For Bush and GOP, a Validation

Washington Post ^ | 11/03/04 | John F. Harris

[Pikamax]

For Bush and GOP, a Validation

By John F. Harris Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, November 3, 2004; Page A01

Four years later, it is still a divided country -- perhaps more sullenly than ever -- but as a long election night bled into morning the evidence was clear that it is becoming a more Republican one.

President Bush, his fate for winning a second term still officially uncertain, commanded the popular-vote majority that eluded him in 2000. And in an impressive run of battleground states, he seemed to win validation for a campaign that unabashedly stressed conservative themes and reveled in partisan combat against Democratic nominee John F. Kerry.

On the same night, Republicans expanded their majority in the Senate and had the Democratic leader on the ropes. It seemed likely they would also make gains in the House, as voters in an age of terrorism seemed to let go of their 1990s preference for divided government and gave a narrow but unmistakable mandate for the GOP.

These gains came in the face of what Democrats for months had been touting as important advantages: a party unified early around its nominee, an energized base filled with grievance against the incumbent, unprecedented fundraising and voter mobilization efforts. They came despite some stiff headwinds for Bush, including a steady stream of bad news out of Iraq and a weak record on jobs.

[joesnuffy]

Evangelicals and Veterans Against Kerry anyway...

[LoneGOPinCT]

It really had to gall them to print this.

[AmericanMade1776]

[kidkosmic1]

"Mandate."

They said it, not me. Well, I'll say it too!

[jneesy]

the results show that the republicans hispanic vote keeps growing
wait and see if the dems start screaming about illegal immigration

[plushaye]

It may be delayed reaction and lack of sleep but your photo of the President made me want to cry. WE DID IT!!! WE WON 4 MORE YEARS OF HIM!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!

[AmericanMade1776]

We won, Bush won, America Won, Our Troops won...Kerry can stall but the outcome will still be the same.

[NH Liberty]

"It may be delayed reaction and lack of sleep but your photo of the President made me want to cry. WE DID IT!!! WE WON 4 MORE YEARS OF HIM!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!"

Praise the Lord, indeed!

[gwjack]

Wait a minute. Did I read that correctly? The Washington Post stating this was an ". . . unmistakable mandate for the GOP."

Don't forget it WaPo -- Mandate! Mandate! Mandate! Now get out of the way and start following.

Gwjack

[valkyrieanne]

I think the Democrats need to rethink their position on illegal immigration.

[Rick.Donaldson]

This country is a Constitutional Republic, thus, it is Republican. :)

[arkady_renko]

...the evidence was clear that it is becoming a more Republican one...

Frame it and hang it on the wall! Washington Post no less.

A_R

[plushaye]

""It may be delayed reaction and lack of sleep but your photo of the President made me want to cry. WE DID IT!!! WE WON 4 MORE YEARS OF HIM!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!""

"Praise the Lord, indeed!"

The Lord is good and worthy to be praised. AMEN.
I have invested more prayers in the last 4 1/2 years for President Bush than anyone else in my entire life. Here's the funny thing (and a bit of a coming out). I'm not American. I couldn't vote yesterday but I wish I could have. I'm Canadian and a part of the Christians worldwide who have been 'called' to pray for a President who isn't ours but has been totally worthy of our prayers.

[Blzbba]

"unabashedly stressed conservative themes"


Let's hope that his 2nd term is more fiscally conservative than his first.

[Blzbba]

"Praise the Lord, indeed!"


Don't forget to praise Allah! I think that jackass Osama's tape really put most 'undecideds' firmly into the Bush camp.

[LoneGOPinCT]

Let's hope that his 2nd term is more fiscally conservative than his first.

Amen my FRiend!

[chiefqc]

Let me see if I have this correct:

Biggest voter majority ever for President Bush with no assistance from the Media only lies.

He has been pounded from all sides for the past year.

And on and on

I do believe that he has a mandate, and in may humble opinion he has handled it all with honor and quite resolve. He weathered it all and has proved himself a true leader and an a great President.

[FateAmenableToChange]

Let's hope that his 2nd term is more fiscally conservative than his first.

Ditto. As much as I like his strategy for bringing war to those who would kill us abroad, his domestic strategy is mediocre.

[oldcomputerguy]

Yes it was a good morning in America. Even Allen Dirshowicz(sp) threw in the towel about Ohio.

I spent the morning watching Katies Couric(stories about the Surpeme court composition and talk about 2008!!!!)
Bwhahahahahhahahaahahahhahahahahahahahh!!

And Imus too. It was a pleasure to watch. Mike Barnicle was on the phone from Boston making an impassioned plea about how out of touch the Demos are, how they can't make fun of people being baptized and finding God. How they can't legitmize gay marriage and still be in tune with places like Arkansas and Colorado. It was quite a speech and absolutely right on the money. Deep down it is and has been a culture war.

It is clear, and I suspected it was thus in the past, that 2000 was a tipping of the teeter-todder from left to right but mostly from North to South. The South will only increase in influence as time passes. It is in the process of reclaiming what would have been its place had the Civil War not taken place. It has the climate, water, land, cheap labor and now in the process of getting the population it was denied over time due to civil rights issues.

More and more northerners/westerners are coming in all the time so electoral and parlimentary shifts are taking place in favor of the South. While the incoming will retain some vestige of outside thinking, it will be diluted and their children will have less of it. We will end up with the country we might have had w/o the civil war. It will be interesting to see what it will look like.