What’s wrong with this picture, 3rd ed.

OK, this picture is accurate, but it’s still just wrong.

Still, there is much to be optimistic about:

• The Democrats didn’t so much win as the GOP lost.
• Even though the GOP lost, Conservatism prevailed.
• The Democrats who won, often won by being (or appearing) moderate. The Republicans who lost, often lost by sacrificing the values that attract its constituents.
• Many of the seats lost through scandal will be easy to win back.
• The 2008 election will matter a lot more than this one. Two years of Pelosi should be plenty to make the pendulum swing the other way. Even a weak GOP victory may not have given the party enough fire to be ready for 2008.
• Rumsfeld’s departure is disappointing, but it also eliminates one of the Dem’s favorite whipping-boys. They can’t call for the resignation of someone who isn’t there — they’re need a new excuse.
• There’s very little in the Democratic platform other than “we’re not Republicans”. When it comes down to getting work done, I think we can count on the Dems to keep doing things that the majority of Americans don’t like. And that works well for 2008. Allowing President Bush’s tax cuts to expire is not likely to win them many points.
• The curse of the majority: Before the election, the left could rant and rail against bills they didn’t like (such as authorization for Afghanistan and Iraq, funding for the troops, border control, etc.) being “crammed down their throats” by the majority, then silently vote for them anyway to keep their voting records clean. With control of the House, Dems will be under greater scrutiny to make their vote match their words. It’s the same situation the Republicans were in and flubbed. This blade cuts both ways.
• Likewise, this means Conservative Talk Radio should get a real shot in the arm. Don’t turn off your radio for the next two years - the 2008 election cycle is just starting, and right now people are saying things that can make a difference in that election.
• Finally, I think a lot of people got a closer look at how hard the press worked to drag the Democrats across the finish line at all costs. The more desperate the press gets and the harder they work, the less influence they will have on elections, which should cause people to make up their own mind, which is the way elections should be.

Don’t think of this as a “thumpin’” as the President put it, think of it as a market correction. A market correction after a run of gains often means some temporary losses and rebalancing before a new run of gains.

[via Michelle Malkin]