It has become conventional wisdom since the 06 midterm elections that the Democrats have a mandate from the electorate for their policies on the Iraq war.

Just heard an editor from CQ answer a caller on C-span asking how the Democrats can claim to have a mandate when they never took a position on Iraq before the midterm elections. Seems like a fair queston. His answer was, "we know this from the exit polls". We do? I don't think so.

Let's examine this particular bit of conventional wisdom with a bit of reporting from CNN on the midterm elections.

Dems take House as GOP clings to Senate, CNN projects

The exit polls showed that 42 percent of voters called corruption an extremely important issue in their choices at the polls, followed by terrorism at 40 percent, the economy at 39 percent and the war in Iraq at 37 percent.

Iraq was fourth on the list of voters concerns as expressed in the exit polling, behind corruption, terrorism, and the economy. Now also considering the Democratic party refused to take, or articulate a position on the Iraq war before the midterms. From where did this mythical mandate materialize? Republican voters where unhappy with the direction of the war in Iraq before the election. Would anyone suggest those voters are now backing the Democratic plan for surrender?