Freedom-Haters behind the eight-ball

There's a frequent commenter here at LITD who, in the last couple of days, has taken to saying that Congressional Pubs have no mandate. Something about the raw numbers of votes nationwide cast for Pub Senators vis-a-vis those cast for Freedom-Haters.

Um, about that:

The victory of Donald Trump for the presidency and the continued Republican control of the House and Senate is only part of the story of the Democratic Party's total demise.

Expected to make modest gains in state legislatures across the country, the Democrats instead lost governorships, lost two state legislative chambers, and now have total control of only five states -- the fewest number in their history.

Perhaps the loudest bell tolling for the death of the Democrats is in Kentucky, where Republicans gained control of the state Senate for the first time in a century. This means that for the first time in history, there is not a single state legislative chamber controlled by Democrats in the old Confederacy.

In the Electoral College, where Republicans took six of the ten biggest prizes for the first time since the Reagan years, Democrats should no longer be considered a national party. They are, at best, a coastal party with a few liberal enclaves -- mostly college towns like Madison, WI, and Austin, TX -- in between.

What would that's-not-a-mandate types have Pubs do? Sit passively and wait for Freedom-Haters to announce a legislative agenda and then see where common ground can be reached?

LITD has seen plenty of that, even coined a term for it: Reasonable Gentleman Syndrome. Most of those afflicted with it have either died (politically speaking) or are being treated for it.


 It's called capitalizing on the opportunity to see conservative principles applied to the issues of the day. This is the moment. I don't think there are enough fools in the GOP anymore to run it into its familiar ditch.

I can't imagine more of a mandate than Pubs have at present.

Of course, you'll notice I'm hedging my bets. I said I don't think there are enough fools left in Pub ranks. Always gotta hedge your bets with Pubs.

One downer note: the difficulty Pat McCrory is having reaching the requisite number for a victory in his quest to retain his seat as North Carolina governor. He is one of the true heroes. Prayers that he pulls it out.