i really don't think we can call this a democratic win

[Dixon Carter Lee]

That's a damn good point.

It was a damn obvious spin point. Douglas used it against Lincoln.

 

[AlotLikePsyche]

AlotLikePsyche,

"Lot" should be capitalized like all the other words in your name. "Alot" is not a word. I hate you with the red hot intensity of a thousand stars. Flames...flames...on my face...

AlrightyThen

 

[Hester]

It was a damn obvious spin point. Douglas used it against Lincoln.

i might buy this if i weren't a flaming liberal. calling my opinion "spin" doesn't quite have the same effect in light of that.

 

[RoryN]

i might buy this if i weren't a flaming liberal. calling my opinion "spin" doesn't quite have the same effect in light of that.

How do you figure?

 

[Guru]

excuse me?

you are making assumptions.

Okay. What Ass-umption would you make?

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

i might buy this if i weren't a flaming liberal. calling my opinion "spin" doesn't quite have the same effect in light of that.

But it is, Blanche. It is. I heard the Republicans prepping it a few weeks ago on all the radio shows.

 

[Guru]

But it is, Blanche. It is. I heard the Republicans prepping it a few weeks ago on all the radio shows.

It is *not* a Dem win. The Rep spin is that it's such a royal fuck-up, that it's Bill Clinton's fault.

 

[DevilishTexan]

"From sea to shining sea, the American people voted for change," declared Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), the hard-charging California Democrat in line to become the nation's first female House speaker.

"Today we have made history," she said, "now let us make progress."




What a laugh. We shall see.

 

[Hester]

wow, what a bunch of sore winners in this thread.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Yes. We shall see, Earthlings. We shall see.

 

[Guru]

wow, what a bunch of sore winners in this thread.

Okay. Let's just call it the "most monumental Republican fuck-up in history."

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

"From sea to shining sea, the American people voted for change," declared Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), the hard-charging California Democrat in line to become the nation's first female House speaker. "Today we have made history," she said, "now let us make progress."

What a laugh. We shall see.

Yes. We shall see, Earthlings. We shall see.

 

[NorthernPA4U]

You could call it a deocrat landslide, and admit that the right-wing Republican agneda has been utterly defeated. But you won't do that.

Let me preface my statement by saying that I am not a Republican. I have voted in each of the last eight presidential elections, and have voted for a major party candidate in less than half of those elections.

Having said that, if you look at state ballot propositions, it certainly isn't clear the right-wing Republican agenda has been defeated. It would be very, very hard to say that.

The only thing that is really clear from this election, and from all the exit polls, is that this administration's handling of foreign policy is being completely rejected by the electorate. Whether people in here like it or not, exit polls are fairly overwhelming on this ... this was an election on how George Bush has handled Iraq in particular and foreign affairs in general. It wasn't a referendum on Katrina, civil rights, medicare/medicaid, gay marriage, universal health coverage, immigration. This was about Iraq, and a rejection of those people who enabled the president's Iraq policies.

Personally, whether I agree or disagree, I don't think any substantial long-term change is going to take place on more than perhaps one of these issues over the next two years. However, I do expect policies in Iraq will change, and frankly I would be quite happy with the results of this election even if that is the only major change that this change in Congress leads to.

 

[Guru]

All politics are local. On my local level, the county commisioner race was won by the Democrat, which is unheard of. And, a ballot initiative that makes the Commisioner race non-partisan won with 68% of the vote. This election, on a local level, was a complete, total repudiation of the Republican party. And I live in Southern Oregon, otherwise known as Alabama.

 

[NorthernPA4U]

Okay. Let's just call it the "most monumental Republican fuck-up in history."

I would say the Hoover administration (might include Coolidge as a prelude due to the same general attitude) was worse, but this is clearly quite close.

The margin looks to be sufficient enough that it will withstand the next presidential election (especially since the sitting president then will still be a republican). To overturn this democratic win in the House (the Senate could fall back to republicans, quite possibly) will take a huge screw-up by a Democratic president, on the Jimmy Carter or first term Bill Clinton scale.

 

[NorthernPA4U]

All politics are local. On my local level, the county commisioner race was won by the Democrat, which is unheard of. And, a ballot initiative that makes the Commisioner race non-partisan won with 68% of the vote. This election, on a local level, was a complete, total repudiation of the Republican party. And I live in Southern Oregon, otherwise known as Alabama.

Almost always all politics are local.

In this case, not so. Exit polls are showing that over 60% of voters based their decisions about local races based on national party affiliation due to national issue positions.

I agree that it was a repudiation of the republican party, but that wasn't the position taken earlier. I do not agree that it was a repudiation of the right-wing republican agenda. The results of ballot propositions do not bear out that position.

 

[Hester]

All politics are local. On my local level, the county commisioner race was won by the Democrat, which is unheard of. And, a ballot initiative that makes the Commisioner race non-partisan won with 68% of the vote. This election, on a local level, was a complete, total repudiation of the Republican party. And I live in Southern Oregon, otherwise known as Alabama.

right, but a repudiation of the republican party does not necessarily mean it was a total embracing of the democratic party. those are not necessarily one and the same.

 

[LadyJeanne]

right, but a repudiation of the republican party does not necessarily mean it was a total embracing of the democratic party. those are not necessarily one and the same.

I wouldn't disagree, except that no Dems lost seats.

 

[Guru]

right, but a repudiation of the republican party does not necessarily mean it was a total embracing of the democratic party. those are not necessarily one and the same.

True. It just means that every marginally (thinking) Republican voter has abandoned the party. Way to go, Carl.

 

[~hellbaby~]

as much as we can call it a republican loss. in large part people weren't voting FOR dems but rather against the current regime.

it would do both parties a world of good to realize that and take action accordingly.

I agree, at least personally, I wouldn't have voted dem. for senate except the laws here screw over any third party runner and make it nearly impossible to get on the ticket.
I think Casey is an disingenuous idiot so my vote was against Santorum, not for Casey. The other races were for the dems. though.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

as much as we can call it a republican loss. in large part people weren't voting FOR dems but rather against the current regime.

it would do both parties a world of good to realize that and take action accordingly.

You mean it wasn't so much that the Democrats whupped your asses and took the country from you, as it was a case of you fucking up royally and turning the country against you? Ok. I'm cool with that.

 

[NorthernPA4U]

You mean it wasn't so much that the Democrats whupped your asses and took the country from you, as it was a case of you fucking up royally and turning the country against you? Ok. I'm cool with that.

Yup, I think that's pretty much it.

And while everyone is focusing on the House and Senate, just as important in the long run is how this affects state houses, where we will be redistricting again in just a few short years...

 

[MechaBlade]

People need to stop assuming Hester is a Republican.

 

[Hester]

People need to stop assuming Hester is a Republican.

i said that already and no one seemed to notice.

i'm about to start writing like busybonnet.

 

[Hester]

True. It just means that every marginally (thinking) Republican voter has abandoned the party. Way to go, Carl.

agreed. and this is fine with me. i still don't think the dems are offering people much, but at least right now they (i hope) are offering some hope. and i pray they don't fail to deliver.

this will be an interesting 2 years.

/radical right hesterspin