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November 5, 2004
Bush's "Broad" Victory??
President Bush said on November 3rd that, "We've worked hard and gained many new friends, and the result is now clear -- a record voter turnout and a broad, nationwide victory." I'm sorry, but not quite. His habit of redefining reality through his language continues right off the bat, despite the fact that this election was chosen by a difference of 3% of the popular vote, after a day long process of measuring the vote in Ohio. That's not broad. It's the narrowest of margins.
What does a broad victory look like? In 1964 Barry Goldwater could tell you. He was hammered in the nation's election of LBJ. He earned all of 52 electoral votes. He lagged behind by almost 16 million votes, getting only 38% of the popular vote. Broad victory is McGovern losing to Nixon in 1972 with only 17 electoral votes (37% of the popular vote; 17,999,528 votes behind Nixon).
Bush's sqweaky win, with only 3,569,734 more votes than Kerry (a 3% difference; only 22 electoral votes ahead) isn't a "broad victory." It's not a mandate. What is it? It is a sign that the country is as divided now as it was in 2000, it's a sign that there's much work to be done to bring us together, and Bush's language is a sign that he's still not the man to do that.
"Broad victory" indeed.
Sean Ferrell
Posted by sferrell at November 5, 2004 3:03 PM
