Stv, thnks fr th wrk hr; nd knw why th dt prdcs hp nd flng f gd nws. Bt, f y rmmbr, m jst lttl nrvy bt ths lw nmbrs. nd ths n tp f lttl Bsh pmpng hs pnk lttl ft-brthr.
Frthr, tht lttl Rssn Pt gngstr s pstrng fr sm frm f crrctn; t's nt clr whr th pwr lt r strng th Rssns, bt thy hv lt f l.
pprntly th Chns r sttng p l prtns wth Cb ff th cst f Flrd.
Bsds th dfnt rnns, w hv Syr.
ls, w hv srl wth t's lst fr pwr nd Krdsh l, v Syr. nd t pprs tht th Hms wr st-p t gn pwr nd st-p fr flr.
Thr r mny mr plyrs n ths chss brd. My qstn s whch frnt-mn pltcl gngstr s gng t st nt mtn rrvrsbl vnts tht wll prmt frthr crprt plcs f dmnnc. My pnt s tht th lwr th nmbrs, th mr lkly w wll s sm 'mtns,' n cmbntn wth whl lt f rwlln.
[Editor: ignore=off]Holy. Shit.
Posted by Ferris at May 10, 2006 10:48 PMOh please, please, please make the Repubs as radioactive to the majority of voters as they were from 1930 to about 1965. It may 35 years to undo the crap put in place from Reagan to Bush II and right the ship of state again, fit to lead the world as a model of freedom.
I don't think we are yet at the true hard core of the Repub. base. Looks like it may be between 20 and 25%. In 10 or 15 years many of those Repub base voters will have passed on to whatever awaits in the cold hard earth.
It sure would be nice if the differences between the parties were in the margins instead of whether to destroy our social fabric or preserve it.
Posted by JimPortlandOR at May 11, 2006 12:02 AMSteve, don't mean to be a naysayer, but who's to say that these polls aren't just undersampling Republicans. Maybe they're hiding and afraid to come to the phone, but still willing to go to the polls and protect the "sanctity of marriage."
I'm not saying I believe that, but I am interested in how you'd respond.
Posted by emptywheel at May 11, 2006 07:33 AMNice piece, Steve. I'd like to be hopeful except for the fact that the Democrats also fucked up the elections in 2002 and 2004. This should be the biggest GOP shellacking at the polls since 1974, but so far the Democrats have succeeded in making themselves seem like Republican Lite rather than an opposition party.
Also, since the GOP are better liars and propagandists than the Dems, I'm sure they're planning their attack.
And I expect there is some behind the scenes action by the Bushies to get the oil companies to reduce prices enough to change everybody's psychology about the administration and the oil companies. If I were the oil companies, I'd be planning to cut prices too. The last thing I'd want to face is an investigation by a house of Congress controlled by the Democrats.
So while things look good now, we're a long way from November. I have complete confidence that the Beltway Dems and their consultants will find new ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Posted by Phil from New York at May 11, 2006 07:34 AMInteresting article Steve...hate to disagree, tho'...my take is this remaining sample of 25-30% Republican is the Base with a few die hard numbskulls....as the polls get to 25% approval (by September)...we will have seen moderate conservative becoming Democrats...in the ballot box at least....not a day passes now that the sense of relief grows...a sunami of Washington in November is my guess!!
Posted by Goyo at May 11, 2006 08:06 AMI was going to post something about how this news requires a Democratic Party that will actually capitalize on it, but Phil echoed my feelings perfectly. Nice work.
No, I'm not getting my hopes up. The Dems are just as incompetent at campaigning as the Republicans are at governing.
Posted by DZ at May 11, 2006 08:34 AMI'm with Phil, unfortunately. 2004 demonstrated that our "elections" are now like throwing dice, even if they weren't rigged by paperless Diebold-type operations.
The voters can no longer think clearly, have no knowledge base, don't understand how the government is supposed to work ("checks and balances"?), and are easily manipulated. Thus their "choices" are essentially irrational at this point---i.e. dice throwing.
The press understands that Iraq needs to be sold as finally turning towards "victory", and that story-line transformation is underway. Big oil will reduce its monopoly profits for a couple months before the election. Viola, problem solved!
The "independent" voters in the handful of crucial Congressional districts will not likely figure it out, and will retain their criminal Republican member.
As to your question, most "Republicans" have always been simpleminded numbskull cowards, unable to explain their public policy positions and voting entirely on emotion and fantasy. They know things don't look good now, so it's even harder to "explain" their allegiance to the Capital & Crucifix Party.
So they deny Christ to the Roman soldiers with a little "independent" lie, but are still with Nero in their hearts. Remember, hatred of "Lib'ruls" trumps prosperity for the Nation. "Just think how bad things would be if "Lib'ruls" were in charge!"
Posted by euzoius at May 11, 2006 08:39 AMOh please, please, please make the Repubs as radioactive to the majority of voters as they were from 1930 to about 1965.
Even as we speak, people are scraping the W-04 and Bush/Cheney stickers off of their SUK-Vs. I bet they'll tell their grandkids they voted for Gore. That's okay. They can't hide. We will inherit all of the phone records made from any RNC operation to their supporters, and the branching from there to other republi-cons. Payback will be hell!
Posted by phidipides at May 11, 2006 09:15 AMI saw a great riff on those little black square "W, the President" bumper stickers the other day. It looked exactly the same except "W" was replaced with "F".
Posted by Growth Factor at May 11, 2006 09:56 AMLets see:
1. Economy is hummming
- Fed has spent about two trying to slow it down
- 4.7% is close to full employmentm rate for college grad is under 2%
- GDP growth 3.5-4% for worlds largest economy by far
- Deficit as percentage of GDP declining and about average
2. We haven't been attacked in almost 5 years and have made progess in Afganistan and Iraq
3. Real wage increase for those with college degrees over 10% per year
Clearly the US in terrible shape.
One area I don't understand is why Libs believe that Bush lied about WMD. That implies he knew otherwise even though US intelligence and other intelligence agencies didn't. How did Bush find when the world couldn't -- did a secret band of Texas rangers infiltrate Iraq?
And why would he lie when the war impacts republicans far more than demoncrats:
- 70% of deaths are republicans/bush supporters. (liberals don't volunteer for armed forces in large numbers, and when they do it is usually support areas)
- 70-80% of personal income tax funding for war comes from republicans. This from fact that the more successful/more money you make much more likely to be republican.
All the Bu$hCo Kool-Aid the Repug's have been drinking for years must have finally killed many of them off. RIP.
Posted by red_neck_repub at May 11, 2006 06:43 PM