Midterms - 2006: Reaction

When I finally went to bed last night, the Democrats had taken the House by a convincing margin (majority +9 with races yet to come in), we had picked up four Senate seats and the last two seats, in Virginia and Montana, were to close to call. Both showed very slight Democratic leads with the count still ongoing. State Governorships trended Democratic too. Dems picked up six ex-Republican Governor's Mansions to bring their total to 28.

No matter how hard Republicans try to paint this as some sort of 'accidental majority' don't buy it. The Democratic party found better candidates, ran better campaigns and the people of the United States realized that after six years of total Republican dominance, they didn't like what their country had become.

Republicans are going to whine about 'the sixth year itch.' Under Bill Clinton, Democrats gained five House seats, two Governorships and held steady in the Senate. Republicans are going to say that it wasn't really a problem of ideology. As Glenn Greenwald notes,

Of course, most Bush worshippers are trying to claim that Republicans are losing not because people are angry about the Iraq war or Republican radicalism, but because Republicans weren't "conservative" enough on spending, immigration, even terrorism, etc. etc. -- as though Republicans are losing because they weren't sufficiently extreme and people wanted more warmongering and intense partisanship from the Bush administration. They simply can't accept that the core of the country -- its center -- has abandoned their political movement in disgust over its deep-seeted deceit, corruption and extremism.

Even if the Senate slips away, we have control of one body. We have the ability to set agenda. We have chairmanships. We have subpoena power. We have Speaker Pelosi. We have Chairman Conyers, and Chairman Waxman, and Chairman Dingell.

Other interesting notes include the defeat of a gay marriage ban (a first) and the defeat of South Dakota's abortion ban. While other state did pass odious gay marriage bans, might the tide be turning? It seems the GOP won't be able to use this to drive out votes forever.

Even Tom Delay's old seat is held by a Democrat.

The Home State sent Rick Santorum packing and turned three Republican held House Seats into Democratic House Seats. The Gravelly voiced Governor beat Lynn Swann in a walk.

Katherine Harris got trounced.


I'm not nearly as upset about that as she seems to be...

Overall, yesterday was a good day. Of course now the hard work - doing something to fix the catastrophe that is the last six years - begins. More on that later. We've earned a chance to savor this victory.

2006 Election Reaction Democratic Victory