It’s odd that one of the more memorable phrases of the 2006 election cycle came by way of Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), who ended up giving Democrats a fairly potent slogan. Way back in March, Gingrich told Time, “[W]hat [Democrats] should do is say nothing except, ‘Had enough?'” Dems quickly embraced it, and asked the rhetorical question countless times in advance of the midterms.
And, thankfully, America answered the question loud and clear yesterday: Yes, we have had enough.
There was ample speculation about whether the Dems’ “wave” would materialize, and if so, just how big it would be. The results were nothing short of stunning: Dems gained 30 House seats (double the number needed to reclaim the majority), seven governorships (and now have a big majority for the first time in a decade), and gained at least four Senate seats, with two more hanging in the balance. Dems now even enjoy a majority of state legislatures.
Just as importantly, as far as I can tell, not single incumbent Democrat lost in Congress or in gubernatorial races. None. Think about that — every Republican challenger in the country lost yesterday. It’s a dramatic historical rarity, if not an outright historical first. As Chris Bowers cleverly put it, “No one can ever do worse than they did this year.”
With this in mind, yesterday wasn’t just a defeat for Bush and the Republican Party; it was a repudiation.
Especially in recent days, we heard all the bravado we could handle about an 11th-hour GOP comeback. Republicans have an unbeatable 72-hour machine! They have a vaunted micro-targeting operation! They have Karl Rove! They have more money! They’re willing to lie, cheat, and steal!
In the end, it didn’t matter. Rove and Mehlman aren’t nearly as clever as they think they are, at least when the electorate is no longer satisfied with the status quo.
What was behind the GOP collapse? Kevin Drum ran through some of the likely culprits, including the war in Iraq, Katrina, Schiavo, an economy that left too many behind, underhanded campaign tactics, and general far-right extremism.
It’s a solid list, of course, but I don’t think it was any one factor — it was all of them, and then some. Think about the last two years and try and identify a success story for the Republican Party. It’s a real challenge for a gang burdened by fiascos, crises, scandals, and disasters. The GOP had become an embarrassment to itself, and just enough Americans wanted to be able to take some pride in their government again. They, to borrow Gingrich’s line, had seen enough.
Savor today. Frankly, I’d almost forgotten what it’s like to feel good the day after a national election cycle. But also remember that this is the start of something special. America found itself in a hole. Yesterday, we decided to stop digging and start climbing.