What A Mandate! Popular Vote For Senate Was 55%-43% Democratic

[Mark E. Smith]

Huffington Post 11/11 - RJ Eskow

Look how easily the media manipulates everyone's perceptions, including our own. An hour of vote
tabulation reveals a stunning fact: Democrats won the popular vote for the Senate by an over-
whelming 12.6% margin - 55%/42.4%. "Bipartisanship" and "compromise" are today's buzzwords,
when the phrase on everybody's lips should be "mandate for dramatic change." - especially in Iraq.

Contrast the media's performance this week with its reaction to the 2004 election results. The
overwhelming catchphrase that November was "political capital." Bush had squeaked through with
the tiniest popular vote margin of any postwar President, yet was hailed as a leader with a popular
mandate to continue his extremist policies.

(Later ..)

Here's a brain-teaser for the pundits and those who read them: We've just spent an entire election
season being lectured about the Lieberman/Lamont primary. We were told that it proved Democrats
were Stalinist, overly leftist, and would purge anyone who "deviated from the party line on Iraq."

Now we're being informed that the only reason Democrats won was because they ran a slate of
rightwingers. Think about it: Both statements can't be true. Then again, the spinmeisters and
thought-shapers don't need to be consistent. They just need to keep the drumbeat going, so that
everyone ends up believing it through sheer repetition.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/what-a-mandate-popular-_b_33882.html

[patricia92243]

1. Is there a certain percent that determines if there is a mandate or not?? n/t

[Doctor_J]

5. Well, Smirk's 48% in 2000 gave him a mandate, so certainly

our 55% this time must do the same, no?

[Zynx]

6. No. Even when parties win with 60% it does not indicate a mandate.

FDR thought he was given broad permission by voters, but he pushed way too hard and got waxed in the 1938 midterms. Same thing with Reagan and Nixon in '84 and '72 respectively. Mandates rarely exist.

[tblue]

2. We should be gracious in victory, but poised to kick ass as needed.

[Mark E. Smith]

3. I think we should use the "Crazy Uncle" approach

Treat Georgie with respect and dignity and all that, but always in
a way that reveals we do not think he is really "all there."

And besides, this administration is as prone to bipartisanship as
a nest of rattlesnakes.

[tblue]

8. Like we did with Reagan

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

4. Well said! Do not let them spin this fact away from us

I remember being apalled and angry when Bush claimed his non-existent mandate and political capital. If they can make the claim which such a puny substantiation, then we should take this and run with it.

[featherman]

7. Nice win. I'd like to see the House numbers as well