Speaker Pelosi: The election was a referendum on GOP failure

The Wall Street Journal ^ | November 9, 2006

[Zakeet]

Tuesday's Democratic election victory was by any measure decisive, yet in the perspective of history also unsurprising. In the sixth year of a two-term Presidency, Americans rebuked Republicans on Capitol Hill who had forgotten their principles and a President who hasn't won the Iraq war he started. While a thumping defeat for the GOP, the vote was about competence, not ideological change.

This is not to minimize the Democrats' victory, which they deserve to savor after several frustrating election nights. Credit in particular goes to Rahm Emanuel and Chuck Schumer, who led the House and Senate efforts to pick candidates who could win in GOP-leaning states. Their leaders, notably Speaker-in-waiting Nancy Pelosi, also kept in check their ideological ambitions to make Tuesday a referendum on Republican governance. It was a shrewd strategy.

All the more so because the GOP gave them so much ammunition. By our count, at least eight GOP House seats fell largely due to scandal; campaign-finance ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff probably cost Conrad Burns his Senate seat in Montana. These columns have spent several years warning Republicans that their overspending, corrupt "earmarks" and policy drift would undermine their claim as the party of reform. On Tuesday they did.

The GOP "base" voted in respectable numbers, but enough of it voted for Democrats to make the difference. At 32%, the self-identified conservative share of the electorate was down only slightly from 2004 (34%), and the liberal share of 21% stayed the same. What changed is that the GOP won fewer conservative and independent votes.

[Zakeet]

Another excellent analysis of the election -- this from the editorial board of the WS Journal.

[goldstategop]

A lot of conservatives and libertarians abandoned the GOP to vote for the Democrats.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Majic]

"The election was a referendum on GOP failure"

I can agree with that.

The Democrats didn't deserve to win.

But the Republicans didn't deserve to win either and well, here we are.

[beyond the sea]

In Tuesday's exit polls, for all of their other woes, Republicans still had an advantage over Democrats of seven percentage points as the party more likely to keep the country safer from terrorism. Since this threat isn't going away, Democrats won't help their image going into 2008 by opposing warrantless wiretaps against al Qaeda

Where's Alcee Hastings?

[goldstategop]

Bush failed to win the war in Iraq, the Republicans failed to secure our borders and to reform our broken Social Security system. So here we are.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Dallas59]

The Dems are going to do better? Be prepared for "baby killer" trials and alot of spitting on our returning troops..

[screaming eagle2]

The War in Iraq is not one that can be won in a short time.Unfortunatly ,we live in a world where quick results are expected. And with Pelosi in charge of the House, things will get worse before tey get better.

[Dallas59]

I wonder when she'll sign a "peace" treaty with the Islamonazis...After all...it's all our fault.

[Caipirabob]

The Dems are going to do better? Be prepared for "baby killer" trials and alot of spitting on our returning troops..

First person I see spit at a soldier will wish they didn't wake up that morning.

[screaming eagle2]

I want to see what Speker Pelosi does at the first real problem screwed up by the Democratic leadership.She won't be able to blame Republican House leaders this time.

[screaming eagle2]

She tries she'll be guity of treason.Only the President can negotiate treaties.

[ONEBYEONE]

She is so full of it. This election eliminated those in scandall and RINO'S (i.e. Chaffee) and had many of the southern Democrat pickups running hardcore conservative. And to underline how wrong Pelosi is, that anti war liberal from Connecticut was dropped kicked. It will be interesting to see how Pelosi can't whip these fake conservative Demo's on her side of politics. If they fall in line, conservative states like Va will be hanging the heads in shame.

[AmeriBrit]

The RATS stole the election by lying, cheating and covering up their multitude of sins and corruption with the help of the MSM, the commie Soros groups, and their friends the terrorists who escalated their terror attacks for the benefit of the RAT party immediately before the election, so the RATS could once again lie about the progress that's been made by our troops in Iraq. Now our troops are in more danger than before and we'll all have to suffer with the setbacks that are forthcoming including a stop to any hope there was to close the border. Every working citizen is about to feel the hardship that's about to be forced on us by the immediate rollback in the taxcuts the President implemented which will effect the economy and raise the unemployment figures through the roof. Forget about buying a house, a new car or any of the luxuries we've become accustomed too because the interest rates will be out of reach for most very soon.

Unless we find some way to silence the lies of the MSM and reveal to the public the widespread corruption of the RAT party and make them pay as the Republicans have been made to do, there'll be nothing but dark days and misery ahead. We must find a way to stop them in their tracks before they ruin all our lives and the nation, and since they are experts at every dirty trick in the book this will not be an easy task.

[RepublicanFreeper]

agreed

[screaming eagle2]

You would think people would be happy there are still those willing to protect the U.S.,no matter the cost.AS for me,every time I see a soldier ,I go over to that person grab his or her hand and thank them for their service to the U.S.,because someone did that for me when Iwas in yheArmy many years ago. Drives leftists, and anti-Americans absolutly bananas!!!!!

[RedEyeJack]

Agree, very good analysis. Very clear that the ball is now in the Democrats court to do something besides be the "disloyal" opposition. That dog won't hunt when they have the majority. Or, better yet, the Democrats Donkey captured the audience with the only trick they seem to know. If they have another trick now is the time to show it.

[HiTech RedNeck]

With the Moose loudly feeling their oats on the wake of this power shift, and this is before the endless parade of disastrous geopolitical concessions that will follow, perhaps in '08 Americans will decide they wanted Republicans more after all.

[AmeriBrit]

NO! There YOU are spewing your anti-Bush propaganda once again, and just FYI, President Bush has NOT failed to win the war in the ME. If you would open your eyes and try reading and plug up one of your ears so the air doesn't gush straight through you might find out about how much progress has been made in Iraq. Your memory could use a tuneup also then maybe you'd remember how President Bush tried to fix SS but hit the brick wall that was thrown in front of him by the RATS. The only hope for closing the border was thrown out in the garbage yesterday when you and your ilk assisted the RATS in taking over the House and Senate.

[wastoute]

I have to say, I am truly baffled. To tell me the reason that Reps. lost is because they were begining to act like Democrats just doesn't add up.

[CheyennePress]

I'm more and more convinced that the television has done as much to change foreign and domestic policy as any ideology.

It's essentially fried the attention span of the public and really, dulled its sense of long-term outlook.

As with sin (just a pet theory of mine), bad policy all too often begins with a good case of short-sightedness. ;)