O.K., a few races still being counted, at least a couple with recounts, but essentially the die has been cast so its safe to go ahead and start the post-game analysis. Here are my thoughts:

 

1. My rear-end is sore. Any way you look at it, the Republicans got crushed yesterday. Not a "slight correction," not a Democratic edge, but every bit as impactful as 1994.

 

2. This was a Bush referendum. I have heard one or two say "anti-incumbent fervor," which is bologna. If it was anti-incumbent, more Democrats would have lost close races, but they did not. This was a correction of Republican behavior and Bush alignment.

 

3. The country has spoken - they want "moderation." Almost everywhere the Democrats gained a seat (John Yarmuth being an exception), the winner appears to have been a Democrat that is moderate, even pro-life, pro-gun, fiscally conservative, like Casey in Pennsylvania.

 

4. Already, the Democrats are failing to recognize this harbinger. I listened to NPR this morning (another sign the apocalypse is upon us) and they were interviewing Howard Dean about his thoughts about so many moderates being elected and he actually said "Oh, that doesn't mean anything because all Democrats are moderates. I'm a moderate."

 

5. Democratic party, heed this: if you use your moderate victors to elect left-wing nuts to leadership positions, you are going to be corrected by the electorate in 2 years. Electing Nancy Pelosi as Speaker will be a mistake. Nominating Hillary will be a mistake.

 

6. This election I believe assures a Republican Presidential victory in 2008 (unless they run Schwarzenegger). The country is not going to stand for a single-party Washington anytime in the near future.

 

7. My coffee actually tastes good this morning because a lot of chaff was cut from the wheat yesterday. A lot of Republicans who simply wouldn't work hard enough or be their own person got beaten. Rightfully so. Work harder. That goes for you too Anne Northup.

 

8. Minor story #1 - I think evangelicals got corrected, or maybe even corrected themselves. Voter turnout was high nationwide, presumably that included the church-goers. Yet, they did not lock-step with right-wingers, they voted down the ban on stem-cell research in Missouri, etc. I'll probably have more on all this later.

 

9. Minor story #2 - The Republicans who put their chips behind lashing out at judges and the legal system got whipped. The ridiculous proposed Amendment in South Dakota for "Jailing Judges" got voted down 90-10 (I like that state more and more every time I hear about them). Judges nationwide who took advantage of the Supreme Court decision allowing them to comment on issues, and who did so comment, got beaten. Judges who kept their mouths shut were victorious. To me, this was a major theme. No democracy can survive without an independent judiciary. Republicans, stop blaming judges and the courts for your problems.

 

10. Minor story #3 - exit polling about voters mad about "corruption."

 

11. The Democrats will now have a shot at Iraq. Lets see what they can do.

 

12. I like working from the underdog position again. I think McConnell is more effective from a position of being behind.

 

The overall theme of this election, IMHO, is that the American electorate isn't all that dumb. In fact, they'r pretty smart and don't need to be chastized or told what they like and don't like. They can figure it out for themselves. This election was not a support of the Democratic Party, it was a rejection of hard-liners and absolutists.

 

Will the Democrats learn anything, or will they overplay their hand like the Republicans did?

Will the Democrats learn anything, or will they overplay their hand like the Republicans did?

 

If your fourth comment holds true, which I think it will, the Democrats at the top will completely miss the point. Speaking as someone who feels left out by both parties but tends to vote Democrat, I think there's a 99% chance that the far left screws this up for the party.

 

Even so, I don't think the problem will come from Pelosi, who will moderate slightly once she touches the gavel. Howard Dean is problematic since he will mistakenly think he did something right (or did anything at all) that led to the Dems victories yesterday. Only if they take the Senate, however, will the real quacks start to show themselves. There are some nutty guys in the Senate and we'll have to see what happens.

It was a pasting, plain and simple. I disagree that this gives the republicans an edge in 2008. The electorate as a whole is slow to move in one direction or another. I think this starts a run for the democrats which very well may result in having congress and the white house in 2008. I also think that Pelosi will show restraint and lead from the center; Reid also if things end up the way they look right now.

5. Democratic party, heed this: if you use your moderate victors to elect left-wing nuts to leadership positions, you are going to be corrected by the electorate in 2 years. Electing Nancy Pelosi as Speaker will be a mistake. Nominating Hillary will be a mistake.

If the Dems are smart, they stay in the middle for the next two years and look like moderate America. If they do so, they run the table in 2008 capturing the House, the Senate and the White House.

 

Fortunately for the GOP, I don't believe that Pelosi, Reid and Dean will allow that.

Fortunately for the GOP, I don't believe that Pelosi, Reid and Dean will allow that.

I agree.

If your fourth comment holds true, which I think it will, the Democrats at the top will completely miss the point. Speaking as someone who feels left out by both parties but tends to vote Democrat, I think there's a 99% chance that the far left screws this up for the party.

 

Even so, I don't think the problem will come from Pelosi, who will moderate slightly once she touches the gavel. Howard Dean is problematic since he will mistakenly think he did something right (or did anything at all) that led to the Dems victories yesterday. Only if they take the Senate, however, will the real quacks start to show themselves. There are some nutty guys in the Senate and we'll have to see what happens.

 

Yeah, after some of the interviews I've heard, it seems very clear none of the top Dem leadership read Leonard Pitts' column that was run in the Sunday C-J. He basically laid it all out that the flip is completely because of GOP ineptitude, etc.

If the Dems are smart, they stay in the middle for the next two years and look like moderate America. If they do so, they run the table in 2008 capturing the House, the Senate and the White House.

