We don't need no steenkeen mandate...!

As the day of Dubbyuh's coronation...er...inauguration approaches, we should examine Dubbyuh's mandate or rather, his lack thereof.

Let's take a brief look at the historical record. In 2000, Dubbyuh lost the popular vote, and his "political capital" was non-existent though he claimed a mandate even then. He barely maintained his hold on power in 2004, and his "political capital" was only marginally better than that in 2000.

As for this election cycle Dubbyuh only won by 34 electors, the smallest margin of electoral victory for any US president. His margin of victory in the popular vote was 51%, hardly an overwhelming majority and not the mandate he claims. His 3% margin of victory is well within the margin of error given most polls.

As for the mandate he claims, reforming social security, selecting conservative judges and "simplifying" the tax code, were not the issue he ran on in the election. Had he run on those issue he would have been soundly defeated. Intsead, Karl Rove played the fear card. Fear of terrorism...fear of attack...fear of same-gender marriage...He did not run on substantive domestic issues. He ran on intangible emotional issues.

In the end, Dubbyuh's mandate is, like the rest of his administration, a fabric of obfuscation, disinformation, misdirection and outright lies. The emperor has no clothes, nor does he have a mandate.