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Realignment Denied

Fred Barnes, 11/22/04.

KARL ROVE SAID LAST YEAR that the question of realignment–whether Republicans have at last become the majority party–would be decided by the election of 2004. And it has. Even by the cautious reckoning of Rove, President Bush’s chief political adviser, Republicans now have both an operational majority in Washington (control of the White House, Senate, and the House of Representatives) and an ideological majority in the country (51 percent popular vote for a center-right president). They also control a majority of governorships, a plurality of state legislatures, and are at rough parity with Democrats in the number of state legislators. Rove says that under Bush a "rolling realignment" favoring Republicans continues, and he’s right. So Republican hegemony in America is now expected to last for years, maybe decades.

Not so much.

22 Responses to “Realignment Denied”


  1. Gravatar Icon 1 Rex Mundane

    Oh but dont let the election fool you sir, the Republicans are still well on their way to controlling the entire government of the U.S., nay, the world itself. In fact this is a victory for them because it means they’ll win so much more next time. Hell they’ll win three houses of congress. No, five!

    Yeah that meme just aint stopping, and Hewitt isnt even the best of it though. Jesus damn christ you think “democrats won too much, haha!” is hilariously delusional? You need to check out Ann Coulter’s column. Its the most pathetically funny thing in the world. Highlights include:
    “I totally predicted the democrats miserably pathetic win of both houses of congress when I said they probably wouldnt”
    “Democrats are Gay”
    “Democrats want to surrender America to the Terrorists”
    “Probably because they’re so Gay”
    “Power shifts have happened before so this doesnt count as one”
    “The democrats House margin of victory of 8.5% isnt a mandate, while the ‘04 margin of 1.8% for Bush obviously is, because I say so and shut up”
    “Big numbers are smaller than small numbers because of obtuse context and also I say so”
    “Cutandrunnerscutandrunnerscutandrunnerscutandrunnerscutandrunners…”
    “Also gay”
    “I clearly wrote this article before the election even happened and have no idea what has actually happened, even though it was posted wednesday evening after the senate was called and Rumsfield resigned”
    Okay that last one is more inferred than the others, but honestly, the bitch is insane. The comments are no better, more of the delusional “We didnt lose, you guys did. This totally means we’re going to win next time. You guys are Gay!” stuff. I typically believe the less air time this kind of crap gets the better but I think its relevant here, threse people are bitter and angry and vicious when they win, and no less so when they lose. And that is why they fail.

  2. Gravatar Icon 2 liberal

    …51 percent popular vote for a center-right president…

    Replace “center-right” by “extremely far-right”.

  3. Gravatar Icon 3 Sean

    I remember that back in the dark days of 2003, one of the few things that gave me comfort was when I read that Karl Rove thought he could create a permanent majority. “Anyone who has that kind of hubris,” I thought, “is bound to get it in the end.”

    I am immensely heartened to learn that I was right.

  4. Gravatar Icon 4 Rick Taylor

    Well it did last for years. Two. :)
    –Rick Taylor

  5. Gravatar Icon 5 Hank Essay

    Well, he did have the “years” part right? I mean it did last two years…

    Ha Ha!

    -

  6. Gravatar Icon 6 nanananana!

    Did Fred Barnes actually say…. “So
    Republican STUPIDITY in America is now expected to last for years, maybe decades.”

    That’s closer to the Gospel.

  7. Gravatar Icon 7 nanananana!

    Did Fred Barnes actually say…. “So
    Republican STUPIDITY in America is now expected to last for years, maybe decades.”

    That’s closer to the Gospel.

  8. Gravatar Icon 8 CF

    Those dialectical corrections are a bitch, particularly when they’re forestalled for so long.

  9. Gravatar Icon 9 bcf

    The republics hold on power, was always by the thinnest margin of any dominant political party in the history of the country. Bush’s re-election was the closest in history.

    They couldn’t get the walls closed in time and the Democratic barbarians, always hovering just outside the gates, finally broke through.

    By the way, when I say “barbarians”, I mean that in the best possible way…

  10. Gravatar Icon 10 Dr. Anatole Gavage-Huskanoy

    It’s just the inevitable conclusion to the Southern Strategy. The GOP wanted the South? Well, they got it, and it’s making it harder and harder for them to compete nationally as a result.

  11. Gravatar Icon 11 General Woundwort

    “Anyone who has that kind of hubris,” I thought, “is bound to get it in the end.”

    From what I understand, Karl “gets it in the end” quite a bit.

  12. Gravatar Icon 12 Galloping Goose

    Bushco exhibited all the symptoms of groupthink, so I knew disaster was inevitable in the end. I just thought things were going to have to get a lot worse before the electorate woke up and took notice. Glad I was wrong on this point.

  13. Gravatar Icon 13 John Medici

    Now that all the election highs have leveled off, perhaps someone might explain to me why we are building a massive embassy in Iraq. It is 104 acres big and cost estimates are now running close to 2 billion dollars. Completion expected next June 2007. If the US is supposed to hand over the reigns of government to the Iraqis then why have we contructed this hugh city there. The land was given to us by Iraq. If anyone is interested in this I am providing the website with all the information:

    http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0415-07.htm

    Look it up!

  14. Gravatar Icon 14 John Medici

    Congratulations to Nancy Pelosi!. She is EXACTLY what Congress needs now. I only wish she had won the US Presidency. We would the finally have a President who we could respect for her honestly, forthright demeaner, intelligent, and caring attitude toward all the people of the US. Nancy for President!!

  15. Gravatar Icon 15 midderpidge

    But the question is: can she work with President Bush? And the answer is: probably not. George Bush has not demonstrated any ability or willingness to work with democrats. He will talk nice until the dems tell him no on something, and then it will all fall apart.

  16. Gravatar Icon 16 BD

    The cynical and ugly part of my brain says that we’re building an American embassy as part of flypaper strategy; because if we have buildings for the terrorists to target Over There, they won’t target our buildings Back Home.

  17. Gravatar Icon 17 MacBitch

    things were going to have to get a lot worse before the electorate woke up and took notice.

    Torture legalized (with retroactive immunity), habeas corpus gone, concentration camps,
    600,000 murdered civilians, warrantless spying…could it get any worse?

  18. Gravatar Icon 18 Dr. Anatole Gavage-Huskanoy

    Good point, Mac. Every time I get happy about these results, I remember that we failed to stop Bush from making the decisions that led to the deaths of half a million Iraqis.

  19. Gravatar Icon 19 buma

    Speaking of hubris, that ‘thousand-year reich’ was a bit of a stretch too, lasting only 12 years.

  20. Gravatar Icon 20 S

    QUESTION:
    Why does pedugger seem genuinely surprised about the results? Like something’s gone seriously wrong? They really thought things were peachy?

  21. Gravatar Icon 21 tofubo

    Not so much

    the best (and funniest) 3 word retort in years, tanks

  22. Gravatar Icon 22 garryowen

    Posted by: Dr. Anatole Gavage-Huskanoy | Nov 9, 2006 11:37:13 AM

    “Anyone who has that kind of hubris,” I thought, “is bound to get it in the end.”

    From what I understand, Karl “gets it in the end” quite a bit.

    Does JimmyJeff still visit the White House?

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