Everyone, please be kind; this pops my diary cherry...
After the back alley ass kicking that democrats by and large suffered nationwide on election night, one thing should be unequivocally clear--Republicans are going to think and act like they have a mandate. After all, when your base doesn't show up, and the other team's does, it's pretty easy to draw a straight line conclusion that voters are giving you a blank check.
We've seen, however, what unchecked Republican rule looks like. Note that I said "rule" and not "governance"; there is a distinct difference and it forms the backbone of this diary. Republicans are not about using government to implement their vision of society. Rather, they are about using government to make sure no one else can ever do anything BUT implement their vision of society and they do this the same way everytime--by pulling up the ladder after they've climbed it.