Reply #11: The problem is with the number assessment

[TayTay]

Bush had 90% approval ratings in late 2001. He was perceived, whether we like it or not, as a strong President who could keep the country safe. That perception is what we were up against. Kerry and the Dems, in general, killed, just killed on domestic issues. People agreed with us on education, health care, jobs, the economy and so forth. (And by substantial numbers.)

However, 9/11 did happen. It did affect the electorate and it affected the vaunted 'soccer moms' who usually vote more on domestic issues. Kerry and the Dems just didn't make that final leap over the security hurdle. (I think the Russian seige at Beslan also bothered women. If it could happen there, then maybe it could happen to American kids here.)

We now know about a lot of things that we didn't know about last year. We know the NYTimes and the WaPo kept important stories out of the paper that could have affected the outcome. (The NSA story, for one. The original NYTimes article specifically stated that the Rs were scared of a Pres Kerry because he might have been pissed enough aobut it to do some serious investigation and some jail time might have been in the offing for some prominent Rs and their enablers.)

The point is: we had very serious, very determined, very well-funded and very motivated opposition. We ignore that at our peril. At no point last year did the Rs roll over and play dead. They had no bruising primaries to get over and they had no funding problem in March or in August, as the Dems did. (Remember? the $87 billion, voted for & agin it came in March, the SBVT and the free media shitstorm it caused really exploded in Aug when the Dems were conserving money.) Mistakes were made. Mistakes are always made and the Rs made a lot too. But despite all of the advantages that the Rs enjoyed (and that the liberal blogs complain about constantly) Kerry went down to the wire with these guys and, as was said at the Council on Foreign Relations speech, lost it on a 'late field goal.' I am oh so tired of people who say that this election was a massive failure. It was not. It was a squeaker. Kerry did a great job against very long odds.

I don't think there was another candidate out there who could have done as well. I just don't.