Final Word from Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Did ODS win the elections, or did ČSSD lose them? The jury is still out, but one thing is clear: ODS is gaining speed and could conceivably take an outright majority in the next parliamentary elections. It already has control of most of the regions and a near-majority in the Senate, not to mention the newfound possibilities at the Constitutional Court. The Republicans in the U.S., with their control of everything, are in an even better position and have set a goal of being THE party for the next 50 years or so. ODS Chair Mirek Topolánek can learn from this. What the Republicans have over ODS, though, is organization. They know their voters. Like most of the other parties, ODS failed miserably in the get-out-the-vote effort. It even lost Senate seats in Prague, its stronghold. If ODS wants to fly high, it'll have to do the tedious door-to-door canvassing that wins elections.