 

Fortunately for the GOP, I don't believe that Pelosi, Reid and Dean will allow that.

 

The Dems will not be moderate. They will use their newfound power to push more and more to the left.

The Dems will not be moderate. They will use their newfound power to push more and more to the left.

 

That might make sense if the wave of Dems going into Congress was a bunch of flaming liberals. Most were conservative Dems. You speak like the crowd that doesn't distinguish between the Democrat label and the liberal label, as though all are one and the same.

I think Bill Clinton steps up and forces them to the middle as he still is the force in the party. I have to think the Dem. leadership are smart enough to follow his lead.

That might make sense if the wave of Dems going into Congress was a bunch of flaming liberals. Most were conservative Dems. You speak like the crowd that doesn't distinguish between the Democrat label and the liberal label, as though all are one and the same.

But the leadership is still very liberal. The freshman class of 1994 thought they were going to do things differently, but the old warhorses quickly showed them that the halls of Congress are slow to change their ways.

That might make sense if the wave of Dems going into Congress was a bunch of flaming liberals. Most were conservative Dems. You speak like the crowd that doesn't distinguish between the Democrat label and the liberal label, as though all are one and the same.

 

For the most part they are one and the same. They ran as conservatie dems (thats an oxy moron) only to fool the people. It will all be downhill for the country's morals now.

For the most part they are one and the same. They ran as conservatie dems (thats an oxy moron) only to fool the people. It will all be downhill for the country's morals now.

:laugh:

 

Is that like Bush calling himself a conservative while spending more than the most liberal Dems?

I place the blame for this Republican fiasco squarely on the lap of George W. Bush and his close advisors. Too many wrong decisions! Too much pride to at least listen to the masses!

This election day loss began in 2003 with the unwise decision to invade Iraq, without solid reasons, and without any exit plan....and then defending the mistake right up to election day with the "stay the course" and "don't cut and run" talk.

I guess they now realize that voters aren't totally ignornant.

Bush put a lot of Republicans in the Senate and House in a bad political position to defend, and they lost. To find the blame all he has to do is locate a mirror.

O.K., a few races still being counted, at least a couple with recounts, but essentially the die has been cast so its safe to go ahead and start the post-game analysis. Here are my thoughts:

 

1. My rear-end is sore. Any way you look at it, the Republicans got crushed yesterday. Not a "slight correction," not a Democratic edge, but every bit as impactful as 1994.

 

2. This was a Bush referendum. I have heard one or two say "anti-incumbent fervor," which is bologna. If it was anti-incumbent, more Democrats would have lost close races, but they did not. This was a correction of Republican behavior and Bush alignment.

 

3. The country has spoken - they want "moderation." Almost everywhere the Democrats gained a seat (John Yarmuth being an exception), the winner appears to have been a Democrat that is moderate, even pro-life, pro-gun, fiscally conservative, like Casey in Pennsylvania.

 

4. Already, the Democrats are failing to recognize this harbinger. I listened to NPR this morning (another sign the apocalypse is upon us) and they were interviewing Howard Dean about his thoughts about so many moderates being elected and he actually said "Oh, that doesn't mean anything because all Democrats are moderates. I'm a moderate."

 

5. Democratic party, heed this: if you use your moderate victors to elect left-wing nuts to leadership positions, you are going to be corrected by the electorate in 2 years. Electing Nancy Pelosi as Speaker will be a mistake. Nominating Hillary will be a mistake.

 

6. This election I believe assures a Republican Presidential victory in 2008 (unless they run Schwarzenegger). The country is not going to stand for a single-party Washington anytime in the near future.

 

7. My coffee actually tastes good this morning because a lot of chaff was cut from the wheat yesterday. A lot of Republicans who simply wouldn't work hard enough or be their own person got beaten. Rightfully so. Work harder. That goes for you too Anne Northup.

 

8. Minor story #1 - I think evangelicals got corrected, or maybe even corrected themselves. Voter turnout was high nationwide, presumably that included the church-goers. Yet, they did not lock-step with right-wingers, they voted down the ban on stem-cell research in Missouri, etc. I'll probably have more on all this later.

 

9. Minor story #2 - The Republicans who put their chips behind lashing out at judges and the legal system got whipped. The ridiculous proposed Amendment in South Dakota for "Jailing Judges" got voted down 90-10 (I like that state more and more every time I hear about them). Judges nationwide who took advantage of the Supreme Court decision allowing them to comment on issues, and who did so comment, got beaten. Judges who kept their mouths shut were victorious. To me, this was a major theme. No democracy can survive without an independent judiciary. Republicans, stop blaming judges and the courts for your problems.

 

10. Minor story #3 - exit polling about voters mad about "corruption."

 

11. The Democrats will now have a shot at Iraq. Lets see what they can do.

 

12. I like working from the underdog position again. I think McConnell is more effective from a position of being behind.

 

The overall theme of this election, IMHO, is that the American electorate isn't all that dumb. In fact, they'r pretty smart and don't need to be chastized or told what they like and don't like. They can figure it out for themselves. This election was not a support of the Democratic Party, it was a rejection of hard-liners and absolutists.

 

Will the Democrats learn anything, or will they overplay their hand like the Republicans did?

 

 

Excellent. I especially like #12.

#8. Maybe instead the evanlegicals were not as pigeon-holed and lockstep as everyone painted them to be.:sssh:

 

#11. What power does the Democrats have through Congress to effect what is going on in Iraq?

 

 

#4 and #5, I think you are right on. The Democrats have a WONDERFUL opportunity here. Let's see if they handle this right or blow it. Having Dean and Pelosi making decisions for them is not a good start.