Some worries

I've only begun to wade into the conservative blogs to read their take on the election. Already, I'm a bit nervous:

Do you think it might be time for the media and the Democrats to drop the notion that George Bush is an idiot?

Now, with what looks like a 10-seat majority in the Senate and a 30-vote gap in the House and with his newfound popular-vote mandate, Bush has heavyweight-class political clout with which to push his agenda in the second term. More importantly for his domestic agenda, Bush has a clear majority for his judicial nominations, especially for the three or four Supreme Court nominations that will undoubtedly occur. Democrats paid the price for their obstructionism in the upper chamber, especially Tom Daschle, and don't think for a moment that the message has not been delivered.

First, although I've never called Bush an idiot as far as I remember, I'm not sure he was the guy in charge of his campaign. Karl Rove is clearly not an idiot after this election. But I think we already knew that much.

I am afraid, though, that the conservatives will push hard on this "conservative mandate" thing. They've got about two years to get things started, because if it goes as poorly as I think it might, then the next cycle will show gains for the Democrats if they have any political skill left.

Democrats did not "pay a price for obstructionism," by the way. But America may pay a price if it doesn't continue.

Bill Bennett scares me too:

Having restored decency to the White House, President Bush now has a mandate to affect policy that will promote a more decent society, through both politics and law. His supporters want that, and have given him a mandate in their popular and electoral votes to see to it. Now is the time to begin our long, national cultural renewal ("The Great Relearning," as novelist Tom Wolfe calls it) - no less in legislation than in federal court appointments. It is, after all, the main reason George W. Bush was reelected.

Yes, hating minorities and cursing out Senators really has restored decency to the White House, hasn't it?

274 is not a "mandate" in electoral vote terms. 51% is not a strong mandate. Half the country still does not trust Bush. If he was as great as Republicans made him sound, this would not have been as close as it was. But, American has chosen, and now the rights that they have thanks to the "soft liberals" will now be removed by newly appointed conservative courts. Someone just said we have become a "right wing Christian nation." I'm afraid that for now it is true.

It's a small point, and one that may seem petty, but I refuse to believe that a majority of Americans support the Bush agenda. A majority of voters maybe (if you don't believe the talk of Ohio and Florida), but not Americans themselves. Maybe it really will take a few more years of hard core conservatism to make America see the error of their ways. But if they really do like bashing gays and being afraid at every turn, then Democrats have some serious problems. Their message of hope is being drown out by the message of fear and hate.

So we shall see in two years how elections go, but it is not a wait and see approach we should take when it comes to that election. We need to start the battle now.

One hope for the future, Tradesports contract for the Democrats winning in 2008 is trading around 53.