home

The Gift of Understatement

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Elections 2006
Posted on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 01:20:27 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Kevin Drum is a smart guy but sometimes well:

In the long run, I suppose the higher totals among Latinos and independents are the big news. Beyond that, there's not much. Keep this in mind when you start reading anecdotal analyses of "what happened." Most of it doesn't hold water. Based on the exit poll data, it was just a broad-based wave of disgust against Republican rule.

Well beyond the fact that the fastest growing political group and the fastest growing minority group broke strongly to the Dems, no big whoop.

Come on Kevin, you're smarter than that. Those are HUGE political developments. They are the future, the bright Dem future.

< India Hires Eunuchs as Tax Collectors | Ken Mehlman Quits RNC Post >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    The Gift of Understatement | 17 comments (17 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    Drum is right (none / 0) (#1)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 08:41:52 AM EST
    Big Tent - I rarely, perhaps never before, agree with Drum. But in this case he has got it exactly right.

        Look who you elected into power? Do you think they will be able to restrain their desire to wack the country's ability to defend itself? Of course not.

    Cut and run, et tu?

    "George McGovern, the former senator and Democratic presidential candidate, said Thursday that he will meet with more than 60 members of Congress next week to recommend a strategy to remove U.S. troops from Iraq by June.

    Look at the "landslide" you claim. It was more like the falling of a branch from a tree. That it was multiple fallings is the victory, and there is no reason to assume it means anything beyond exactly that.

    BTW - Did you see the celeberations of your first Moslem Congressman? Did you hear the Moslem call for unity? I didn't. I heard what our enemies yelled as they flew airplanes into builidngs.

    That tape will be back... In 2008 for sure.

    Are we really headed toward a pullout (none / 0) (#4)
    by Gabriel Malor on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:22:29 AM EST
    Contrast some claims that we're headed for cut and run with this article in the Guardian.

    President Jalal Talabani said Thursday that he had been assured by Democrat congressional leaders during a recent visit to Washington that they had no plans for a quick withdrawal of U.S. forces.


    Parent
    Cuckolded (none / 0) (#7)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:39:45 AM EST
    What? The Demos have been lying to us?

    Wow! Surprise, surprise...

    How's the honeymoon going boys and girls??

    Looks like we have one side of the family getting ready to run and the other having to face up to lies given in order to win...

    Gasp! Sure these dudes weren't Repubs?

    Govern? Heck, they can't even get out of the gate.

    Parent

    Under Thirty (none / 0) (#2)
    by afox on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:08:43 AM EST
    The ethnic and political breakdown given by Drum ignores a more significant voting event. Under thirty voters broke 2 to 1 for Dems.

    Republicans have to quake at that.

    unusual? (none / 0) (#5)
    by pigwiggle on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:24:07 AM EST
    I don't find anything surprising about that.  I don't have any hard numbers off hand, but conventional wisdom says that the youth vote always goes to the Democrats.

    Parent
    They do. (none / 0) (#8)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:41:03 AM EST
    They do. Then they get older and start worrying about the country, their kid's future, etc., and change sides.

    Parent
    Switching Sides? (none / 0) (#16)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 06:35:57 PM EST
    You mean like Ted Haggard? Seriously though PPJ, you were a Republican since conception, so you can't be speaking from personal experience.

    Parent
    transient development, but I'm happy (none / 0) (#3)
    by pigwiggle on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:17:38 AM EST
    The large Democratic victory was clearly a response to voter disgust with the Republicans (the last 8 months of polling say as much).  Many, many democrats were elected running planks of fiscal conservatism and restraint and modesty in foreign policy.  Some even touted pro-life and anti-gay marriage agendas, which I find very sad.  I hardly see this as a bright future for the more liberal factions of the Democratic party.

    But me, I'm quite pleased with the developments.  As an 'Independent' voter it was very satisfying to see the Republicans eviscerated for their economic and foreign policy hubris, and likewise have Democrats take up the mantle.  This was a big win for the libertarian minded.  And if it all ends up in legislative gridlock ... well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

    Not transient (1.00 / 1) (#11)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:49:12 AM EST
    A trend. See 2004 results and now these results.

