What is Russ Feingold's path to a fourth term now?

[Dawson Leery]

[PBS Poll-435]

1. Not sure there really is one if he doesn't close the gap in the next week.

Should have sided with Leader Reid on FRR, I believe.

[zulchzulu]

2. Russ is going to win in a squeaker

That's my hope anyway.

[saltpoint]

5. +1

[denimgirly]

17. That would be AMAZING!!!

Crossing my fingers!!

[molly77]

21. Another one too honest to be in DC

[Drunken Irishman]

3. The path is hoping there is under-counted bloc of voters out there.

[saltpoint]

4. His opponent's strong polling numbers are disconcerting,

given that his opponent is an empty suit.

Feingold deserves more support from his state than the polling suggests he is getting.

There's no good reason at all to fire him. If Wisconsin voters play fair, they will re-elect Russ. If they don't, an empty suit becomes a U.S. Senator. Look long, Wisconsin voters -- Feingold is a keeper.

[elocs]

12. If Feingold loses he won't be turned out by WI voters, just those who bother to show up to vote.

Wisconsin voters are no different than those anywhere else in this country at this time. Very many are just pissed at how things are and justified or not Democratic incumbents are a target for their anger.

Feingold is not helped in a statewide race by the governor's race where the Democratic candidate must run in the footsteps of a very unpopular Democratic incumbent, Doyle, who chose not to run because he could not be elected as the proverbial dogcatcher.

[saltpoint]

19. Agree that Doyle's administration has not been a help

to Democrats in Wisconsin, although Doyle is a good "goalie" against the GOP kooks in the State legislature.

I'm endorsing zulchzulu's narrow Feingold win scenario with all fingers crossed.

[Dawson Leery]

25. Then the base is stupid. They are willing to throw away their

best advocate because they are not content with they way the economy is. :wtf:

[iamjoy]

6. The Worst Thing If Feingold Loses

If Feingold is not re-elected AND if Congressman Grayson loses in Florida's 8th Congressional district, then the message will be that progressives can't win and Democrats must move further to the right.

it's a sad state of affairs when teabaggers represent the Republican party and some of today's Democrats are more conservative than Barry Goldwater.

[tortoise1956]

13. Whoa, Red Rider,

Goldwater was more of a libertarian, at least after his first wife died. When the Republican party was taken over by the Christian fundamentalists in the 80's, he stood up to them on many issues, including abortion and gays in the military. Check the story out:

http://www.conservapedia.com/Barry_Goldwater

My favorite Goldwater quote(addressed to right wingers): "Do not associate my name with anything you do. You are extremists, and you've hurt the Republican party much more than the Democrats have."

[elocs]

14. It seems as if the world is moving further to the right.

If things turn out badly for Democrats on election day I believe it would be safe to say that the general consensus of elected party members is that they need to move to the right. Correct or not, that is just the way it will be.

[quakerboy]

16. Also, if things go well for Democrats on election day

the consensus will be that they need to move to the right to continue to have it go so well. Or at least the news/political insider consensus

[molly77]

22. The world is moving to the left

MSM would have US think it is a concensus ..excuse spelling ...who do you work for?

[elocs]

23. No, the world is not moving left. Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy

all have conservative governments. In the last election in the UK there was a 5% swing away from Labor to the Conservatives. The anti-immigrant attitude in Europe is not an indication of moving to the left.

That governments of the world are moving to the right is not MSM propaganda, it simply is the way it is. I see no indication that the world is moving to the left.

Your spelling is fine and at the moment I currently and literally work for nobody.

[truebrit71]

32. The UK labour government is so far to the right it would have made Thatcher blush...

...the new Con-Lib coalition is merely an accurate renaming of the existing political positions there.

The germans, well, they have had a habit in the past of being more than a little right-wing...

The italians are only pretend right-wingers...their political situation is more soap-opera than anything else...

And the French people are the ONLY ones doing anything about their right-wing govt...

[KossackRealityCheck]

35. It won't be the "message" it will be the "reality"

I'm not saying that Feingold and Grayson were too progressive or too far to the left. But they seemed fundamentally not to realize how to be left progressive within a Dem coalition. Look at health care and financial reform. There are people on the right who hate it, people on the left who hate it, and people in the middle who are willing to give it a chance. Feingold kept taking the position that it wasn't good enough, he wanted them to go further. Then, in the end for most things he goes along. So what voter constituency does that leave him with? The small percentage of people who might be on the left and think he stance was principled get turned off when he finally concedes. That leaves no one.

