Saturday, September 09, 2006
A bad week for the Democrats
I heard a number of times through the summer that Congressional Republicans will be in deep trouble come election time this year. Around Labor Day it seemed that the talking point for the Democrats was that there would be a "tidal wave" sweeping Democrats in and Republicans out of Congress (or so sayeth the DNC Chairman, Howard Dean on MSNBC).
My gut reaction is that when such sweeping statements are made so far in advance of an election, they’re not likely to come true. As if on cue, three self-inflicted wounds by the Democrats may very well make things a tad easier for Republicans:
- The Senate Democrat leadership sent a censorship letter to ABC over the upcoming ‘9/11’ miniseries (see previous post)
- The Democrat incumbent in New Jersey is having growing legal troubles, putting the Republican challenger into the lead (read the story here, analysis here)
- Clair McCaskill, the Democrat trying to unseat Missouri’s Senator Jim Talent, went ‘nutters’ this week saying "George Bush let people die on rooftops in New Orleans because they were poor and because they were black" (story here).
Not good things to happen the first week that people REALLY start paying attention to the political landscape. This is not to say that the election is becoming a cake walk for the GOP, but (to turn the old phrase) with opponents who act like this, who needs supporters?
Go here for a Democrat view questioning the tidal wave theory.
My gut reaction is that when such sweeping statements are made so far in advance of an election, they’re not likely to come true. As if on cue, three self-inflicted wounds by the Democrats may very well make things a tad easier for Republicans:
- The Senate Democrat leadership sent a censorship letter to ABC over the upcoming ‘9/11’ miniseries (see previous post)
- The Democrat incumbent in New Jersey is having growing legal troubles, putting the Republican challenger into the lead (read the story here, analysis here)
- Clair McCaskill, the Democrat trying to unseat Missouri’s Senator Jim Talent, went ‘nutters’ this week saying "George Bush let people die on rooftops in New Orleans because they were poor and because they were black" (story here).
Not good things to happen the first week that people REALLY start paying attention to the political landscape. This is not to say that the election is becoming a cake walk for the GOP, but (to turn the old phrase) with opponents who act like this, who needs supporters?
Go here for a Democrat view questioning the tidal wave theory.
# posted by Ricard : 7:27 PM
