A few hundred thousand votes plurality in a low turnout midterm election is not a fucking mandate...

[11 Bravo]

to shit can the economy, dismantle the social safety net, and generally act like a bunch of screeching two-year olds who want their candy bar, and by God, they want it now!

So how come one dumb-ass, hugely cynical old ex-grunt understands this; but the entire Republican political establishment can not?

[tularetom]

1. I don't think many of our elected Democrats understand it either

They have bought into the "deficits are more important than jobs" bullshit as well.

[Jim Lane]

7. Alas, yes, that's the more saddening and inexplicable part. (n/t)

[thereismore]

2. A win is a win. This is how it works. If people don't show up, republicans win. nt

[ljm2002]

3. Republicans always claim a mandate when they win...

...it's part of their aggressive political style. They then go around making pronouncements about what "the American people want", even when they are taking actions that have no relation to what they ran on. It works very well for them, so they continue to do it.

[obxhead]

4. Neither party gives a shit about

what the bottom 95% tell them.

It's only a lie and an excuse to do the bidding of the wealthy elite in control.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. They understand it perfectly; they're cynical enough to exploit it anyway.

I mean, really, all they have to do is lie about it, and get the same benefit as if it were true. Who's to stop them? Informed voters? A vigilant media? **pfffft**

[Tesha]

6. A *GOOD* political party takes advantage of any opportunity offered.

A *POOR* political party pisses away two years of full control
of both Houses of Congress and the Presidency.

Tesha