When bush lost the election in 2000 but still moved into the white house a couple months later, he acted as if he had a mandate from the public to pull america as far to the extreme right as possible, even tho he had no mandate to do anything like that given that more people voted for gore and nader (I.E. to the left)than him.
Well, now we have a new congress that won without trickery or fraud, and it has a clear mandate: STOP BUSH.
I hope that's what our new congress does: Obstruct W on every issue, cripple everything he tries to do and basically bury him in investigations, subpeonas and hearings until he's out of the white house, and hopefully for the rest of his life thereafter.
I'm not sure if I expect it, but I do hope for it. Bush has been a disaster for america and the rest of the world, and I hope the democrats have the spine to basically paralyze him for the next couple years.
Yes, doing something like that would clearly be the best possible strategy the Democrats could use to hand the Republicans the 2008 presidential election, and control of congress, on a silver platter.
Given that, I'm betting even odds that its almost certainly what they'll do.
RPGPundit
The interesting historical perspective is this: Its almost unheard of for a president to retain control of congress in his sixth year of office. At least one partisan observer suggests that the democrats were fated to win this congress, but did so by such a small margin (compared to past 6th year elections) that it is a clear indication of just how weak the Dem's are politically.
Make what you will of that, of course. But I for one would like to see smarter politicking from the congress than just 'down with Bush'. Quite frankly, having sat through some 14 years of endless political backbiting and 'witchhunting' against 'evil bad president men' I'm fucking tired of it, and wish they'd get their fucking act together and just run the god damn country.
Wishful thinking. The business of all politicians is getting re-elected, the biggest flaw with the democratic model if you ask me.
It seems they're also contemplating running someone named Obama. No offense to the man, but that's pretty much the best possible name to use if you want to gaurantee you lose an election, at least right now. Not only does it sound too Middle Eastern, it's too close to Osama.
If you check out his track record, Obama's the freaking man as far as watching out for the little guy is concerned, but the democrats just rolled him out a couple years ago and are tyring to push him awfully fast. I'm afraid if he makes an '08 pres bid, he's just going to end up being a puppet like Bush.
Quote from: James McMurrayIt seems they're also contemplating running someone named Obama. No offense to the man, but that's pretty much the best possible name to use if you want to gaurantee you lose an election, at least right now. Not only does it sound too Middle Eastern, it's too close to Osama.
His full name is Barack
Hussein Obama (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama).
Obama needs time to season. The Republican party would have a field day with a freshman Senator with no executive office experience. They'd make him look like a kindergartener, contrasting his inexperience with, for example, McCain's decades of service.
He's a fresh face and he'll play well on prime time, but he needs to build up a record and some political capital. He's got decades to become President; there's no reason to get greedy.
First of all, nox, you completely skip over the last election - when GW won (again). Or was that one fixed too? So only elections where Democrats win are fair? Yeah...nice...
Second, I agree with Pundit. It's probably not a good strategy - so the Democrats with pursue it with all vigor. Although, I have to say that the attempt at the first 100 hours thing might be a sign they learned something from Gingrich after all - even if I disagree with many of it's finer points.
Third - I'm from Illinois. Are you kidding me with the Obama stuff? Let's be clear about something. Three or four years ago he was an obscure State Senator. He could barely get a parking ticket fixed if he wanted. He got by two horrific opponents in the US Sentate race - hell I might have been able to win that race. Alan Keyes - are you kdding me? But most importantly, he's from Illinois. Nobody comes out of Illinois politics untainted. And once he announces - lookout.
Fourth - have you ever heard the tape of Kennedy calling him Osama? It's so bad even I get uncomfortable listening - and I can't stand Chappaquiddick Ted.
Quote from: RPGPunditYes, doing something like that would clearly be the best possible strategy the Democrats could use to hand the Republicans the 2008 presidential election, and control of congress, on a silver platter.
Given that, I'm betting even odds that its almost certainly what they'll do.
RPGPundit
Ok, so according to pundy then the democrats should act like the republiscum congress that just got voted out and let the grofaz just do whatever the fucking hell he wants, which is why they got voted out because people are fed up with bush acting like god.
So, the last congress got it's ass waxed for doing that, now pundy claims that if the democrat congress doesn;t do the same it will get voted out.
Pundy, you're a mindless, fucktarded idiot who just automatically and mindlessly attacks any post I make without bothering to think. You're too fucking stupid for me to even bother replying to anymore. Just go ahead and fire away at any and all of my posts, idiot, I won't even bother reading your mindless reflex slams.
Quote from: Dominus NoxOk, so according to pundy then the democrats should act like the republiscum congress that just got voted out and let the grofaz just do whatever the fucking hell he wants, which is why they got voted out because people are fed up with bush acting like god.
Er, I'm sure there's a happy medium in there somewhere between your two extremes of opposing everything Bush does or giving in to everything he wants. So how about cut the hysterics?
As to whether the democrats will be able to (or even try to) find that happy medium, that's another question.