GOP'S Future Sits Precariously On Small Cushion Of Victory (Liberal Ronald Brownstein Alert)

Los Angeles Times ^ | 11/15/04 | Ronald Brownstein

[goldstategop]

Measured another way, Bush won 53% of the 538 electoral college votes available this year. Of all the chief executives reelected since the 12th Amendment separated the vote for president and vice president — a group that stretches back to Thomas Jefferson in 1804 — only Wilson (at 52%) won a smaller share of the available electoral college votes. In the end, for all his gains, Bush carried just two states that he lost last time.

Another trend explains why all of this might matter to more than just historians: Throughout American history, the reelection of a president has usually been a high-water mark for the president's party. In almost every case, the party that won reelection has lost ground in the next presidential election, both in the popular vote and in the electoral college.

[uncbob]

WEll I still say with a good economy , an opponent like Kerry ,and no scandals Bush should have had a landslide ala Reagan and his father's election

The barbarians are at the gate and haven't left

Iraq could get real ugly and Social Security is going to be a bitch to fix

We are living in a credit card economy that is a house of plastic

TOO many Americans don't know what a bad economy really is
and any slight downturn( they may have to give uo one of the family's 5 cell phones ) will have them convinced they are living through a Second Great Depression

This war will need $$$$$ to run etc etc

The colleges continue to turn out more brainwashed lefties every year while the conservative right pretty much tapped ALL its available resources vote wise this year

[HateBill]

This and all the other hankie-wringing silver lining in clouds pieces are based on the utterly stupid idea that George Bush -- who has been incredibly successful in party building, first in Texas and now in Washington -- will, once he enters his "lame duck" term, lose all interest in continued party building.

Wake up dreamers, this is the Bush legacy!

I anticipate Ralph Reed working his magic in the Mid-west states which Bush lost narrowly, like Michigan and Wisconsin, and in the West. Considering that Kerry won California, Oregon and Washington by single digits, there is fertile grounds to capture those states as well.

Let those simple-minded left-wing sycophants in the media live in their fantasy world. They won't know what hit them!

[TFine80]

If the GOP hadn't been winning so many elections by blowouts in the last 35 years, then I guess they would have more close elections.

[DM1]

Historically the GOP was supposed to lose seats in 2002; we gained.
Historically the President was supposed to lose re-election due to unemployment rate; being outspent; shaky war situation etc etc.
well he proved to be the exception to the rule
lets hope that the GOP continues to make gains

[Baytovin]

Still trying to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat...
Good, let them spend the next four years convincing themselves that a) they didn't really lose this eleectin...it was stolen, or, b) while they might have lost, it really wasn't by very much. This should make for an even BIGGER loss in 2008. Thus, repeats the Rat's cycle.
It worked for 2000-2004 period, no reason it won't work again.

[KenmcG414]

As a loyal Bush supporter I agree that it was an extremely close election ie, Bush carried Ohio by 130k votes and without Ohio he loses the election. The GOP has to do a good job in the next two years, which won't be an easy task with some our "wussy" GOP senators.

[Fedora]

Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter:

[Thinks to self, "At least I'm only pretending. . ."]

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

Hmm...

Good point.