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The Voters Have Spoken...or Have They?

BDBoop

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Republicans and Tea Party braggarts are beaming that voters have spoken. But have they? The truth is, I don't think they've said much of anything. Rather, what they did Tuesday instead was grunt and groan, letting out unintelligible gasps of exasperation. These schizophrenic voters, with their short memories and misguided rekindled love affair with Republicans, demonstrated what an angry, impatient and uninformed electorate is truly capable of.

Andy Ostroy: The Voters Have Spoken...or Have They?
 
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Andy Ostroy: The Voters Have Spoken...or Have They?

Republicans and Tea Party braggarts are beaming that voters have spoken. But have they? The truth is, I don't think they've said much of anything. Rather, what they did Tuesday instead was grunt and groan, letting out unintelligible gasps of exasperation. These schizophrenic voters, with their short memories and misguided rekindled love affair with Republicans, demonstrated what an angry, impatient and uninformed electorate is truly capable of.

Awwww...since they didn't vote for your guys, they must be deranged, stupid, or lacking guidance.

That's just great political discourse there, I tell ya.
 
well this is the 2nd, at least, sour grapes thread started so far. I've been around interwebz forums for some time. I remember all the gloating from the libs in '06 and '08. funny that I haven't seen any of the cons around here starting "ha ha in your face" threads today.


when the dems took over congress in '06, it was a mandate from the people
last night the reps took back the house and it's ... meh, no big deal.
 
Andy Ostroy: The Voters Have Spoken...or Have They?

Republicans and Tea Party braggarts are beaming that voters have spoken. But have they? The truth is, I don't think they've said much of anything. Rather, what they did Tuesday instead was grunt and groan, letting out unintelligible gasps of exasperation. These schizophrenic voters, with their short memories and misguided rekindled love affair with Republicans, demonstrated what an angry, impatient and uninformed electorate is truly capable of.

Some could chalk it up to schizophrenic voters having short memories.

However a case could be made that its their memories that lead them to vote the way they do.

You see, the common myth was that Republicans were "booted out" because of the economy. But that simply is not the truth. They also state that it was due to wholesale rejection of conservatism, but that wasn't exactly the truth either. The republicans began their loss in 2006 NOT because of issues with the economy but rather on the shoulders of the anti-war movement. The anger was towards Republicans and Bush's actions and policies, but it was not an abandonment of conservatism as the mainstay American voter mentality with a switch over to liberalism that caused it. Democrats won in 2006 by running moderate, and sometimes even somewhat conservative leaning, blue dog democrats that captured seats a true liberal democrat would've had a hard time getting.

However, once in power what did they do? Have the Wars stopped? Iraq's continued in line with the Bush time table, Afghanistan is ramped up, Gitmo is still open, the War on Terror still happening. All the while rather than identifying the moderate wave that brought them into power their focus was on universal health care, stimulus, bailouts, cap and trade, potential expiration of the Bush tax cuts, and other generally left focused ideas.

No, a legitimate argument could be made that its not the LACK of memory that has caused this, but having a memory. They remember they voted for Democrats to do a job with the war, and it wasn't done. They remember they swallowed thier nose and voted for "moderates" and all they saw was left, left, left. And on top of that, the economy that they weren't thrilled with in 2006 and especially in 2008 hasn't exactly got better in their eyes, but perhaps worst.

So if you swallow your nose and go for "moderates", if you willingly ignore other issues because the war's so important, and NOTHING is done to make those choices seem worth while....well, that memory is going to remind you not to try that again.

You can make a case that voters memory is poor...but you can make a pretty compelling one that they have the memory of an elephant.
 
I dont get why Republicans are so cocky about something that generally happens anyways.

The outed party almost always does very well in the midterm election following the presidential election.
 
I dont get why Republicans are so cocky about something that generally happens anyways.

The outed party almost always does very well in the midterm election following the presidential election.

I don't get where you are seeing republicans being "so cocky". I don't see it. All is see is liberals crying, making excuses and downplaying what happened yesterday. :shrug:
 
sour-grapes.jpg
 
I dont get why Republicans are so cocky about something that generally happens anyways.

The outed party almost always does very well in the midterm election following the presidential election.
How many threads have there been from conservatives bragging about election results on here?
 
How many threads have there been from conservatives bragging about election results on here?
So far, I havent seen any. The election was last night, however, so there's still time. There were also PLENTY of threads and posts on the subject prior to the election
 
Perhaps its all a matter of perspective. I don't see a lot of sour grapes....what I see if people on all sides of the issue trying to analyze what the lesson of this election is.

I haven't seen many people saying that the American people are idiots for voting back in Republicans.....I see them trying to decipher what the message America is sending by doing so.

I think there is a lesson to be learned by this election...I'm just no sure that others see the lesson the same.
 
Voting tends to be based on emotion, not rational. The voters are clearly frustrated. Of course, that frustration is now at the backs of the Republicans and it will catch up to them in 2012 if they don't so progress in creating jobs and reducing spending.
 
Voting tends to be based on emotion, not rational. The voters are clearly frustrated. Of course, that frustration is now at the backs of the Republicans and it will catch up to them in 2012 if they don't so progress in creating jobs and reducing spending.



