Posted on 11/08/2006 11:30:36 PM PST by tcrlaf
It could have been worse. With the media fully backing them they have had an ongoing 6 year pep-rally--pro Dem/Anti-Bush--going full tilt. Even that did not give them a 'mandate', just a tepid six-year midterm turnover.
Talk about lost opportunity.
Had the Republicans had more accomplished (seemed less dysfunctional), or even touted the accomplishments they had made (there are a few), rather than sat on their complacency and arrogantly assumed that the base would get out and vote for them over the Dems, the Dems' performance may have been far worse. It boils down to two things: The Dems used the media like a rented mule, and the media willingly pulled hard in the traces. The Republicans did too little with key issues and failed to exploit the things they did in other areas.
The Republicans did not make the vote about the GWOT, did not remind America that we are at war, and did not manage to publicize the accomplishments of our forces there, either.
Evidently never.
Corruption and fraud increased massively under clinton, and he ruthlessly controlled almost every law enforcement agency that might have dealt with it.
When Bush managed to beat gore in spite of massive election fraud, he had the momentum and the opportunity to do something about it. He should have made voter ID and foolproof, confirmable voting a top priority while he had the power to make it stick. He did so only half-heartedly at best.
Now it's clearly too late. Voter IDs and proper oversight of elections are safe from any Republican reforms.
I agree with your post completely.
Haven't you noticed? The U.S. is running elections like being a third world country, and third world countries have better voting control than the U.S.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.