    It is a misread on your part.

    Parent

    huh? (none / 0) (#13)
    by pigwiggle on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 11:11:33 AM EST
    What's a trend, the Democratic party's step to the right?  Then we agree.  But I don't see how the GOP picking up 4 seats in both the senate and house in 2004 portends any kind of long lived trend.  In fact, it's a bit ridiculous to cite two points as a trend.  Yesterday was quite warm compared to today; ergo next week will be subzero.  

    Anyway, there is nothing wrong with my read.  Corruption and Iraq topped voter's concerns in exit polling.  Both are failings of the GOP rather than Democratic agendas.  Clearly the Democrats were chosen as an alternative.

    Parent

    Dems winning Independents (1.00 / 1) (#14)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 11:16:07 AM EST
    like you.

    Parent
    "cut and run" wind up robots (none / 0) (#6)
    by Edger on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:36:03 AM EST
    You wind up toys with your "cut and run" endless loop tape are hilarious.

    The occupation has gone on longer than WWII already.

    If it goes on for twenty more years you'll be squeaking out "cut and run", "cut and run", "cut and run" labels for anyone who wants to leave.

    Well, guess what? It's not an eternal occupation. The US in Iraq I mean. Your endelss loop tape? Maybe.

    Heh. ;-)

    Listen to your heros (none / 0) (#9)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:44:26 AM EST
    Maybe you should quit celebrating and listen to what your heros are saying.

    BTW Our part of WWII lasted almost four years and the occupation lasted approxinately 40...

    But then you never get history straight...

    Parent

    It was always inevitable (none / 0) (#10)
    by Edger on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:48:06 AM EST
    You see, you broke it. Now someone else has to fix it and clean up the mess you made.

    Democrats pledge to find a way out of Iraq

    Most in Britain Want Troops Out of Iraq Soon

    Feinstein Looks Ahead, Calls for US Troops Out of Iraq

    Australia: PM 'should pull troops out of Iraq'

    Parent

    How badly did you break it?? (none / 0) (#12)
    by Edger on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 11:07:23 AM EST
    This badly:

    Bush & Blair: The Iraq Fantasy

    In the first year of the occupation it could be argued that Bush and Blair were simply incompetent: they did not understand Iraq, were misinformed by Iraqi exiles, or were simply ignorant and arrogant. But they must know that for two-and-a-half years they have controlled only islands of territory in Iraq. "The Americans haven't even been able to take over Haifa Street [a Sunni insurgent stronghold] though it's only 400 yards from the Green Zone," a senior Iraqi security official exclaimed to me last week.

    But the refusal to admit, as the British army commander Sir Richard Dannatt pointed out, that the occupation generates resistance in Iraq, means that no new and more successful policy can be devised. It is this that is criminal. And it is all the worse because the rational explanation for Mr Bush's persistence in bankrupt policies in Iraq is that he has always given priority to domestic politics. Holding power in Washington was more important than real success in Baghdad.

    And why?

    Driven by greed, these armchair chicken hawks, lacking the wisdom that comes with experience, march other people's children into immoral war, becoming warmongers trapped inside their own bubble, living in delusion, not able to see reality. These Mayberry Machiavelli's are amateur dictators living the wet dreams of long since dead princes and kings, trying to resurrect fiefdoms, kingdoms and empires, sustaining their bubble-filled egos with the addiction to temporary power. Desperately wanting to leave a legacy they have bumbled, stumbled and made their ingrained imbecility known through their litany of failures, becoming a laughingstock to those who know and to those who will read the future words of historians.


    Parent
    XX (none / 0) (#17)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 07:17:18 PM EST
    Uh, what dies Britain have to do with this?

    First we now know that the Demos were promising not to leave while they were claiming to the American public they wanted to leave.

    Cuckoled, eh edger?? ;-)

    enjoy

    Parent

    Big Tent? (none / 0) (#15)
    by Edger on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 11:19:31 AM EST
    Sorry for taking up all that space OT. Delete it if you want. I think it needed to be said clearly though. :-)

    The Gift of Understatement | 17 comments (17 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment