(1) Bush had 90% approval after 9-11. Even in this election, his vote total exceeded his approval rating.

(2) Incumbants generally either win in a landslide--arguably true mandate--or they lose. Bush barely won. This is the exact opposite of a mandate--it's like his pilot aptitude rating of 25, the barest minimum he could scrape by with.

The history of 2nd terms has not been kind to Presidents. The arrogance and abuse of power will catch up with them like it has with every majority. Now they HAVE to do better, and given their track record, if anything improves, it will be luck.

So I have a question. Why doesn't John Kerry take over the leadership in the Senate. The roll of minority leader is going to be critical at this time.

Mr. LooterScibby,

I want to say you absolutely made my day and this election castastrophe go down just a wee bit easier.  Forget your post (which was right on by the way).  Your last sentence in the post had me rolling on the floor.  I laughted so hard I was in physical pain.  I badly needed that.  Yes, indeed the bar fight has left out the back door.  And yes, I'm going to indeed keep hitting.  Now for my confession.  I'm stealing your last line for my sig referencing you as the author of course.  I hope you are ok with that.

DuvalDem,
...Stop bitchin about the election because the bar fight is now out the back door and in the dumpster. Keep hittin'

~LooterScibby, of Mydd.com

Don't fall into the trap of looking at facts, since facts don't matter to the other side.  Remember we're living in a "reality based community" and they're not.  What was the phrase--we create our own reality.  They don't care how small the margin or how many voted against them. If they have the levers of power they will use them regardless of the size of the victory.  There is obviously reassurance in knowing that there's more support on our side than it looks on the surface, but it really doesn't affect how Rove & co. view the world.

Understanding the Religious-Right

Well, I personally think that religion is what happened on election day Nov 2. I attended my local Kerry/Edwards party on Tuesday. The problem of the religious-right came up. We all agreed that something is going to have to be done about these religious people. However, I get the impression that most Democrats don't understand the religious-right, who they are and how they break down. As a person that grow up in the Charismatic Church from age 4 to age 13, I can help with this. I am not an expert, but I can give the basics.

The top reasons for being a Republican are the following: 1)Greed, 2) Religion, 3)Fear(losing guns or terrorists), 4)Racism

The threat to the Republican are the following: 1)People of Color, 2) Regular people, 3) Poor people.

Well, the republicans targeted one of their threats through the religious-right. This threat would be the people of color. They made some successful inroads in this area. The black vote went from 9% in 2000 to 13% in 2004 nationally. The Latinos in Florida went wild for Bush this year. We should think about Texas, there are tons of people of all kinds of colors. However, there is a lot of religious-right influences in this state.

The primary threat to the Democrats is the Pat Robertson crowd of churches. These churches break-down into the following categories:1)Charismatics, 2)Pentecostals, 3)Assembly of God, 4)Church of God, )Evangelicals, 6)Evangelical Free, 7)Full Gospel, 8)Foursquare Gospel, 9)Apostolic, 10) what is called the Five-Fold ministry. Watch churches that call themselves 11)into Prophecy, 12)Faith-based ministry, 13)Non-denominational, 14)Inter-denominational

The secondary threat to the Democrats are the Jerry Falwell crowd of churches.
These churches break-down into the following categories: 1) Fundamental Baptists, 2) Independent Baptists, 3)Southern Baptists, 4) Some of the white General  Baptist churches.

The above is the real threat to Democrats. Now, some of you may not know any people like this or kids. This isn't a surprise to me. Many of these types of Christians in Robertson's and  Falwell's Fundamental/Independent Baptist crowd shelter their lives and children from the real world. Many of their children are home schooled or go to Christian schools. Christian school is very different from Catholic, Private or Prep schools.  Christian schools are not as focused on education or technology, but religion and discipline (corporal punishment is strong in many Christian schools). Examples of Christian schools are the following:  Evangelical Christian school http://www.ecseagles.com/, Christian Academy of Knoxville http://www.christianacadknox.org/, Temple Baptist Academy http://www.templebaptistacademy.com/, Knoxville Christian School http://www.knoxvillechristian.org/. There are so many more of these schools in Knoxville and state of Tennessee and all around the country.  I would not recommend them academically. My Mom put me in one and I paid for it academically until high school. I was way behind when I went to public school in 7th grade. Teachers in these schools are often hired on their religious affiliation and not their qualifications. There curriculums are all written by religious people and that is the only reason they use them not because they are the best. I can't stand the Abeka curriculum. Other curriculums are Bob Jones Press, and Saxon.

