Hey, Claymore, last time I checked, having a 51-49 majority in the US Senate and holding power in the House by a handful of seats, not to mention having won several races by very slim margins, does not constitute a mandate for the winning party.

(Nobody's had a mandate since Reagan, and that was due as much to his personal communication skills and charm as to his policies, I think. But even Reagan won some states by a nose.)

I'll agree that the losses the Democrats took in several key races were probably due largely to Bush's "coat tails."
Lots of folks on both sides of the political spectrum generally approve of the way he (with the help of Colin Powell et al.) has handled the "War On Terrorism" -- especially the war in Afghanistan. (I don't know that other Presidents in his position would have done much different in that respect.)
Republicans love Bush a lot more than the bulk of his opponents hate him or his policies. Their base was more energized in yesterday's elections.

But who are you comparing him with ("...a better man..."). The Democrats don't have one clear leader that they rally behind.

The thing that alternately annoys and amuses me is the spin that a lot of Republicans are putting on the election results.
First, they overstate the magnitude (i.e., depth) of the Republicans' victory. Then, after saying the Rebublican wins represent a "mandate" for Bush or a referendum on his popularity (and that of his policies), many of them go on to attribute the outcome to:
-- the meanspiritedness of Democrats
-- the strategic bungling of the Democrats (in getting out the vote)
-- the so-called exploitation of Wellstone's memorial service for political gain
-- the failure of the Democrats to present a clear picture of their vision
and a host of other shortcomings of the Democrats.

I want to say to these Monday morning quarterbacks: Make up your mind. If you want to attribute the (mostly narrow) wins to Bush's popularity, you detract from that conclusion when you throw too many alleged Democratic faux pas and character flaws into the mix.

Genie