A recurring theme of this column has been that too often, candidates, parties, and their supporters misread what an election was about and why one side won and the other lost.
Partisans increasingly think there are only two possible outcomes of any political contest: Either my side wins, or it was stolen from us.
As damaging as that is to our political culture, however, the real cardinal sin is to presume or pretend to have a mandate when one has not been earned. Partisans are now also convinced that any election their side wins is by definition a mandate, no matter how meager the margins. Any election they lose, no matter how wide the margin, is not a mandate.
Think of a newly elected president being issued a credit card by the voters. The credit limit on that card is determined by a combination of factors, starting with the national popular vote, followed by how many states he won and the final Electoral College count. Then throw in any gains by his party in the U.S. House and Senate, as
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The Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the US House of Representatives, US Senate, Governors and President as well as American political trends.
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