President George Bush claimed victory Wednesday as Senator John Kerry conceded defeat. The nation should brace itself for four more years of disastrous policy. Americans chose not only to condone Bush's failed initiatives, but also to elect more Republicans for a Congressional majority in both houses. This will allow Bush to wholeheartedly pursue his plans with little interference. But although Bush is claiming a mandate from the American populace, he still won by a relatively slim margin after a campaign full of lies.
Vice President Dick Cheney, while introducing Bush Wednesday, asserted the second administration will be backed by a popular mandate. But Bush got no such mandate from the American people. Though 59 million Americans voted for Bush, 55 million equally passionate Americans voted to support the change represented in John Kerry.
There is a major rift in the population of this country and the new administration must be careful to act in the interests of the whole nation. Bush began his first term under questionable auspices, clearly without a mandate. Despite this looming cloud of illegitimacy, Bush quickly dropped his "compassionate conservative" ruse and rather became "compassionate for conservatives" as Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle said. Now that Bush has the legislative branch on his side and does not need to worry about reelection, it is doubtful that he will do any reaching across the aisle.
Part of the credit for Bush's win can be credited to a certain sector of the population that is in no way representative of the entire nation -- evangelistically motivated conservatives. Same-sex marriage bans appeared on ballots in 11 states including battleground states like Ohio. Each one of these initiatives passed. Church mobilization drives brought out a large number of their members. Eighty percent of voters who reported their top concern in exit polls as "moral values" voted for Bush and 64 percent of those who attend church more than once a week chose Bush.
The other major issue in the electorate that played well for Bush was the threat of terrorism. But those who actually experienced terrorism voted for Kerry. Four of five Manhattan voters chose John Kerry, and 90 percent of the District of Columbia voted for Kerry. Certainly every citizen has a vested interest in choosing a president who they feel is capable of handling terrorism, but aren't those who have been directly influenced by it a better judge then someone living in Idaho?
Given these factors, the new Bush administration must hold its tongue when claiming a mandate. Rather, they must work in all of our best interests. America is a deeply divided nation that will become further entrenched along a growing fault line if Bush and the Republican Congress do not work with bipartisan support. The American people must also continue to actively voice their opinions. The minority must work to keep the majority grounded.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
