If the country is so progressive, how come Bush won the popular vote four years ago?  Did all the center right people die?  Or are American voters somewhat mercurial?  Also, how come Bush had no mandate four years ago?  Did the American voter get more mandative?  Would John McCain have had a mandate if he'd achieved these kinds of numbers?  Or would that be entirely different?

No need to answer.  The rest of us already know what the answer is.

I am struck by the memory of a seething Democrat four years ago, watching Republicans gloat about their "permanent majority":  "They don't bother me.  All their gloating will just make their tears sweeter when they finally lose."  I'd be more worried about the permanent majority if I hadn't just checked the Democrats' congressional approval ratings.  If they don't pick up soon--and now there are no Republicans to blame for anything that goes wrong--I estimate the life of this mandate at about three months.