These types are Christians send their kids to colleges like the following: Oral Roberts University(OK), Bob Jones University(SC), Brigham Young University(UT), Liberty University- Falwell's University(VA), Lee University(TN), Johnson Bible College(TN), Crown College(TN), David Lipscomb University(TN) etc.. these types of universities are all around the country as well.

I think Democrats need to find away to go after the Religious-Right. A good place to learn about the Religious-Right is to watch Christian television. In my area, we have 3 stations on our basic cable of this. All of these networks are runned by Charismatic/Pentecostal type of Christians These would be the following: 1) Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN) http://www.tbn.org/, 2) Christian Television Network http://www.ctnonline.com/, 3) INSP - The Inspiration Network
http://www.insp.com/, 4) Sometimes you will see things on PAX, the program Worship http://www.worship.net comes on late at night between 12:00AM and 4:00AM or 5:00AM. It the kind of worship that would be common in a Pat Robertson type of church.

I can tell you what types of sermons you will hear in the Charismatic/Pentecostal Church. Their sermons tend to be based on the following: 1)Prosperity, 2) Seed Faith, 3)Tithes/Offering, 4)Supernatural Healing, 5) Self-perfection,  6)Salvation and  7)Morality.

You won't hear much about the following:1) Love thy neighbor, 2)Helping people, 3)Helping the poor and 4)Kindness. However, you may hear that the poor are cursed because they don't live for God, pay tithes or sow seed.

Fundamental Baptist preach a lot about what is wrong with other faiths and salvation.

The directory of Charismatic and Pentecostal Churches
http://www.charismatic.org/

Assembly of God Home page
http://www.ag.org/top/
http://colleges.ag.org/
http://ag.org/top/churchdirectory/index.cfm

Religions that are fairly new, but growing and something to watch or be concerned about:

Catholic Charismatic
http://www.garg.com/ccc

Charismatic Episcopal
http://www.iccec.net

The GOP will overplay its hand, much like the Democrats did when Clinton won and the Dems gained in Congress in 1992. This was not a pro-GOP vote as much as it was an anti-Democratic vote, the exact opposite of 1992.

The party is being terribly run. We have become the party of legalized abortion and people who don't like George W. Bush. There is no coherent and comprehensive message. Kerry was talking about importing drugs from Canada when we are the only industrialized country in the world that does not believe that healthcare is a right. WTF? This is why we lost, not because people like the Republicans.

However, people agree with the Democrats on the issues, it's the culture war that is burying them. People want a progressive agenda, they just want some respect for their values, especially in the "red states". If Harry Reid is the new minority leader, the Democrats will send a clear message that they understand why they lost. They can then proceed to neutralize the culture war and get to the real issues.

Also, due to time, older voters (split big for Bush) will be replaced with younger voters (big for Kerry). This will help the Democrats.

There is a general impression that the Democrats do not understand the "red states". Zig-Zag-Zell Miller may be batshit crazy, but what he says resonates in the South. We feel like the national party has told us to "Go to Hell". At the polls, "red state" Democrats have the dead-weight of the national party dragging them down. If the GOP can accept and promote liberal Republicans like Pataki and Guiliani, the Democrats can get behind good "red state" Democrats, even if they are a bit purple, especially on the social issues.

For all the talk about Clinton, he never got a majority of the vote. He also disgraced himself, and even in his home state is more of a liability than an asset. The last Democrat to win a majority of the popular vote was the original "born again President", Jimmy Carter, in 1976 (and he won every Southern state but Virginia.)

1992 after the GOP defeat, Rush Limbaugh was asked "I guess the party's over?" He replied "The party has just begun." The Democrats appear to have learned exactly what the voters were saying. The Republicans have not. The party is just beginning for us.

After the predictable "victory" speech about healing and unification (déjà vu 4 years ago) I was waiting for the first shot across the bow.  Didn't have to wait long.  I almost snarfed a carrot hearing Bush refer to "earned political capital" that he's "going to spend."  I think the 3.5 mill vote mandate is being overplayed.  The 55/45 majority in the senate is being overplayed.  

The key in the coming years will be to create the environment that makes it okay for democratic senators to filibuster and republicans to come over.  Push a progressive agenda that appeals to left and center and leaves the right with no position.  Representatives and senators need to fight the fight and know they won't get steamrolled by big money from the right in the next election.  Locals need talking points and 527 support to hold current seats and gain back from the republicans.