Yesterday marked the empowerment of George W. Bush-- No longer by any rhetorical stretch the "selected president"

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NYPost

MR. PRESIDENT!

November 6, 2002 --

Yesterday marked the empowerment of George W. Bush.

No longer by any rhetorical stretch the "selected president," by way of the U.S. Supreme Court, Bush is America's leader.

Unambiguously.

He took his case to the nation, campaigning for Republicans in state after state - and the nation responded.

The candidates he endorsed won.

Big time.

But it wasn't just the campaigning.

The president had long since made his case to the American people - successfully.

How else would his war resolution have been so emphatically endorsed by Congress - even in the Democratic-controlled Senate, it won in a breeze - if not by virtue of deep popular support?

So let there be no further serious debate on that point: Saddam's time has come, no matter what the United Nations thinks about it.

Americans approve of the leadership George Bush has exhibited since 9/11. They trust him - and the people he endorses.

Republicans held onto the House of Representatives and - amazingly - appear to have re-taken control of the Senate, developments that defy historical precedent.

That is, incumbent presidents just don't win like that in off-term elections.

But this one did.

Across the nation, voters saw that President Bush and the Republicans had a vision - a coherent message - and that the Democrats didn't.

And now the president has a mandate.

He earned it.

Let him exercise it.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2002

Answers

NYPost

PREZ PROVES HIS METTLE AS A MID-TERM-INATOR By DEBORAH ORIN

November 6, 2002 -- THE Bush Bounce did it. President Bush put his prestige on the line - and it paid off by boosting Republicans to historic gains and control of both the House and Senate.

It was the ultimate political fallout from 9/11, when Americans rallied behind their president - and stayed loyal. After years of close political division between Democrats and Republicans, America became Bush Country.

"It's a complete endorsement of this president and his agenda. It is finally fashionable to say you're a Republican," said GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway.

To add icing to the cake, Bush's brother Jeb won re-election as Florida governor by a landslide and made Democrats look like fools for boasting they'd easily defeat him.

As Bill Clinton's party reeled from bad news, even Democratic National Chairman Terry McAuliffe admitted Bush was the deciding factor, saying ruefully, "This is a president who has had very high approval ratings."

Bush had no coattails when he won the White House in 2000. But this time, when he wasn't even on the ballot, he pulled his party through and showed he's the dominant political force in America today.

Bush's gain is clear: A Republican-controlled Senate makes it easier to pass his tax cuts, homeland-security plans and terrorism insurance - and to confirm a host of judgeship nominees blocked by Democrats for a year or more.

He'll be owed a debt of gratitude by every Republican who won a close race yesterday. Almost all got a visit, plus fund-raising help, and he should be able to count on solid loyalty from GOPers in Congress, since he was loyal to them.

Unlike Clinton, who liked to "triangulate" by offering himself as an alternative to both Dems and Republicans in Congress, Bush allied himself squarely with his own party.

And surviving Democrats will be running scared in the Senate and House. How many will want to line up with labor unions and against Bush's homeland-security plan after that issue alone cost Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.) his seat?

The Democratic Party was left in shambles, with activists quickly second-guessing their leaders. Democrats billed as future stars went down to defeat, and the party wasn't able to get out the strong black vote that it depends on.

Even before the vote, Democrats were running scared - in eight key Senate races, Democrats tried to save themselves by avoiding any attack on the president and by instead claiming to be sort-of Bushies, too.

They used TV ads to tout their support for his tax cuts, education plan and the war on terror. If re-elected, they'll be liars if they vote to end those tax cuts now.

No other president, not even the politics-loving Clinton, worked so hard in a midterm election - Bush raised a record $140 million and stumped in 15 states in a final five-day blitz.

By contrast to Bush's triumphs, in 1994, Clinton lost control of both the House (losing 54 seats) and Senate (losing 10 senators).

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2002


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