Reply #8: They Peaked Too Soon...

[KharmaTrain]

While I have a lot of respect for Charlie Cook, I think he's reading the anger out in the hinterlands wrong. There surely is a lot of frustration with the economy and the political system, but to say it's going to play into the rushpublicans favor is being very simplistic.

The Democrats hit rarified air with their wins in '06 and '08...many in "purple" areas. Gains weren't made because of the strength of the Democrats as much as the corruption and ineptness of the GOOP...the implosion of a party that continues to veer further to the right and away from political relevance. That said, it was expected there will be losses this year as this Administration and the Democrats have been on the clock...fully responsible for an economy shattered by boooosh's kleptocracy and a body politic poisoned by partisan operatives and a massive corporate media machine.

The GOOP have attacked this administration and the Democratic party relentlessly...hoping to get memes to stick. They astroturfed the tea baggers who are about to turn into that party's worse nightmare as we're starting to see play out during the primary season. Sure the GOOP was energized...Democrats were following the stinging losses in '00, '02 & '04...but the ways back to the majority are far different. The teabaggers got coopted by Paulbots, LaRouchies and other political goons that are now challenging the party establishment. Now how many of those energized Hayworth supporters will be running to the polls to sent McCain back to the Senate for 6 years? The only thing they had to unite them was hatred of this administration, but can their own brewing internal bitterness boil over first? Stay tuned.

Lastly, while the polls show people frustrated with the status quo...the rushpublicans have gained little from it...their poll numbers remain in the upper 20s and low 30s...not budging much in the past two years. Also there's the "NIMBY" factor...it's everyone elses' Congresscritter whose the problem, not their rep. House races can be very local and incumbency (and the favors they allow a politician to give out) always comes into play on election day.

100 seats? Hardly.