Here at TMV we've gone on and on about how Independents and Moderates abandoned the GOP in droves this year and gave the election to the Democrats. Exit polls showed Independents going for the Democrats by a 57-39 margin. In 2004, it was 49-48 for Kerry. The swing was from 1 point to 18 points. The entire electorate swung to the Dems, but Indies did a huge margin. We are right … [Read more...] about Latinos too

Post-Election 2006: Playing the Numbers Game News networks recognize Crystal Ball success rate It's been a long election season--seemingly much longer than midterms past--and your Crystal Ball is happy to have served our good readers right up until the end. As we mentioned in our final pre-election release, it's been a wild ride as the dynamics of dozens of races have … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball Post-Election 2006: Playing the Numbers Game

Or is it a mythical category? … [Read more...] about Did “The Might Middle” Really Win The 2006 Election?

At Popular Mechanics a couple of days ago, Noah Shachtman examined at four key policy battles at the Pentagon that will determine "the shape of America's military for decades to come". It's a fairly short but extremely interesting post. Check it out. … [Read more...] about After Rumsfeld

If you are a believer that "the universe" adjusts things in its own, inexorable way, this will give you more ammunition:Gerrymandering was supposed to cement Republican control of the House of Representatives, offering incumbents a wall of re-election protection even as public opinion turned sharply against them. Instead, the party's strategy of recrafting district boundaries … [Read more...] about Redistricting Apparently Backfired On GOP

It's now official, of course. With the concessions of Allen in Virginia and Burns in Montana yesterday, the Democrats have won a majority in the Senate to go with a much more robust majority in the House, as well as with a majority of the nation's governorships. For more on Allen's fall, see J. Kingston Pierce's excellent link-filled post here. I sum up the midterms here, … [Read more...] about Victory to the Dems

Heraclitus looks at the rise of the far right (i.e., the neo-Nazis) in recent German elections. It's a troubling development. For more, see here. … [Read more...] about Electoral shifts in Germany

Bush tapped him to replace Rumsfeld at the Pentagon, but his past is hardly pristine. CQ's Jeff Stein has the story here, and it's a fascinating look at "a major player in Republican national security circles," as well as Iran-Contra and some rather distasteful work at the CIA. Democrats may be happy to have Rumsfeld out, but they certainly shouldn't let Gates in without a … [Read more...] about The dirty laundry of Robert Gates

You can add another casualty to the 2006 elections: the credibility of lockstep conservative talk show radio hosts. There's a difference between a conservative talk show host and a lockstep talk show host. That difference was apparent before the elections when you could tune into a Michael Savage or watch a Joe Scarborough and realize you're listening or watching to people who … [Read more...] about 2006 Elections Hit Lockstep Conservative Talk Hosts’ Credibility

Lincoln Chafee may have lost on Tuesday, and he may or may not be a Republican anymore, but credit him with taking a stand on the neverending saga of John Bolton and the U.N. Thumbing his nose at the Democrats, President Bush apparently was planning to "make a push to get confirmation for John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations before power in Congress shifts to … [Read more...] about Chafee’s take on Bolton

Iraq's President Talabani says that Democratic leaders told him that they do not plan on leaving Iraq any time soon. “They all told me that they want the success of Iraq’s democratically elected government and continued support for the Iraqi people to defeat terrorism,â€? Talabani said about his trip to the United States in late September as many were predicting the … [Read more...] about Talabani: Democrats Vowed To Stay In Iraq

According to The New York Times the decision that Rumsfeld should go was made months ago already. The only question was when not whether he should go. I find it quite funny that newspapers and bloggers are so overly pointing out that Bush recently said that Rumsfeld should stay. What would one have wanted him to say? "Yes, I am not happy with Rumsfeld either, but I have … [Read more...] about Rumsfeld’s Resignation

The Washington Times reports that Mehlman will step down. His expected successor? Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele. Mehlman himself confirmed the news and added that he decided to step down during last summer... no one asked him to step down, so he explained. Instead, everyone wanted him to stay. I cannot quite see how 'everyone' wanted him to stay, looking back at this … [Read more...] about Reforming It

Another poetic gem from TMV's favorite poet, Michael Silverstein, aka Wall Street Poet: Big Tent Dems Karl Rove's master plan, His idea smug and smarty, Was govern only with Just one wing of his party; This led to policies Most skewed and truly odd, Some came from think tank cranks, Some came direct from God. Now Dems again have won A place at power's table, But pundits … [Read more...] about GUEST POET: Big Tent Dems

THIS JUST IN from investigative reporter Andy Borowitz: Democrats, Republicans Agree to Take Two Years Off Two Parties Find Common Ground in Decision Not to Work In a landmark agreement that has raised hopes for bipartisan cooperation in the new Congress, Democrats and Republicans today agreed to take the next two years off. After a bruising battle this fall in which both … [Read more...] about This Just In!

Slate talked today about the CNN commentator and what he means to the new Dems. I have more here. … [Read more...] about Lou Dobbs Democrats

But he shouldn't join the Dems. Confused? Don't be. More here. … [Read more...] about Republican Lincoln Chafee Should Switch Parties

He says the Dems' win is good for the nation. Well, how about that..."I think it is good that there are new ideas and new blood because Washington was stuck. They could not move forward, not much was accomplished; I think it was terrible," he told reporters on a trip to Mexico. [...] Schwarzenegger said fellow Republicans could now learn from his change of tack and work with … [Read more...] about Another Reason To Like Schwarzenegger

We can understand the part about President Bush wanting to get a new Secretary of Defense in place ASAP but his insistence of pressing the nomination of highly controversial UN Ambassador John Bolton raises the question: Does President George Bush have a fixation on weird facial hair? To wit:The White House said today that it would seek Senate confirmation of Defense Secretary … [Read more...] about Bush Fails First Bipartisan Test By Pressing Bolton Nomination

There's a big debate among conservative circles about whether the party needs to move to the center or the right in the wake of their 2006 blowout. The question I ask, though, is whether either option can get a majority coalition? … [Read more...] about Counting to 50.1