What Have We Learned?

November 3, 2004

Now that we've had some time to digest the election results of 2004, what have we learned? We've learned that there is a dignified way to lose and a bitter way. John Edwards' remarks the day after the election were reminiscent of Al Gore four years ago. “ This fight has just begun,” he told supporters as he introduced John Kerry for his concession speech. “This campaign may end today, but the battle rages on.” Kerry, on the other hand, was more gracious in defeat. He echoed Edwards' determination that every vote be counted, but added “an election should be decided by voters, not by a protracted legal fight. … It is now clear that even if we tally all the provisional ballots, there won't be enough outstanding votes for us to win Ohio. We came to the conclusion that we cannot win this election.” Mr. Gore? Are you paying attention?

 

We also learned that social issues matter. Gay marriage was resoundingly rejected in 11 states. Out of those 11 states, Bush carried all but 2. Social issues carried the most weight in the South and Southerners didn't take too kindly to the Kerry/Edwards ticket. The major shift to the left by the Democrats on the national level has made them unelectable in the South. Kerry lost in the South by an average of 16 points per state. Edwards failed to bring in his home state of North Carolina just as Al Gore failed to capture his home state four years ago. Because of his dramatic move to the left once he took office, Senator Edwards ingratiated himself with the ultra-liberals who run the party on the national level but sealed his fate as a one-term senator from North Carolina. It was a do or die year for Edwards in 2004. He either had to go for the top spot or accept defeat in the senate. The fact that he'll most assuredly become persona non grata in his home state may account for his bitterness. At least John Kerry has his senate seat to go back to. Perhaps Edwards can help Gore in Tennessee with some of those fence-mending chores.

 

What else did we learn?

 

We learned that Tennesseans don't like taxes shoved down their throats. Taxpayers managed to get the wheel tax increase referendum on the ballot in 9 counties across the state. That tax increase was overwhelmingly defeated in all but one county. Knox County voted for the wheel tax increase only because the arrogant and overbearing county commission and mayor passed a property tax increase contingent upon the failure of the wheel tax. For Knox County residents, it was a matter of choosing between two evils.

 

Two counties rejected sales tax increases, despite the pitiful cries that they needed the money “for the children.” The citizens weren't buying it. Between the sales tax and wheel tax measures, you could almost hear the echoes of horns honking on election night.

 

We learned that working America is getting more and more conservative while those riding the government gravy train in the large metropolitan areas are getting more liberal. We learned that Americans aren't nearly as gullible as Michael Moore had hoped.

 

We learned that George W. Bush has become the first president in 16 years to win a majority of the popular vote. That's more of a mandate than Bill Clinton ever got. With a major increase of Republicans in the House and Senate, he should be able to get some serious work done in the next four years. The people have spoken. The question is, are the Democrats listening?