Give 'em and inch and they'll take a mandate

Google the term "presidential election mandate" and you already get over a thousand hits.
Scanning the detrius in the net, a good number speak negatively using phrases like "doesn't have a m....m. against Bush...hard for a winner to speak in terms of a m....there was no m." etc, but there are enough "claims a mandate" and similar spins to indicate how the administration will interpret the results of this election.

Referring to "gains in the Senate" and "broadening the base," spokesmen point out that the president received "the largest popular vote in history." At the risk of stating the obvious, I might add a corollary: his efforts also triggered the largest display of opposition at the same time. Let's hope his advisors will succede keeping him aware of that obvious fact.

I came across dire predictions about what could happen with George Bush in the driver's seat for another term. But I also came across the Jeff Jarvis Post Election Peace Pledge which gives me hope.

: I take this pledge (inspired by a few of the posts below
below)

:After the election results are in, I promise to:

: Support the President, even if I didn't vote for him.: Criticize the President, even if I did vote for him.

: Uphold standards of civilized discourse in blogs and in media while pushing both to be better.

: Unite as a nation, putting country over party, even as we work together to make America better.

***

Michelle's counter pledge, in the same post, is more fun.
And the long comments run is a study of the rich variety of expression from the blogosphere.

I especially like this one:

I agree with Richard, with minor edits. As a Republican who opposes Bush and his policy of preemptive war, I'm embarassed at my party's efforts to suppress the vote in swing states, and the Democrats aren't much better. The wheels are coming off the constitutional wagon. What I want more than anything is for one candidate to sweep more than 300 in the EC tomorrow and the other to bow out gracefully, like our candidates used to. I honestly don't believe either man has the moral compass to do that, though.
Bush is the greatest threat to peace on this planet that we've seen in my lifetime, and Kerry is simply not inspiring as a commander. I am more disatisfied with my choices this year than I could ever have possibly imagined. One of the other big downsides to a Bush win tomorrow is
that it virtually assures a Hillary Clinton presidency in 08. I'll be pushing for Olympia Snowe to run for President.
But yes, I'll support the winner if the election comes out clean and both men act with grace and dignity in both victory and defeat.

Posted by Jazz Shaw at November 1, 2004 07:06 PM