So, as of right now, it looks like the democrats (counting the two so called "independents" as democrats), have captured the house with a 25-30 vote majority (there are still at least 7 statistical ties to resolve, and at least a few recounts to happen), and are currently in a dead heat for control of the senate at 49-49 with two ties as yet unresolved.
It would seem the most likely result in the house is (D)234-(R)201, give or take one or two seats; and in the senate it seems entirely likely that there is going to be a 50-50 tie; with at most a 2 vote majority either way.
Of course a 50-50 tie would leave the senate in republican control, just barely, because of VP Cheneys role as president of the senate, but that's not exactly reassuring.
I forsee a huge number of vetos in the next two years; perhaps more than any presidents since Johnson, or Jackson.
The democrats gaining control of the house is a very bad thing for the country in general; as they are now going to attempt to forece every hare brained far left bullshit scheme, invesitgation, inquiry... hell maybe even an impeachment hearing, down our throats.
If the Republicans can maintain control of the senate, that will mitigate almost all of the negatives; but will basically jsut result in total grid lock.
Now, some folks have been sayign they think gridlock is a good thing; and in some ways they are right; but deals are made, and things happen that really need to be addressed (military budgest for example) that need action, and it's going to be very difficult to get the right thing done with democrats in control of the house.
If they get the senate as well; well all we can do is hold on tight, and watch as Bush vetos everything possible; because there is no way the dems will get enough votes for an override.
Why did this happen?
Well, what it comes down to, is that a lot of republicans decided not to vote; and pretty much every democrat made sure everyone they knew didnt.
I don't so much think it was a referndum on Bush however; as it was a statement of general dissatisfaction with the last 2 years of republican performance as a whole. I don't think the scandals had much to do with it, but as a commenter on a previous post said, they all suck so I'm staying home; and apparently a lot of other folks felt the same way.
Personally, I think those folks are idiots for ding so, because the damage one liberal congress can do can take decades to roll back; but the one thing it SHOULD do, is kick the republicans in the ass and get them to start acting like republicans again, not jsut democrats with better posture and worse haircuts.
Now, that said; I think this is pretty bad for the deomcrats as a whole; because they are going to spend the next two years being petty, scheming, conniving, slimy, bastards; and they're going to do it as the majority, so they can't amke any excuses this time.
If they had stayed out of the majority, they could have spent the next two years blaming everything on the republicans; and by then enough people might believe them to actually do something in 2008 with a democratic presidential candidate, and a bunch of coattail riders in the house and senate.
As it is; I think they've effectively killed whatever chance they had of winning in 2008. I would expect a HUGE anti democratic backlash to build up in jsut the next two years as they very publicly screw up an already screwed up situation; and they can try as much as they want to blame it on Bush and the republicans, but it jsut won't stick.
Of course, I'm still buying all the guns I can afford next year; as early as possible in the year, and all the magazines and all the ammo etc...
