Some Numbers I Threw Together

[Pangloss]

I'm kinda bleary-eyed at the moment so these numbers might not be all that accurate. I just threw 'em together myself, they're not from a news source. Just some stuff I thought was interesting.

 

Please don't construe this as pro-Bush sentiment. As I've said before, I love "sticking it" to extremists on both sides, and I'm going to enjoy laughing at liberals in particular, but my positions, as stated elsewhere on this board, have not changed. I'm especially outraged at the lack of work in fixing the influence of special interests in the House. But that having been said....

 

- Bush won both the popular vote and the electoral college vote

- He got more total votes than he did four years ago

- He won more than half of the states

- He set a new record for most votes ever received by an American presidential candidate (Kerry surpassed the old record as well, which was set by Al Gore in 2000)

- He's the first president since 1988 (his father) to win more than 50% of the vote

- Bush got four million more votes than Kerry, which is at least 4x the margin of 2000

 

Republicans in general:

- Appear to have taken several additional Senate seats away from Democrats

- Beat the (Democrat) minority leader in the Senate, for the first time in 56 years (Congressional "leaders" almost always win, because they do more for their states thanks to their greater sway over committees, oversight, and appropriations)

- Increased its lead in the House

- Referendums banning on marriage passed in all 11 states that had them

 

About the election in general:

- More Americans voted than ever before

- In spite of a huge swell in minority and youth voting, conservatives and older folks maintained their hold; the baby boomers are getting more conservative as they age

- In spite of overwhelming "anybody but Bush" strategies and at least a perception of vast foreign "anti-Americanism", Americans continue to support the president

- This confirms Bush as a "legitimate" president in many ways; certainly it proves that his popularity was not just a fluke

- Virtually no significant disenfranchisement issues this time around (20,000 lawyers with nothing to do has GOT to be some kind of record)

- Colorado voters denied a referendum to split their electoral college vote by an overwhelming majority

 

It was certainly a close election, but in the end it sure looks like a mandate to me. The notion that the country was overwhelmingly pissed at Bush seems to have been totally destroyed.

 

All told, on the balance, I'm proud of the country for rising to the challenges of this election. I'd Kerry had roughly the same stats as Bush above, I'd feel the same way (and it would still indicate support for Bush). We went through a collective nightmare and came through with some smart moves in the end.

 

Watch, now, as the extremists of the world collapse in the biggest crying fit in the Western world since Nixon went to China.

[Pangloss]

Oh what the heck, a couple more.

 

- Florida turned out to do pretty darn well, thank you very much (hehe)

- 20,000 lawyers with nothing to do... that's got to be a first in the history of this country....

[bloodhound]

apparently what u mean by "liberal" over there, is completely different by what liberal means in UK

[Ophiolite]

That's true: over here it doesn't rhyme with asshole.

[atinymonkey]

I like the way a 'liberal' is an 'extremist'. Bit like Jesus and Gandhi, those bastards.

[Gilded]

We've got all sorts of nutjob political parties here. Communists, Christian social democrats (or whatever they are)... Still, it doesn't make me want to move to USA.

[LucidDreamer]

You Americans are a bunch of nutters. (I just want to pretend that I live in another country for awhile so don't burst my bubble)

[Pangloss]

I kinda feel sorry for George Soros and the Hollywood crowd.

 

Far-left 527 groups outspent far-right 527 groups something like $160 million to $20 million. And what do they have to show for it? A lesson in how NOT to tell people what to do.

 

Obviously the Republicans have the right idea in keeping their special interest groups (with some interesting exceptions) below the radar. When you wear your agenda on your sleeve, it's right out there, and there's going to be a reaction to it.

 

I just can't get over the fact that the House of Representatives remains virtually unchanged. It's the untold story of this election, IMO. All those people so focused on the "evil George Bush" completely missed the fact that the real evil is Dennis Hastert, and his vast alliance with mega-corporations. But he's not a neo-con, so he slides along under the radar, untouchable, and nobody seems to care. (sigh)

 

Maybe we'll get a chance to work on that House in 2006.

 

By the way, as I was telling one of my far-right friends yesterday, Republicans are in for a world of pain in 2008:

- The White House will have been under Republican control for 8 years (no more blaming Clinton)

- Congress will have been under Republican control for six years (and the House for *14* years)

- The budget won't be balanced; debt and deficit will be at an all-time highs

- Iraq still won't be resolved (we may even still have troops there)

- Afghanistan will likely have undergone a civil war and return to despotism

- Europe will still be annoyed with us

 

Hillary is going to look like an angel from above.

