Have you heard or seen the word "mandate" yet in the corporate media? In 2004 the establishment couldn't use the word enough despite the razor-thin win for Dear Leader. BushCo was thrilled to tell us that he had a mandate:
And it's one of the wonderful -- it's like earning capital. You asked, do I feel free. Let me put it to you this way: I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it. It is my style. That's what happened in the -- after the 2000 election, I earned some capital I've earned capital in this election -- and I'm going to spend it for what I told the people I'd spend it on, which is -- you've heard the agenda: Social Security and tax reform, moving this economy forward, education, fighting and winning the war on terror.
I haven't even seen "mandate" show up too much in blogtopia. Even though that now, after a clear Dem sweep in November and two separate polls, that show overwhelming support for the Democrat's message, there's really no other word for what the Dems have been handed.
One bit of bad, but expected, news for the Dems: The most recent poll - the one from CBS - puts BushCo's War on Iraq way, way, way ahead on the country's list of priorities. Josh says that he can't remember ever seeing anything like it. The Dems can't ignore that. They can't fix the disaster. But they're going to have to come up with something. My Magic War Ball says they should stay out of the quagmire by investigating the hell out of every corrupt corner of the prosecution of the war and then enact legislation that stops that bleeding. And, of course, they have to work harder than ever to brand the entire nightmare a wholly-owned subsidiary of the GOP.
As for the escalation, that's going to happen at the pleasure of the king, but it doesn't have to happen without a fight and without a huge political cost to the party that made it all possible in the first place.
Comments