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Archive for 'Election 2006'

Friday, November 10th, 2006

With Or Without Dean

Was Howard Dean’s 50-state strategy a stroke of brilliance, or did it cost Democrats an even larger margin in the House? That’s the question behind a raging post-election controversy. Ryan Lizza of The New Republic:
Some big name Democrats want to oust DNC Chairman Howard Dean, arguing that his stubborn commitment to the […]

33 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, Joe Lieberman, Donkeys, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots®, Democratic Candidates by Mark

Friday, November 10th, 2006

Krauthammer: Don’t Put The Flowers On Conservatism’s Grave Just Yet

Yet another voice adds itself to the chorus of those who do not see a defeat for conservatism in Tuesday’s results, that of Charles Krauthammer:
… [T]he great Democratic wave of 2006 is nothing remotely like the great structural change some are trumpeting. It was an event-driven election that produced the shift of power one would […]

10 Comments » - Posted in Elephants, Election 2006, Donkeys, Rudy Giuliani, Republican Candidates, Election 2008 by Mark

Friday, November 10th, 2006

Another Call For Pelosi To Do The Right Thing

It’s not only Alcee Hastings that should give us pause, says Radley Balko, as he calls for Pelosi to live up to her pledge to ‘drain the swamp’:
Here’s the challenge: [Rep. Alan B.] Mollahan is, to say the least, “ethically challenged.” There’s no sensible reason for him to retain his seat on the most powerful […]

6 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, Harry Reid, Donkeys by Mark

Friday, November 10th, 2006

Center-Left May Be Thriving, But What About Center-Right?

Rick Moran says Tuesday wasn’t a good night for all moderates and centrists; those with an (R) next to their names got killed. And that’s bad news for all Republicans, he convincingly argues:
It’s official. The Republican party is now as ideologically monochromatic as a political party can get. With the defeat of a dozen northeastern and […]

6 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, Elephants, Election 2008 by Mark

Friday, November 10th, 2006

Two More Casualties Of The Tuesday Blowout

One thing is clear: John Bolton WILL NOT be confirmed as UN Ambassador (remember, he was a recess appointment - if he couldn’t through under better circumstances, he won’t get through now).
We also are saying goodbye to a good man who did a LOT for the Republican Party. Ken Mehlman was widely rumored to be […]

10 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, In Praise Of, UN/Oil-For-Food by Mark

Thursday, November 9th, 2006

Another Big Loser On Tuesday…

…was the conspiracy theorist. Anyone recall these words by the wife of Norman Lear pre-election?
…When I asked Gore Vidal at dinner why the White House seemed so serene and at ease about the vote, he replied that, this time around, the Bush-Cheney henchmen could simply call on martial law. He glumly noted that we are […]

17 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots® by Mark

Thursday, November 9th, 2006

It’s The Policies, Stupid!

As we look back on Tuesday, we also look forward, and I think my post-election commentary has made it clear that I believe our principles are sound, but our fealty to them, and our execution, leave much to be desired. Dick Armey has some solid advice:
Moving forward, my advice to Republicans is simple: Don’t go […]

2 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, Elephants, Election 2008 by Mark

Thursday, November 9th, 2006

More On The Victory Of The Moderates

George Will joins me in believing that Tuesday’s election was a victory for centrist Democrats over the Nutroots® fringe:
Free markets, including political markets, equilibrate, producing supplies to meet demands. The Democratic Party, a slow learner but educable, has dropped the subject of gun control and welcomed candidates opposed to parts or even all of the abortion […]

8 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, Elephants, Donkeys by Mark

Thursday, November 9th, 2006

Wow! I Take One Little Post-Election Break To Go See A Movie…

…and the Republicans lose the Senate:
A Democratic takeover of the Senate is appearing likely after an ongoing canvass of votes in Virginia produced no significant changes in the outcome of the hard-fought race led by Democratic challenger Jim Webb, sources told CNN Wednesday.
Wednesday night, with Webb leading Republican Sen. George Allen by about 7,200 votes […]

No Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, The Decision '08 Review, George Allen, Elephants, Celebrities / Pop Culture / Sports, Donkeys, Republican Candidates by Mark

