-take

a hike.

[cybildisobedience]

25. Remember when a resounding mandate was only 50.1 percent

Now that the Dems might win, the mandate has to be overwhelming for the likes of Cokie Roberts to acknowledge it.

Oh, and one more thing - they got the 50.1 percent by cheating.

[central scrutinizer]

31. that would 50.1% of the 50% who actually voted

In other words, more like 25% of the Murkan people.

[aquart]

4. Gridlock would be great!

As Maher said, this election is between the obstructionists and the enablers.

[Demeter]

6. ABC Whistling Past the Graveyard

I think they're all wet. I think this will be the beginning of the end, and not gridlock. AND I think the Senate will have a new true blue color.

[Downtown Hound]

7. Hell, I'll settle for gridlock

If it means that Nazi Boy has a hard time getting his agenda through, bring on the gridlock!

[dipsydoodle]

8. "unless there's a huge Democratic wave"

let's all hope it's a fucking great tsunami then.

[AIJ Alom]

13. Better yet, let's make a huge Tsunami. Talk about how disgusted

you are with the government and drive people that lack transportation to the polls.

[dipsydoodle]

24. Minor logistic problem there

I am just a tinsy bit restricted being in London but agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments.
Telling people how disgusted I am with your government, and my own, is however an everyday event - lobbed into conversations at the least excuse.

Forget fairy stories about our healthcare being free - it paid for in a form of tax alonfside income tax. Six and half billion £'s has been side tracked into Iraq. That's the equivalent, for example, of opening at least 40 new hospitals which are needed.

[AIJ Alom]

28. I've got an idea for you, catch up with ex-pats and have them send in

their absentee ballots, if they have not already done so.

Incredible isn't how we are spending over there, so we can sacrifice as well over here, for a war we did not want and were mislead into supporting.

[Haole Girl]

9. Anything would be an improvement over...

..a congress that refuses to increase the minimum wage, yet votes themselves a pay raise the same week. :eyes:

[longship]

11. Promote the upcoming *war*

Buy more shampoo!!!!
It's gonna be all out political gridlock if we elect Dems!!!
Buy more beer!!!!
The election is tightening as Republicans surge!!!
Buy this exercise video!!!
Who will win the House and Senate????
Refinance your house (again) NOW!!!

Et cetera.

[rodeodance]

12. not a good time to have this particular headline!

[depakid]

15. ABC news and Cokie

Whoring away- that's all this story is.

[Jackpine Radical]

17. I prefer gridlock

to being steamrollered by the Wingnut Wacko Hack crew that's now in charge of the playground.

[Straight Shooter]

18. Sometimes gridlock is a good thing. Like when you're at the edge of a cliff. n/t

[deadparrot]

19. Then bring on the gridlock.

It can't get much worse than the past two years.

[The Stranger]

20. How in the fuck does that imbecile Cokie Roberts always end up as their "expert"?

[acmavm]

21. ABC? Anything But Credible? Why would I take their word for

anything. They're as big a bunch of fibbers as Chris Wallace, Tony Snowjob, or any gw bush** himself.

[KansDem]

22. ABC is "cherry-picking" its "news."

"This election will not produce a mandate," says James A. Thurber, a political scientist at American University. "It will produce deadlock."

I wonder how far and wide ABC had to search to find this quote? No mandate? ABC and it fellow media whores said nothing about "no mandate" following Bush's theft of the White House in 2000. It was "mandate city" then, even though more than half the voters didn't vote for him.

[6000eliot]

23. You mean the idiot will be stopped from making any more of a mess?

Gee, that's too bad.

[w4rma]

26. Like heck there is "no mandate". The mandate will be to put a stop to Bush's idiocy. (nt)

[GreenArrow]

30. no one has any comments on this?

"Her task would be further complicated by the fact that many of the new lawmakers who will have given the Democrats their majority will be moderate-to-conservative Democrats from the South and West -- more conservative that the Democratic caucus as a whole."

A sizable number of Democratic reps has already shown a willingness to work with Bush on any number of egregious issues, and with newer, and equally conservative members possibly coming aboard, I see every reason to believe that a sizable number of them will continue to do so.

There's my wet blanket post for the day.

[Atman]

32. They speak of gridlock as if it would be a BAD thing.

This is not your fathers gridlock. This time it will be stopping the rubber-stampers from further destroying the constitution and the very foundations of our democracy. Bring it on!

.

[MasonJar]

33. Oh, is this the same ABC that recently ran a very derogatory &

mendacious film about Clinton, Albright and all? I have not watched anything on their channels since, and I never will. In addition, I will never spend a dime on anything put out by Disney.