It's been clear for a while that the Democrats were likely to win, so Bush's comment does sound a bit disconnected from reality. Not much more than any other politician though -- they all think they'll win, or at least pretend to.

I don't think it has been clear for a while that the Democrats were going to win. I think the media have been pretty certain for a while that the Democrats were going to win, but they are often wrong about these things. There was a widespread assumption that dissatisfaction with Bush equalled votes for Democrats, which simply ignored the existence of dissatisfaction with Bush from the Right, of which there is plenty. So, yeah, the media turned out to be right this time, but there were obivous enough gaps in their reasoning and they've got enough precedent of being wrong that I don't think it was clear in advance that they were going to be.

The Democrats defeated Republicans by running conservatives -- in some cases, more conservative than the Republicans, and certainly not Clintonesque "centrists." Webb was in the Reagan administration, and resigned because Reagan wasn't hawkish enough.

The election was a defeat for Republicans, not conservatism. What remains to be seen is if the Republicans learn from this. The first indication will be next week, when they vote on the Minority Leader and Whip.

Of course according to Greg Palast and Paul Krugman and other cranks George Bush does know the results of elections in advance.

"Of course according to Greg Palast and Paul Krugman and other cranks George Bush does know the results of elections in advance."

You'd think facts -- like the election -- would stop this sort of fantasy-based nonsense, but no, the leftist blogs are claiming that Bush is ready to throw everybody in concentration camps.

How is it that people can be so out of touch with reality that they can go on television and claim that the Bush Administration is silencing opposition and setting up a police state? Does that fact that they're being allowed to say it on television with no recrimination whatsoever register to them at all?

I suppose they get such a thrill out of opposing fascism and allying themselves with resistance movements throughout history. My fondest hope is that one day, some of them find themselves at the mercy of a real fascist dictator. Maybe Chavez. When they wander off the path during a "goodwill" mission and aren't recognised by the secret police as the useful Western idiots they are. But I guess that sort of thing only happens in the movies.