Wednesday, November 8th, 2006

A Contrary View On The Meaning Of The Election

Our good friend Anonymous Liberal and I have been engaged in a debate in another thread on the meaning of last night’s election, particularly whether it was a victory or defeat for ‘progressivism’. Jacob Weisberg has a completely different slant on the results that is indeed, as he says, troubling:
Many of the Democrats who recaptured […]

14 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, Donkeys by Mark

Wednesday, November 8th, 2006

A Winner, And A Loser

Obviously, the two parties and the respective candidates came out on one side or the other last night, but what about some less apparent victors and vanquished?
First, the victors: the pundits and pollsters. The overwhelming consensus among professionals in both camps was that the Democrats would win…big. If Charlie Cook’s constant refrain of a ‘wave’ […]

26 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, Donkeys, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots® by Mark

Wednesday, November 8th, 2006

On Iraq

UPDATE 11:59 a.m.: I usually put my updates at the bottom of posts, but this is a big one. Events have overtaken the content of what follows, as Donald Rumsfeld has resigned. I don’t know the details yet, but it’s a welcome move, and my only regret is that he didn’t do it before the […]

28 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, POTUS, Elephants, Donkeys, Iraq by Mark

Wednesday, November 8th, 2006

Bush And Pelosi: An Odd Couple That Needs To Click

They’re off to a promising start, at least, though one suspects the good vibes won’t last:
Nothing we could possibly write would survive beyond the now-planned doubleheader of Pelosi (noon) and Bush (1 pm ET) press conferences.
Tomorrow, the two are expected to have lunch together (perhaps with others) at Casa Blanca. When the President learns […]

2 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, Elephants, Donkeys by Mark

Tuesday, November 7th, 2006

Open Election Night Thread

I’ll keep updating this throughout the evening. Post any good news (or bad) you have in the comments, if you wish.
Good page for results here at CNN. Dewine has lost, no surprise there. Allen is in big trouble; with 20% or so of the vote in, Webb has a slight lead…Rendell over Swan, again, not […]

18 Comments » - Posted in 2006 News, Election 2006, Elephants, Donkeys by Mark

Tuesday, November 7th, 2006

Tea-Leaf Reading

For what it’s worth, I’m not seeing hopeful portents. Fox News is reporting soft voting in Republican areas of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, Mehlman seemed uncharacteristically ‘off’ today, and TradeSports margins are widening - towards the Dems…
Call me a pessimist, and please prove me wrong…

15 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, Elephants, Donkeys by Mark

Tuesday, November 7th, 2006

Michael Kinsley Looks At The Pelosi Blueprint…

…and is less than enthused:
Apparently and unfortunately, President Bush is right that the Democrats have no “plan for victory.” (Neither does he, of course. Nor, for that matter, do I. But I don’t claim to have one. And I didn’t start it.) For national security in general, the Democrats’ plan is so according-to-type that you […]

1 Comment » - Posted in Election 2006, Donkeys, NY Times/Media Watch by Mark

Tuesday, November 7th, 2006

More Predictions

Redstate’s Mike Krempasky:
At the end of the day, Dems pick up 24 in the House, and five in the Senate. Hastert doesn’t last through November as leader of the House Republicans.
Leon Wolf: Dems +3 Senate, + 23 House…
And AcademicElephant:
I think we lose three in the senate and ten in the house. And it will […]

1 Comment » - Posted in Election 2006, Elephants, Donkeys by Mark

Tuesday, November 7th, 2006

Blogger Conference Call, Ken Mehlman, RNC Chairman

Just got off of a conference call with RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman…some quick impressions:
The opening statement was short and seemed a bit defensive, and the initial couple of questions in the Q&A were answered curtly, but Mehlman warmed up to his usual energetic self by the end. In the opener, Mehlman stressed two things: (1) […]

3 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, Elephants by Mark

Tuesday, November 7th, 2006

More Predictions While We Wait…

…Rothenberg: Dems +30 - 36 in the House…
Cook: Dems +20-35 in the House…
NRO: Dems +4 in the Senate…Dems +29 in the House…

2 Comments » - Posted in Election 2006, Elephants, Donkeys by Mark

Tuesday, November 7th, 2006

Punditish Provides The Perspective

Don’t despair if the worst comes to pass, says our old friend:
I don’t know how the 110th Congress will look when the chads have settled sometime near Midnight, but I do know that, short of an absolute shellacking, Republicans should not despair over Congressional losses. After all, we’ve been repeatedly informed that the ruling party, […]