The left's response to the election results

Oh please. E. J. Dionne's article from the Houston Chronicle has some interesting insight for us.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/editorial/outlook/2885135

Begin with the facts: A 51-48 percent victory is not a mandate. Even Democrats have talked about their party being confined to an "enclave." Enclave? Blue America includes the entire Northeast, all of the West Coast but for Alaska, and much of the upper Midwest.

If Kerry had switched a point and a half in the popular vote and roughly 70,000 votes in Ohio, we'd be talking about the Republican "enclave." Rove's strategy has largely confined the GOP to the South and the Mountain West, rural America and the outer suburbs. Two nearly equal sides are engaged today, as they were on Tuesday, in a long-term struggle to make inroads into the other's patch.

Democrats have deluded themselves into believing that they were not thoroughly defeated n this election. In a majoritarian electoral system 50% plus one vote is all you need to declare victory. Obviously, in American presidential elections, it is the electoral college vote that actually matters.

Here is a good picture of the regional Republican party's states:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/Presidential_04/RCP_Electoral_Count_Final.html

Clearly, the Democrats are on equal ground. There has been little talk of why the party is disconnected with American voters. The left seems to believe that we should just swallow their garbage and accept that "they know best." Telling 51% of Americans (and their children) that they are dumb is not a good strategy for earning their votes in the future. Belittling those with strong value systems and *gasp* religious inclinations show that the Democratic party is just out touch with people. If they ever expect to win another election they need to recognize these issues and address them. That said, it does not bother me to see them lose.

What an Election!

I have to say that I am quite pleased with the outcome of this election. To gain power in the House and the Senate and as well as retaining the presidency speaks volumes for the Republican electoral machine out there.

I stayed up into the wee hours of the night waiting patiently for Nevada, Iowa, and New Mexico to be called for Bush. It gets a bit hazy, but I think that after Nevada was called, I went to sleep. It was a very good sleep. I knew the President had decisively won reelection and for the first time in a few weeks, I stopped having president-john-kerry-raising taxes-nationalizing healthcare-nightmares. It was good. Now that we know to expect a conservative agenda (though it's actually quite radical) for the next four years, I sleep quite peacefully.

I am really tired of Democrats saying that anyone who votes for GWB is an ignorant boob. Somehow if you believe a small government which encourages entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency is important to society, then you are misinformed. I seem to have missed the leftist lecture on how the government spends my money better than I do. The condesension of the left in this country is staggerring. Watching John Edwards introduce John Kerry in his concession speech reminds me of the many reasons I don't like Edwards. He is smarmy and arrogant and talks down to people. He acts like he is the "intelligent master" guiding the stupid. I fail to see why he was even picked for the ticket. It could have worked, I suppose, with another presidential candidate, but who? Alas, there will be no more presidential elections for the next 4 years.

A note on Kerry's concession speech: I really liked his speech. For the first time in this campaign, I felt that he really connected with his audience. He was sincere, a feat I had never believed to be possible. I also liked the bit about how even when an opponent loses an election, he and supporters still win. Because the next day they wake up and they are still Americans and they still have the same rights and freedoms as the supporters of the victor. Although it is a bit hokey (?), concession speeches are rarely anything less. "We worked hard. We pulled together and united blah blah blah...best campaign ever..." Even if none of it is true, concessions are not the time to start tearing down everyone who did not vote for you or messed up such and such.

Mary Ellen

On creating my first blog

This is my first post on my first blog. It is an exciting world we live in these days. I no longer have to rely on the New York Times and CBS for news. I can get whatever information I want over the internet though a diverse selection of news sources.

I am not quite sure what this blog will become. I have lots of opinions on lots of issues and I don't know where it will lead.