BUSH WILL COMMAND

There is an adage in the Marine Corps, “When in command, command”. Given George W. Bush’s victory speech yesterday, that is what he plans to do. The media continues to live in the Land of Oz. Ignoring Bush’s nearly four million vote victory margin, ignoring the fact that Bush is the first president in 16 years to achieve a majority of the popular vote, ignoring the Republican sweep of vacated Democrat Senate seats, ignoring Republican gains in the House of Representatives, the media are harping on how deeply divided America has become. Well excuse me for pointing out that it would seem we are less divided today than we were in 2000 or 1996 or 1992. None of those presidential elections produced anywhere near the unity of the 2004 election.

So the new media template is that we are deeply divided. And who do they blame? Do they blame Michael Moore, for producing anti-American propaganda? Do they blame George Soros, for dumping obscene amounts of money into the election system, money spent not to advocate FOR a position, money spent solely to trash our president? Do they blame liberal pols for never missing an opportunity to attack the president in the most vicious and personal manner – as Joe Biden calling the president brain dead? Do they blame themselves for driving wedges between the American people on every conceivable issue? No, we’re divided because George Bush has stood on principle. We’re divided because George Bush has told us what he was going to do and then set about doing it.

And what do the media expect George Bush to do to “bring the country together”? They expect him to abandon his principle. They expect him to abandon his agenda. They expect the winner to move toward the loser. Well, it isn’t going to happen. The best evidence that it will not happen is Bush’s first term. Having lost the popular vote and holding a bare Electoral College margin, George Bush did not waver and set about to do what he said he would do. Today, he has a clear mandate but the media expect him to start backtracking on his campaign promises. It will not happen.

If anything Bush will move more quickly in a second term than in the first. Bush knows that soon after the 2006 mid-term election he will be viewed as a lame-duck. Democrats will know that they don’t have to fear Bush showing up in their state to talk about their voting records and obstructionism. In the 2006 mid-term elections, Democrats will be defending senate seats in five red states (WV Byrd [Oh yes he is! He’s 88!], FL Bill Nelson, NB Ben Nelson, NM Bingaham, ND Conrad). No doubt Carl Rove has anonymously sent each of these senators news clipping of Tom Daschel’s demise in SD. Three other senators are running in states that, while not yet red, are moving in that direction (MI Stabenow, MN Dayton [See Brave Sir Robin below], WI Kohl). After the mid-terms, Bush knows he will have little leverage against any senator.

So Bush will put the big ticket items up front. Those items will include, tax relief, tax reform, Social Security reform and if you’re a conservative Supreme Court justice who wants to retire, do it before the mid-terms. Bush will step out boldly even before the inauguration. This will infuriate the media and libs who will howl about how Bush is further dividing an already fractured nation. Moderates lament in Rodney King fashion, can’t we all just get along. Conservatives will complain about the cost of everything. But in the face of it all, George Bush will command.