It would have been if they took the senate. With the dems still in control, the bulk of the blame, right or wrong will come down on them.
 
You're absolutely right, they're not calling them idiots...

They're calling them schizophrenics, short sited, impatient, and uninformed.

But definitely not idiots. They wouldn't dare to say that.

They're just saying people must have a mental defect, be ignorant of information, or be impulsive like a child if they'd dare to not vote for a democrat.
 
You're absolutely right, they're not calling them idiots...

They're calling them schizophrenics, short sited, impatient, and uninformed.

But definitely not idiots. They wouldn't dare to say that.

They're just saying people must have a mental defect, be ignorant of information, or be impulsive like a child if they'd dare to not vote for a democrat.

I don't see many people saying anything close to that.
 
Andy Ostroy: The Voters Have Spoken...or Have They?

Republicans and Tea Party braggarts are beaming that voters have spoken. But have they? The truth is, I don't think they've said much of anything. Rather, what they did Tuesday instead was grunt and groan, letting out unintelligible gasps of exasperation. These schizophrenic voters, with their short memories and misguided rekindled love affair with Republicans, demonstrated what an angry, impatient and uninformed electorate is truly capable of.

They've spoken. They're saying, "We can't stand politics as usual." And the Democrats certainly proved themselves experts at that. As have Republicans. The voters didn't vote for the Republican Party. They voted against the Democrats. Seems that's all we've got.
 
Perhaps its all a matter of perspective. I don't see a lot of sour grapes....what I see if people on all sides of the issue trying to analyze what the lesson of this election is.

I agree... I actually expected more gloating and sour grapes threads than I've seen so far, and most threads are focusing on the meaning of it all.

I haven't seen many people saying that the American people are idiots for voting back in Republicans.....

Maybe not, but we sure did see a bunch of them in anticipation of the republicans taking over of the house.


I see them trying to decipher what the message America is sending by doing so.

That's true... People are trying to determine if it's a call for a republican legislative agenda, a call for government gridlock, or something in between.


I think there is a lesson to be learned by this election...I'm just no sure that others see the lesson the same.

One lesson I see for politicians out of this, is just because the American people voted to give your party government control, doesn't give you the right to stop listening the people and free rain to implement your political agenda at will.
 
We're talking about the article and the OP right now. But have you read an editorial lately? It's all that gets said.

I try not to read many editorials....or watch editorial TV.....
 
Its actually kinda difficult but interesting to try to determine what the voters have spoken.

If it was a direct repudiation of Democrats/Obama....I would have expected to see more gains in the Senate...

However, that would seem to be a good explanation for the GOP gains in the HOR.

Was it an embracing or repudiation of the Tea Party? One could argue either. Certainly the Tea party helped in the house, but appears to have hurt the GOP in the Senate.

However, you also have to look at the numbers of voters that stayed home. These tended to be the younger Obama voters.

Personally I was very happy with the way my state elections turned out....not so happy about the national election.

So...you can put whatever spin on it that you want and you are probably right and wrong.

I think that many people have raised good arguments about the lesson of this election.
 
Some could chalk it up to schizophrenic voters having short memories.

However a case could be made that its their memories that lead them to vote the way they do.

You see, the common myth was that Republicans were "booted out" because of the economy. But that simply is not the truth. They also state that it was due to wholesale rejection of conservatism, but that wasn't exactly the truth either. The republicans began their loss in 2006 NOT because of issues with the economy but rather on the shoulders of the anti-war movement. The anger was towards Republicans and Bush's actions and policies, but it was not an abandonment of conservatism as the mainstay American voter mentality with a switch over to liberalism that caused it. Democrats won in 2006 by running moderate, and sometimes even somewhat conservative leaning, blue dog democrats that captured seats a true liberal democrat would've had a hard time getting.

However, once in power what did they do? Have the Wars stopped? Iraq's continued in line with the Bush time table, Afghanistan is ramped up, Gitmo is still open, the War on Terror still happening. All the while rather than identifying the moderate wave that brought them into power their focus was on universal health care, stimulus, bailouts, cap and trade, potential expiration of the Bush tax cuts, and other generally left focused ideas.

No, a legitimate argument could be made that its not the LACK of memory that has caused this, but having a memory. They remember they voted for Democrats to do a job with the war, and it wasn't done. They remember they swallowed thier nose and voted for "moderates" and all they saw was left, left, left. And on top of that, the economy that they weren't thrilled with in 2006 and especially in 2008 hasn't exactly got better in their eyes, but perhaps worst.

So if you swallow your nose and go for "moderates", if you willingly ignore other issues because the war's so important, and NOTHING is done to make those choices seem worth while....well, that memory is going to remind you not to try that again.

You can make a case that voters memory is poor...but you can make a pretty compelling one that they have the memory of an elephant.

ONE can make a case. Not you = me. I personally didn't agree with the post. I figure I can't be the only Democrat who is hoping that the shift will actually make a difference, this time.
 
Voting tends to be based on emotion, not rational. The voters are clearly frustrated. Of course, that frustration is now at the backs of the Republicans and it will catch up to them in 2012 if they don't so progress in creating jobs and reducing spending.

I fully expect them to. They better be wearing cast iron undies if they don't.
 
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