[blike]

Hillary is going to look like an angel from above.

I see your point, but this is Hillary Clinton we're talking about.

[Douglas]

PANGLOSS:

You summed it up pretty well.

I voted for Bush, but I could've lived with Kerry, he wouldn've made any difference in my life.

 

Bush will probably appoint at least 2 judges to the supreme court, I see that as a positive point.

 

Tom Daschle has bit the dust, I'm jumping up and down about that. I had much more respect for Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and Barbara Boxer than I had for Daschle.

 

BTW, take a look at this web site, being heavy into politics as you are, this site has info and maps of every election since 1789

 

Example.....1840

 

http://presidentelect.org/e1840.html

[Pangloss]

On my list already, but thanks.

[Douglas]

On my list already, but thanks.

Jeez, I thought I had a good "find" there. Maybe you should give me "your" list.

[r1dermon]

if hillary runs in 08 she will win by a wide margin. probably larger than the what was it...72' election, where nixons challenger only got one state...MA. lol. the biggest democrat slam dunk in the nation.

[Douglas]

if hillary runs in 08 she will win by a wide margin. probably larger than the what was it...72' election, where nixons challenger only got one state...MA. lol. the biggest democrat slam dunk in the nation.

Hillary? That remains to be seen.

This election was enormously significant in which way the people want this country to go.

Not only did a conservative win the presidentsy, they also took the House, Senate, the governorships, and states' legislators.

[Aardvark]

Record turnout, all the pundits said that would favour the Democrats.

 

Looks like the Republicans have a genuine bedrock of conservative support. Hillary might find herself being hammered for liberalism.

[YT2095]

it`s all a moot point now bush won. nothing further to say Zzzzz....

[Sayonara]

Nonsense!

 

Plenty of complaining and namecalling left in this lot. Hurrah for not agreeing!

[YT2095]

LOL, but it`s Sooo OLD now and I`ll be glad to see the back of it all, up to 15% of posts have been politics based with this bush kerry thing, a further 10% is still religion based and about 7% is psuedoscience based

those a rough esstimates taken from post counts on paper next to me during coffee breaks, it has actualy exceeded these figures during certain hours (I hate maths but the simple stuff I`m ok with).

 

maybe I`m even echoing others feelings to, but I for one will be glad when all this is over! it`s bad enough having your TV monopolised with it, I wouldn`t mind but we don`t even live there!, do they get Blair and Howard 24/7????

 

they bloody ought to! ))

[LucidDreamer]

do they get Blair and Howard 24/7????

 

Who are they (kidding about Blair)? We hardly pay any attention to anything else in the world unless we see potential in interfering. We are quite fond of blowing things up too, but it gets messy to clean up so we like to play in other countries.

[Douglas]

it`s all a moot point now bush won. nothing further to say Zzzzz....

The Dems will probably bitch for a week or two. After that, this forum may trickle down to a few posts......well, unless Bush F's up.

It's been an active, informative and interesting forum for the last couple of months.....My "join" date.

[YT2095]

when you say: "unless Bush F's up."

do you mean AGAIN or just f`s up a bit more?

 

I dunno, maybe I`m just being a bit un-scientific here, but there`s just something about him I don`t like, I kinda get the same sort of gut feeling with Kerry but not as much and in different ways.

 

either one of them just gives me the creeps. but I`ve never liked politics all that much anyway, so maybe it`s childhood boredom flashbacks (that`s probably a Scientific term!) ))

[Douglas]

when you say: "unless Bush F's up."

do you mean AGAIN or just f`s up a bit more?

That's not fair...Bush will be a good little boy from now on.

[r1dermon]

douglas, why should the dems NOT bitch for a week or two, we're trying to emulate the republicans...

RE-ELECT GORE!!!

[budullewraagh]

in the words of dave eggers, we are owed

 

barack obama explained the downfall of the united states in a recent speech so clearly; we are stretched too thin. our exports are nothing compared to our imports. the great years of america are over, we will soon find.

 

and now there is no separation of powers. rather, we are faced with a republican majority everywhere. are are so owed, but blind to it

[r1dermon]

obama is the man. i hope he takes a bid for president eventually. he's the man. he won by a HUGE margin. lol.