If W(rong) has this kind of mandate, whether it was legitimately obtained or not, then what can we look forward to over the next 4 years? My predictions (all completely serious) are below the fold, but to summarize: we (as a country) are well and truly fucked, on our way to becoming a fascist theocracy with a third-world economy.
- Bush invades Iran by summer 2005.
- The draft is reinstated (perhaps masked as 2+ years of compulsory military service) by January 2006.
- Social Security and Medicare will be completely dismantled by 2007, but we will have no choice, since the budget deficits and our national debt will crush the U.S. economy otherwise after foreign investors stop 'buying' U.S. debt.
- In late 2007/early 2008, the dollar will fall dramatically, and a catastrophic terrorist attack (either manufactured by Rove's religious extremists or by bona fide Islamic extremists) will end democracy in America, as 'patriotism' replaces freedom of choice.
- And finally, unless the leaders and ideologies of the DNC are completely replaced (Terry McAuliffe, your ears should be burning), the Democratic Party will cease to exist within the next 4 years. They have no choice except to descend into the slime wars and start fighting fire with fire. And unless the DNC swings to the left ("left" as in before Clinton moved the DNC to the right), I can't see them ever being a political force again.
Go ahead and flame my pessimistic self or post your own predictions, but if Kerry has already conceded then it's game over. We have an incompetent borrow-and-spend warmonger in charge, and his party controls every check and balance. Buy stock in handgun and liquor companies, because it's going to get messy.