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As of this morning, Republicans are predictably claiming just
such a mandate, and at the surface, it may seem as if they have a
point. The GOP took control of the Senate, expanded their House
majority, flipped some state legislative bodies, and fared surprisingly
well in gubernatorial races. The result, they say, is an endorsement
from the American people that affords them the right to pursue their top
priorities.
It’s a nice argument, which happens to be wrong.
Right off the bat, perhaps the most glaring flaw with the
Republican pitch is that the GOP seems to believe only Republicans are
capable of claiming a mandate. Two years ago, President Obama won big,
Senate Democrats kept their majority for a fourth-consecutive cycle; and
House Democratic candidates earned far more votes than their House
Republican counterparts.
Did this mean Dems had a popular mandate for their agenda?
GOP leaders replied, “Absolutely not.” Indeed, the Republicans said the
opposite, concluding that Obama and his agenda may have been endorsed by
the nation, but it was the GOP’s job to kill the every Democratic
priority anyway.
Elections have consequences? Republicans have spent the last
two years insisting otherwise. It’s laughable for GOP officials to
change their mind and declare, “Mandates only exist when we win.”
What’s more, the obvious question for those arguing that
Republicans have a mandate this morning is simple: “A mandate to do
what, exactly?”
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