And My Response is "Duh"

This article in the Washington Post has a firm recitation of the obvious, while at the same time you worry just how much the press would have bought any bit of shinola the White House wants to sell them.

...Gee I never really complain about this sort of thing do I?

The day after he won a second term in November, President Bush offered his view of the new political landscape. "When you win there is a feeling that the people have spoken and embraced your point of view," he said, "and that's what I intend to tell the Congress, that I made it clear what I intend to do as president . . . and the people made it clear what they wanted, now let's work together."

Six months ago, this comment was widely viewed as more than just a postgame boast. Among campaign strategists and academics, there was ample speculation that Bush's victory, combined with incremental gains in the Republican congressional majority, signaled something fundamental: a partisan and ideological "realignment" that would reshape politics over the long haul.

As the president passed the 100-day mark of his second term over the weekend, the main question facing Bush and his party is whether they misread the November elections. With the president's poll numbers down, and the Republican majority ensnared in ethical controversy, things look much less like a once-a-generation realignment.

Instead, some political analysts say it is just as likely that Washington is witnessing a happens-all-the-time phenomenon -- the mistaken assumption by politicians that an election won on narrow grounds is a mandate for something broad. In Bush's case, this includes restructuring Social Security and the tax code and installing a group of judges he was unable to seat in his first term.

Other than a James Dobson type, who honestly bought the "mandate" tripe? The guy narrowly won an election (and some will go to their graves saying he did not "win" squat) by scaring the fuck out of people. A substantial number of his voters voted for him because they were afraid, or wanted to "Support the Troops" (whatever the hell that really means?).

The moment Bush decided that everybody thought he was the greatest Preznit ever, was the moment he lost it...I'm guessing this actually happened on January 20, 2001.