Obama: no mandate?

Published Nov 05 2008, 01:59 PM by Adam Reilly

That's the conclusion of Bob Novak,a/k/a the Prince of Darkness, who writes:

[Obama] may have opened the door to enactment of the long-deferred liberal agenda, but he neither received a broad mandate from the public nor the needed large congressional majorities.

To bolster his statement about Congress, Novak cites the Democrats' failure to capture a filibuster-proof, sixty-seat Senate majority, and their inability to oust Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. And to support his claim about Obama's nonexistent mandate, Novak cites...nothing at all.

This half-assed approach has elicited some pointed commentary on the Chicago Sun-Times Web site, including the following:

SHIELDS: Bob Novak, is 51 percent of the vote really a mandate?

BOB NOVAK, CAPITAL GANG: Of course it is. It's a 3.5 million vote margin. But the people who are saying that it isn't a mandate are the same people who were predicting that John Kerry would win. (CNN, November 6, 2004)

And yes, he really did say it.

It's understandable that Novak might not be at the top of his game these days. Still, this is embarrassing stuff.

Filed Under: Barack Obama, Election08, chicago sun-times, bob novak

Another Palin media critique!

Kudos to Bush

4 Comments

Chris Faraone said:

Let's hope that tumor gets him soon.

November 5, 2008 2:32 PM
Mike said:

Chris,

That's not appropriate.

I wish Mr. Novak as speedy and as complete a recovery as possible. I also wish him to stop writing and I hope he lives many, many years without ever getting behind the wheels of a car again. (I also wish a long life on the pedestrian Mr. Novak tried to leave behind on a Washington D.C. street).

But wow, it is just amazing for Mr. Novak to claim that this is not a mandate.

Of course it could have been bigger, all mandates short of unanimity can be bigger. Many predicted a bigger mandate than the one that occurred, that's a fair point for Mr. Novak to make. But to say that Bush had a mandate in 2004 and Obama has none whatsoever in 2008 is just disconnected to any reality I'm aware of.

November 5, 2008 10:04 PM
loug said:

**Let's hope that tumor gets him soon.**

Boy, we have a high caliber of visitors to the Phoenix web site don't we?

November 6, 2008 11:45 AM
Lou G said:

**Let's hope that tumor gets him soon.**

Well, it appears we have a very high caliber of visitor at the Phoenix website.....

November 6, 2008 11:46 AM

Follow the Boston Phoenix

All Blogs

Phlog (1,423)
Dont Quote Me (519)
On The Download (2,165)
Talking Politics (1,524)
Laser Orgy (34)
Outside The Frame (305)

Filed Under: Barack Obama, Election08, chicago sun-times, bob novak

Boston Phoenix
Will Caprio’s early ad spree work?
Published 11/27/2009 by DAVID SCHARFENBERG
Is a $100,000-per-month advertising campaign a wise use of campaign cash at this early stage?

Boston Phoenix
Wale | Attention Deficit
Published 11/27/2009 by CHRIS FARAONE
Interscope (2009)

more by Adam Reilly

Greg Epstein, Atheist Superstar | November 27, 2009

Unmaking a bad federal law | November 27, 2009

Collateral damage? | November 13, 2009

Holy terror? | November 13, 2009

Difference of opinion | November 06, 2009

See all articles by: Adam Reilly

Latest Comments

RIP, Mike Penner / Christine Daniels - I think the hypersensitivity from the "trans" community is a bit absurd, and smacks of wanting...

By O-FISH-L on 12-01-2009 in Dont Quote Me

DJ Hero: Enter to Win a Free Copy! - I need some help Christmas is coming ang my mother just passed away (I swear to god and on her grave...

By Austin on 11-30-2009 in Laser Orgy

RIP, Mike Penner / Christine Daniels - I reread your earlier piece about Aiden Quinn, but I can't say I understand your logic. Yes, I agree...

By Brian on 11-30-2009 in Dont Quote Me

Khazei Sneaking Up? - I was going to vote for Coakley but switched to Khazei over the weekend after a few of my friends got...

By Matt on 11-30-2009 in Talking Politics

Lee Ranaldo picks his favorite albums of the decade - We asked Fletcher the same question: "Um, dude? Why is the camera on you instead of on Lee?"...

By Carly Carioli on 11-30-2009 in On The Download

Latest Comments from Dont Quote Me

Obama: no mandate?

4 Comments

Chris Faraone said:

Mike said:

loug said:

Lou G said:

Leave a Comment