2012 Election Results: Who’s Singing What Tune?

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) will get another turn in the barrel as Senate Majority Leader (LV Sun) and we’ll be treated to another two years of the Waltz of the Hours and Hours and Hours in Washington, D.C. Who’s collating the sheet music? What tunes are in the air?

The Republicans are singing “I Will Survive,” and performing anywhere there’s an open microphone. Their modified lyrics tell us that they didn’t really get shellacked in the 2012 election — it was “the demographics,” i.e. those black and brown people came out in numbers we didn’t expect given our vote suppression efforts. It was “the urban vote” — ah, those black and brown people and the white urbanites who vote with them, who voted in numbers far beyond the capacity of our Grumpy Old People to offset.

The tune doesn’t play well considering the map of the 2012 election:

Notice that, indeed, President Obama did well in urban areas, BUT those also include the suburbs. For example, while Romney won Missouri, he lost in St. Louis City 82.7% (Obama) to 16% (Romney). He lost St. Louis County 56.2% (Obama) to 42.5% (Romney). [MOSoS] For those inclined to believe that “urban voters” are necessarily black or brown, it’s instructive to know that the St. Louis Metropolitan area is 76.9% white, 18.5% African American, Hispanic 2.6%, and Asian 2.5%. [StLDemo]

The second part of “I Will Survive” includes lyrics telling anyone still listening that the GOP won because they retained control of the House of Representatives. Really? And, why would we believe that the election was a positive moment in Republican history when, yes, they did retain control of the House — BUT they’re doing it with six seats less than they had after the 2010 elections? [BusWk]

So, Senator Harry Reid will continue as Senate Majority Leader, with assistance from newly elected Senators from Massachusetts and Indiana, and two independents who will join his caucus; and, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will keep her leadership position in the House — with six new allies.

Little wonder the Democrats might be singing “Who’s Sorry Now?”