Republicans facing 'electoral hurricane' in face of centrist Democrat push

[T_i_B]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1933861,00.html

The Senate is more finely balanced, and the race has come down to a handful of seats. To win a majority, the Democrats must defend New Jersey, where senator Bob Menendez looks vulnerable, and win at least two out of three tight contests in Tennessee, Virginia and Missouri, where the Republicans are making a determined stand. A Democratic win in the House would put a spanner in the works of the Bush presidency, giving the opposition party control of the federal purse strings, and opening the door to all manner of investigations into the Iraq war.

A takeover of the more powerful Senate, would shove the Bush machine into reverse. The president would be forced onto the defensive on almost every aspect of policy in his last two years in office. But to achieve that on November 7, the Democrats will need more than just anti-war and anti-Bush sentiment.

To that end, the national Democratic leadership is trying to break the party stereotype of the effete urban liberal, and mix varying doses of social conservatism with progressive economic policy and a multilateral approach to global affairs. The assumption is that the party does not have to protect its left flank, as the left will vote for any kind of Democrat to defeat the Bush Republicans. Centrist candidates have in many cases been forced on local party activists by a newly assertive leadership in Washington, led by Rahm Emanuel, a former Clinton aide managing the House races, and Charles Schumer on the Senate side.

The strategy appears to be paying moderate returns. Mr Ford has drawn level with his Republican opponent, Bob Corker, but is now feeling the heat. The Republican national headquarters in Washington is pouring funds into the close races, in a last-ditch campaign orchestrated by Karl Rove, the president's personal Machiavelli. According to Republican officials quoted in the Washington Post, 90% of that money is being spent on attack adverts.

[wakeme2008]

1. What centrist push -- it is the Progressives that are pushing the Dems

[aquart]

3. They are already trying to reframe.

Democrats who are Republican lite, centrist Democrats........all that supercrap.

The worst thing that could happen would be if the Democrats believed this garbage.

BTW, has any MSM yet said The Liberals Were Right!?

[tblue]

4. Right! WE are the spark. Who gets passionate about a centrist?

That's a contradiction in terms.

[truthisfreedom]

2. yeah, right. one week, and we win. crap article.