Kerry conceded? That's good. I hope he doesn't do what Gore did and suddenly take back his concession in order to subject us to another round of chad-counting.

I was hoping for either:

1) A clean, clear, decisive, uncontestable victory for Bush as it looks like this one was, or:

2) The election is contested once again, and again it goes to the Supreme Court, and a majority of the Supreme Court led by Justice Kennedy rules in favor of Bush and Cheney (whose daughter is a Lesbian and who ate a pizza pie and made the children cry). Bush gets the news of the Supreme Court decision in his favor while he is in the middle of another speech denouncing "those EVIL JEWdicial activists always ruling in favor of those HOMOS!" What a delicious irony THAT would have been, ha! ha! I'm wicked, ha! ha!

By the way, I know, I know, I know that Bush himself doesn't actually talk or think that way. That was really a satire on his "base", which is very base indeed. The so-called "evangelicals" or, more accurately, "dysangelicals", as Nietzsche called them.

I voted for Bush because of his military posture as opposed to Kerry's.

My vote was secret, but check the New Republic Online for a short essay from Bill Bennett about the way forward. He says Bush was elected on the basis of "values" and that Bush's mandate is to pursue cultural change using judicial appointments and the law. Federal morality police? Nothing could please me better! This could be fun.

Of course Bennett will say that. Each wing of the party will claim the victory as their own and try to push the party more in their direction.

But it's fallacious to accept Bennett's spin as anything else.

D, ya got a point, but nevertheless I have been a bit alarmed by the 'mandate' screeches I've been hearing. Some of this stuff needs to be addressed and quickly shot down before it takes root.

There's never a mandate for stomping on the constitution, including the right to assemble and the right for individuals to contract with one another, and if there IS ever such a mandate it will be illegitimate.

As a nation, we need to get back to the basics of freedom, one of which is allowing freedom to others and keeping our long noses out of other people's business. President Bush has no mandate to become Paul Pry.

To his credit, I don't he personally wants it, but there are a few screeching Bush supporters who show signs of going whacko.

sigh. Last para, first sentence, insert 'think'

I don't think he personally wants it.

If there's one thing that would keep Bush from listening to the far right it's that he's not eligible for re-election. He's not beholden to them.