He's done what I was praying they would not do, fool themselves into thinking they have a mandate.
This is my worst nightmare. There is clearly not a mandate. This country is still very much split 50/50.

dear god what are they planning now? this could be the most frightening day the world has seen for a long long time.

very very scarry times

I don't even think Sean Penn could make this performance seem even more over dramatic.

Maybe they will try to push a constitutional amendment that allows them to have lifetime terms. All hail the new king.

It's not dramatic at all if you see a very socially conservative president declare a mandate. He's also got control of both houses now too. That is very frightening for anyone who is remotely concerned about equal rights for gays and women and other progressive issues.

I love how Cheney mentioned that Bush receives the most votes ever in a presidential race. A total non-factor when you consider that kerry received the 2nd most votes ever.

How is denial this time of year?


pwned

It is a mandate. I hate the guy so much, but this is the will of the people. I was under the misconception that fiscal conservatism and social liberalism (at least moderate) were big. I was wrong. Social conservatism is the will of the people, as evidenced by the gay marriage votes.

The people asked for it. Just wait to see what we get.

I don't know what is more frustrating, watching him win the national coin flip of 2000, or watching the American People Pick "Yes" on the George Bush referrendum.

I mentioned earlier how I was gonna relish the bitter anti-bush posts today ... I think the overly-hysterical anti-bush posts are also entertaining.

But while we're at it, MY worst nightmare involves the boogeyman, a test I forgot to study for, and giving a speech clad only in my underwear.

Here's something more frustrating than both of those things. The fact that no matter how many votes Bush would have gotten, you'd still bitch about the fact that it's "unfair", "stolen", "too close to call", "decided by sheep", "Kerry's failure", etc etc... It's fucking pathetic. For the past 4 years I've been treated like a minority because I a) thought the war in Iraq was the right thing to do, b) thought the tax cuts were great, c) thought the Bush Doctrine made sense d) thought the Patriot Act made sense etc etc.

Now, I, a long with 58 million other people, have been proven to be the majority in thought. I'm still here. I could go bask in the sun of a more conservative board, cheer, be happy, etc. My first post back here after the election was one of resolution for Democrats and Liberals, calling them to the debate table. That thread has dissipated. What has escalated here are more childish insults, silly "keyboard reaffirmations", and yawning expletives.

Get over yourselves, please.

He won. Fair and square. I know it's hard realizing not everyone thinks like you. I know it's hard to come to terms with the fact that your view is less popular; that your guy compared to ours does not meet the standards of an American majority. It's hard, of course it is.

Now get over it. You have 4 years. Go.

overreact some people?

Of course they are going to claim it is a mandate, because that is what politicians do when they win...Bill Clinton claimed mandates when he won election twice, NEITHER time did he take a majority of the popular vote. Bush did.

but the fact is the house and senate are too close for a mandate to be implemented the same way Clintons mandate claims fell on deaf ears, particularly in 1996 as the Republicans controlled the house for the first time in 50 years.

this is just politics, get over it.

This is the most confounding part for me, too. A lot of people seem to really be socially and morally conservative. I can tell you, they aren't out there making movies and writing music and publishing magazines and books. while I could actually care less about the virtues of tax cuts vs. no tax cuts, I really don't like staunch social conservatives, and now I'm freaked to hell about how so many people in this country are closed-minded about lifestyles, life choices, things foreign to them. And I'm not even gay.

He said the people made a clear decision. What's your point here?

Of course this is the will of the people. He won by almost four million votes last count I saw.

The republicans controlled it in 94.

But yeah, everyone claims a mandate. It's stupid to expect a politician in power to act with any humility at all. He didn't the first time, which was expected, why do it when he has won clearly and decisively?

I learning a few things, I thought I had mandate figured out, but Im not sure, and incumant or some shit.

No you are WRONG, you are not in line with 58 million. You are in the minority of Bush voters who actually voted with a purpose and I can respect that. However, they prayed on the poor and ignorant, scared them, and spoke in the name of God to get their votes.

I actually spoke with a girl yesterday whose sole reason for voting for Bush was because Kerry's hand motions in the debates "annoyed" her, I swear, and her vote counts the same as mine, good stuff.

There should be nothing to be proud about a Bush election. Neither candidate ran a clean campaign but Bush did sink to record lows. Using gay marriage and denegrating a veterans service is no way to win. Deceiving people into believing that Saddam has something to do with al qaeda is not the way to win.

there were plenty of reasons to vote for bush, unfortunately, it seems lies and deceit were the methods most often used

Speaking of a mandate, I think the hurricanes in Florida were a clear indication that Bush has lost the mandate of heaven.

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