If you want to be the left conscience of the party/caucus you still have to play with the team, like Bernie Sanders. Grand standing, go it alone stances don't work in politics.

[Uzybone]

36. +1000

Grandstanding is for the naive...

even todays liberal stalwarts like Kooch and Sanders know when to take the half loaf.

Historically that s how we progressives have improved our world, by taking what you can get every time.

[bigwillq]

38. Hello.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[KingFlorez]

7. At this point, he's got to try and get a good turnout

That might save him, but it's hard. He was almost toast in 1998, but came back and won that one, so he's capable of pulling off a miracle.

[ClassWarrior]

8. I am.

I and all my fellow progressive Sconnies.

Volunteer Wisconsin!! It's go time!!

NGU.

[DFLforever]

9. I'm thinking if he loses, he might make a very fine

Supreme Court justice.

[yourout]

10. Now that would be lemonade from lemons.

[golfguru]

11. Unemployment drops to 8%

in the next report...I believe this Friday?

[denimgirly]

18. Sadly, no MSM will report it and the WH will not Brag about it.

Just like the tax cut for 97% of americans most will not be aware of it at all...assuming this is true.

[WI_DEM]

27. Actually unemployment in WI is well under the national average--7.7%

[golfguru]

30. Everything is relative

I was referring to national unemployment trend.
If that number drops to 8%, WI will also drop by 1.5%
which would be a huge positive for incumbents everywhere.

[Ellipsis]

15. Obviously turn out is key...

But the indicators all lead to a Feingold win.

Given the fact that Russ has endorsements from the conservative newspapers The Green Bay Press Gazette, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and finally the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern Johnson's home town as it were... which stated "never has so much money been spent on so little information" when it comes to Johnson's spending on his campaign compared to the content he brings to the table. The Attempted coup brought on by the Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce Pac. WMC.org will simply not prevail over the common sense logic and make up of Wisconsinites. They get it. And while a large portion of the state insists on voting a Republican straight ticket anyone with HALF A BRAIN... WILL... vote for Feingold. His internal Poll numbers before the last debate where Johnson was eviscerated was 48% to 48%. St Norbert's poll long considered a non partisan and accurate polling group had Johnson up by 2% before the debate and this is among likely voters. Add another 4% for cell phone personalities who tend to vote progressive and you will find that Feingold has this election well in hand.

[Dawson Leery]

24. Thank you.

[truebrit71]

26. I was up in Methconsin this past weekend and saw a TON of Feingold signs that had not been there...

..a few weeks before...I took that to be an encouraging sign..It will be a huge blow if we lose Russ in the Senate..

[Dawson Leery]

28. It will be a horrible travesty to see Russ Feingold defeated.

[Ellipsis]

29. Methsconsin? That's a kinda ignorant disparitive remark. That being said the bulk of printers...

and Wisconsin has a high saturation of printers comparatively to most states are Republican... It's not difficult to put out a low priced sign in key strategic highways in the state... but you need to the demographics and it strikes me your not an expert in that regard.

[truebrit71]

31. It was a tongue-in-cheek comment from an illinois resident's perspective...

..I don't think that the number of printers enters into the equation...the signs were posted in neighbourhoods on personal property, not just along highways, so those are the demographics I am referring to, and it's "you're" not "your"..how's that for pedantic ;-)

[Ellipsis]

34. Oh... well now that I know you're a flatlander your modest "lactose intolerance" is forgiven.

:P We accept your money proudly.

The signs have a tendency to disappear if put out too early... and we have to pay for printing.



:toast:

At least I didn't call you a FIB.

[truebrit71]

37. The disappearing signs scenario crossed my mind too...

..still it was good to see them suddenly sprouting last weekend..

[Ter]

33. If his own internals have him tied, that doesn't sound good

From internals I've seen over the years, the candidates own almost always add roughly 6 to 8 points to themselves.

[boomerbust]

20. Wait for the vote

Every election cycle the Pukes throw a big business con at Feingold and he ends up beating them. This year is the same old story. Wisco will not send a Teabagger to DC.