Almost a year. Read 'em and weep

[TayTay]

If Bush were to run for the presidency this year, 55 percent of those polled said they would vote for his Democratic challenger instead. Just 40 percent said they would choose Bush.

In last year's election, Bush defeated Democrat John Kerry 51 percent to 48 percent.

If only.

10/26/2005 10:16:29 AM
Bush criticism on the rise as Republicans' support wanes: poll

[whometense]

1. So much for

that poll the repukes were trumpeting around a few weeks ago that said * would still beat Kerry. Think we'll hear them discussing this one on Fox?

[Firespirit]

2. Not to be a killjoy...

...but this is actually a little disappointing.

A war that an overwhelming majority of people disapprove of, which has recently caused the deaths of 2000 Americans... a botched response to the deadliest natural disaster in the country in decades, which is being repeated in Florida although with less loss of life... an administration mired in criminality that is known and acknowledged by virtually everyone... a Supreme Court nominee nominated because she is a Bush crony... gasoline coming down from a record price, yet is still outrageously expensive... heating bills expected to skyrocket this winter in many parts of the country... yet there are still 40% of people who persist in such willful stupidity and malevolence, who hate libruls and homos so much, that none of this matters, and probably those would be the ones most likely to vote. (Also 5% of people who apparently "don't know" how they'd vote, despite all the negatives attached to Bush now.) This is a point I have been trying to make to certain elements of the party, who are in my opinion wasting resources on trying to court right-wingers when it would be better to invest in GOTV operations and election reform. For whatever it's worth, the poll does show that the votes are there, and it's a matter of getting them.

[BlueIris]

3. I was wondering if someone would start an "almost a year" thread.

I'm hurting. It was worse a couple of weeks ago, but it's not exactly wonderful now.

[beachmom]

4. Question: Would Kerry win or would a "Democratic challenger"?

This is significant because there was a poll in '03/early '04 that said that * would lose to a "Democratic challenger". But then when it was Kerry, they pulled out the smear machine and came up with flip flop, most liberal in the Senate, subversive traitor, and didn't deserve his medals. Oh yeah, and vote for him and YOU DIE. * knew he couldn't win with a positive campaign, so the plan (quite frankly, executed rather brilliantly) was to villainize Kerry. I would like to see a poll that says, "knowing what you know now, how would you have voted in Nov. '04 -- Kerry or *". Democratic challenger is too vague, and gives us no information.

[karynnj]

5. Very good point

In fact, "Kerry" beat Bush in Feb, March '04 when people were first seeing him before the intense smear campaign. (In fact in Jan, Feb, all serious Democratic candidates (except Dean) beat Bush. Oddly, DU to the contrary, Dean may have been the only candidate that Bush would not have needed a smear campaign to beat. The real story was that the first info on each candidate was the view the candidates wanted to portray. The "generic Democrat" is usually even more positive.

More focus on either Edwards or Clark, might have eliminated their advantage over Bush. For Edwards, the problem is he could be portrayed as inexperienced (his youthful good looks actually could have hurt if there was anything at all that caused an inexperience theme to resonate.) The fact that his credentials were at least equal tp Bush in 2000 is irrelevant, because Bush had been President. Clark in his brief campaign was a tantalyzing white knight, until he simply made too many mistakes (saying he was "pro-abortion, appearing with Michael Moore, the tape praising Bush from early 2001 and the relevation that he had until a recent moment been a Republican. The flip flop theme would be easy for Clark.) So, it might have been the only one they needed a really tough negative campaign against was Kerry.

In retrospect, Gepheart and Graham may have been Kerry's more capable opponents. Kerry towered over the other and not just because he is so tall. It also shows the infatuation with charisma in picking candidates.

[jillan]

6. How about this weekend's pic thread being a tribute to the campaign?

Google pics of the last few weeks before the election?

I would love to relive those days.
We can be depressed together on November 3rd.