Peggy Noonan, and Le Monde, updated
Peggy Noonan
George W. Bush is the first president to win more than 50% of the popular vote since 1988. (Bill Clinton failed to twice; Mr. Bush failed to last time and fell short of a plurality by half a million.) The president received more than 59 million votes, breaking Ronald Reagan’s old record of 54.5 million. Mr. Bush increased his personal percentages in almost every state in the union. He carried the Catholic vote and won 42% of the Hispanic vote and 24% of the Jewish vote (up from 19% in 2000.)
It will be hard for the mainstream media to continue, in the face of these facts, the mantra that we are a deeply and completely divided country. But they’ll try!
They’re doing so overseas, at least Le Monde:
Le vainqueur hérite pourtant d’une société terriblement polarisée : depuis 2000, cela ressemble à un lieu commun mais cela n’a jamais été aussi vrai. L’Irak constitue le clivage le plus spectaculaire, mais partout ailleurs, la fracture est béante. M. Bush l’emporte chez les hommes blancs, les évangélistes et les revenus supérieurs. M. Kerry arrive largement en tête chez les Noirs, les Hispaniques, les jeunes et les femmes. Bonne chance, Monsieur le Président.
(The winner however inherits a terribly polarized people after 2000, which resembles a common ground but that will never be the case. Iraq constitutes the most spectacular division, but everywhere else the fracture is open. Mr. Bush matters to the white men, the higher evangelists and upper incomes. Mr. Kerry is popular among Blacks, Hispanics, the young people and women. Good luck, Mr. President) (my translation).
As an Hispanic, as Peggy points out, I’m not alone in voting for Bush. Let the folks at Le Monde ponder that thought.
Arthur, however, believes things overseas might look A bit more willing this time around?, now that Bush, contrary to their expectations, is not a one-term President. Pilar Rahola (via Barcepundit) has her doubts, as far as Europe goes:
Ser europeo hoy significa ser un ciudadano hinchado, convencido de su superioridad continental, incapaz de mirarse al espejo de sus propias miserias, pero juez implacable de las miserias americanas. Somos una pandilla de indolentes airados y vanidosos. Los yanquis tienen miserias y se las ven. Nosotros tenemos miserias y las convertimos en grandezas.
(Today being European means being a conceited citizen, convinced of his Continental superiority, incapable of looking at himself in the mirror of his own miseries, but implacable judge of the American miseries. We’re a gang of angry, vain indolents. The Americans have their miseries and can see them themselves. We have our own miseries and we turn them into grandiosities. (my translation)
As Arhtur said, “So, one big happy multilateral family again? Non. But a detente, perhaps? Oui.”
Update Detente? Not quite yet:
