I'm seeing something I haven't seen in well over a Decade...

[berni_mccoy]

Republicans are in chaos, running around with their hair on fire, and in full meltdown.

The GOP presidential campaign has a complete lack of focus, strategy and a plan. They are in total emergency reactionary mode. They have to distance themselves from their own platform, policies and people, that's how unpopular they are.

But best of all, Democrats are unified, strong and on message like there hasn't been since Clinton. And I would say we're even stronger and better than then. Better yet, the Democratic message is the popular message, and I think thanks is owed to Obama here.

Obama has taken the GOP footballs and run with them: tax cuts for the middle class, balancing the budget (by both cutting costs and increasing revenue by closing loopholes and tax cuts for the wealthy) and made the GOP argue against two things they've always promoted. And he's incorporated popular progressive movements and made them mainstream: Women's rights and equality, LGBT rights and equality, Healthcare, renewable energy, etc.

That doesn't mean this fight is over. That doesn't mean it's going to be a sure thing. But it is a great feeling to see such unity, strength and fortitude.

[darkangel218]

1. Well said!

[BlueStreak]

52. And just 4 days before their make-or-break convention

[alfredo]

53. The voters are fighting back against voter suppression.

[Tunkamerica]

62. what happens if it's cancelled due to the hurricane?

[BlueStreak]

72. Nothing important happens at the conventions these days

It is all scripted. Just a free TV event.

Basically if the convention is cancelled, the teevee networks have to dig up some Everybody Loves Raymond reruns and the hookers have to go somewhere else to find work.

[Doctor_J]

2. They're ahead in the Senate and House races, and

the presidential race is only 4 pts apart. And their voter purges are continuing unabated and unpunished.

Seriously, are you serous?

[SusanaMontana41]

11. Wondering that, too. nt

[Stuckinthebush]

19. Agreed

Whistling past the graveyard.

They may seem to be in disarray (and I think they are a bit), however the right wing talk machine has infected this presidential race from day one of the Obama administration. Add into this the voter purges that are happening in front of our eyes and we could easily see a terrible Romney and Ryan ticket take the white house.

Then we have the serious problem of the congress. Those races are tight. If the senate goes GOP and the house remains GOP, then we can forget about Obama getting anything done next term. If the GOP gets all three - president, senate and house - then we are screwed.

I'm scared to death.

[Floyd_Gondolli]

54. Right wing talk machine?

Who besides foaming at the mouth tea party loons listens to Hannity and Limbaugh?

Now if you said right wing money machine that would be a hose of a different color.

[Stuckinthebush]

68. Fox news

A lot of people watch it

[coalition_unwilling]

74. Rasmussen now shows McCaskill up by 10, a change of +11 (in just 3 days). I think

you're going to see the 99% come home to the Dems in massive waves now, as women who might have voted Rape\Republican decide to sit this election out or even come over to the Dem side.

[yonder]

32. I'd love to be shouting the OP's message from the roof tops, but...

I remember that rainy inauguration day in 2001, watching somebody who had no business being there, strutting (with that characteristic coat-hanger-in-suit gait) down Pennsylvania Avenue. It was an awful, sinking feeling that I'll never forget. Since then, I've tended to be cautious about getting too confident about what might happen come election day. Our folks seem to be doing well while the opposite side keeps on stubbing their toes, but I still have this nagging, apprehensive feeling that some switch will be toggled to turn the tide in the final weeks. Count me in as cautious but hopeful.

[tavalon]

60. We all remember

If not that, we remember what the King, er, pResident did after 9/11. But fear doesn't change the outcome and apprehension is the kissing cousin to fear, so, it's pretty pointless. Everyone that I see around me is busting their butts getting the message out and yeah, those of us who have worked in the trenches know that with each passing year, election fraud becomes more easily done, but we aren't getting much help from anyone in power on that issue, no matter their political leanings, so I have just decided that the work is to be done before the vote and then just watch them very closely.

[BrooklynBoy]

69. I'm With You

When you see a bunch of coal miners lined up behind Romney at a rally, you know it's far from over. When all is said and done, too many voters will vote against their own self interests, as is always the case. If it weren't, the Republicans wouldn't win any elections (except for a handful of congressional seats representing affluent districts).

And let's not forget the barrage of negative ads that are coming in September and October, when Obama will be outspent 10 to 1.

This is far from over.

[freshwest]

45. GOP cheating should be a spur to action, not defeatism. Get mad! GOTV!

Greg Palast said the only way to overcome the systemic suppression by the GOP is a huge turnout. We need to do this, we have no choice. Don't ever give up!

[Doctor_J]

48. Facing facts is always a good thing

this torrent of vanity threads about how the Repukes are imploding, Akin will sink the whole party, etc. are extremely counterproductive. Our denial and self-delusion about the true state of things is disastrous. If by some chance be defeat them this year, they will just purge more voters next time.

The only way to overcome treason is to round up as many traitors as you can find, and execute them where everyone can watch. If Reagan and Bush I had gone for the big swing over Iran Contra, much of this problem we have right now could have been averted. Then Cheney & Smirk were also allowed to walk away from their treason, and here we are. When someone is arrested, convicted and sent to Gitmo for the treason of voter suppression, it will stop. When a judge who threatens the president is found a week later rolled up in a rug, a deterrent will have been provided.

We are completely on the wrong page about what it is going to take to fight these people. hey want us dead, and our response is to get more people to vote. We are, in a word, pathetic.

[freshwest]

50. You think voting is useless? Civil war is your only solution? Who or what would we save that way?

You're not making sense. The wing nuts wanted FDR dead and taken out of office. They didn't get it.

They killed JFK, or cheered it before and after and it advantaged them. They or their agents, are suspected to have killed MLK and RFK, or more. There were many killed over the years, yet tne country moved forward each time.

There is no black & white, all fast and powerful solution. To do what you propose would require a civil war or a revolution, and those means have led to one end an oppressive dictatorship, by those willing to kill their opposition.

These are exactly the forces we are up against. I think you need to re-think in view of history, farther back than ours, and our own. The ballot box was always known as the peaceful revolution. It can be again.

But we have less people voting than are being disenfranchised. That is the case in every election. By saying it's all hopeless, people will not even try.

This is the mentality that older people from Mexico have told me about, and now all the CT on how there are these villains running the world, fits right into that. In other words, it's too big, don'f fight. And what did it get their people by being disengaged? We all know.

Countries can be changed. Why would the right be going crazy if they did not see a threat to their control, even if they make a big show and threaten everyone?

I've alsotalked to people on a few threads about threats to topple the government and kill Obama, etc. Democrats who are in the military assure me that the people who are really armed, will not permit this.

We must take care of our heart and hope. It does change things. Did you see the Chris Hedges video her on hope? Don't give in.

[Doctor_J]

78. Your premise is useless

"Fight vote theft by more GOTV"

That's like saying that someone is robbing me of $500 every week, and the solution is to get a job that pays more.

By doing the same useless exercise year after year, you're the one that is giving up. You say that a revolution would result in an oppressive dictatorship. I say if you completely take revolution off the table, you are de facto endorsing the vote theft, terrorism, threats, and treason they are already engaged in. Here's a clue - a large number of them already want to kill us. That's why they've been able to turn what was the world's beacon of freedom and democracy into a 3rd world terrorist state in one generation. As long as our biggest push back is to rally more voters who won't be allowed to vote, they will not change their tactics.

[Vidar]

73. I agree with you, but we're in a minority.

[xtraxritical]

55. True, the GOP cult of brainless machismo is immune to "facts".

[Cosmocat]

65. I actually agree with the OP AND your response

The GOP HAS engaged in a pretty well orchestrated and long range voter suppression effort implemented strategically in key "swing" states just for this election. They also have been engaged in a very well orchestrated effort at both the state and federal level to hinder economic recovery, including firing as many government employees as possible. They also have a BOATLOAD of money in their war chests prepared for a massive October media blitz.

These three things aside, they are disjointed in message and strategy from a campaign standpoint. They are about as feckless with partial power as they were in the early 2000s with full power and can't keep from shooting themselves in the foot.

The Ds, by their standards, are somewhat organized, and most certainly are on the right side of a never ending stream of issues that keep rotating to the front.

But, it is TRULY disturbing that given the way things have broke mostly the Ds way to this point, that BOs lead is as close as it is, and that the senate hangs PERILOUSLY close to flipping, and the House is a pretty big reach to turn back to D.

It just is a sad statement about this country that a candidate can be so brazenly craven for job of president like Romney to literally has stopped caring about consistency of what he says or does and has flat been LYING, L Y I N G about EVERYTHING for over half a year now, can still be in a viable position to win against a truly decent man like President Obama who has done a pretty darn good job.

Just disturbing.

[Doctor_J]

70. True, and irrelvant

These three things aside, they are disjointed in message and strategy from a campaign standpoint. They are about as feckless with partial power as they were in the early 2000s with full power and can't keep from shooting themselves in the foot.

What difference does that make if Dems are not allowed to vote? And in the early 2000's they had complete power, and were able to destroy everything except SS and Medicare, and people still vote for them.

[Cosmocat]

81. I was talking politically

about them being feckless in power ... their nature is their nature, and their hubris is truly uncontrolable, ex. the ME skinny dipping BS ...

But, darn right, they ruled with an iron fricken hand from 2000-2006, just bulling through the media and democrats with the 9-1-1 card.

That they are capable of being so destructive when they get power and still win elections is part of my point.

[kentuck]

3. Yep!

Bullseye!

[FredStembottom]

4. I approve this message!

Let's all run into each other doing GOTV, "happy warriors" (as they used to call Hubert Humphrey).

[1StrongBlackMan]

5. Now ...

If only President Obama could wake up tomorrow morning and be a white man ... this election, top to bottom would be a Democratic lock!

[Vietnameravet]

6. Amen

How true this is!

And I am an older white guy!

[freshwest]

43. Yeah, it's crazy, isn't it? And the racists don't even give him credit for his white Mom! Sick dogs.

[Zoonart]

67. Just one Drop

A dear friend of mine was a burlesque queen- THE CAJUN QUEEN- to be exact, who traveled with the black jazz entertainment circuit and ended up breaking the color line at Minsky's talked with me about race all the time. She, like our president, was half white (Mom) and used to say to me : "Black blood is the strongest blood in the world because just one drop makes you black."
She passed, rest her soul, just four weeks before Obama was inaugurated.
She did get to vote for him though, and said it was the proudest moment of her life.

[NRaleighLiberal]

7. And the best is yet to come...whack job convention followed by sane one -

then the debates. Although we would all like to see better polling numbers, I am not concerned - they will get better. Well, I do have one concern - getting out the vote - turning the registered voters who don't plan to vote into likely or definite voters! And the concern about constraining the vote, of course.

[berni_mccoy]

28. That is one more thing the Dems did right this year

Having the DNC right *after* the RNC.

[calimary]

33. Exactly. I was hoping the DNC would go second. ALWAYS get the last word.

ALWAYS.

That way the DEMS' message is the last one viewers will be left with at a crucial time. The end of the conventions around Labor Day marks the "traditional" start of Presidential campaign season, as most of the Rip Van Winkles out there START to wake up and recognize what time it is.

ALWAYS get the last word. Do NOT let the bad guy have it. EVER.

[freshwest]

44. Yeah, I really liked it going this way, too!

[leftynyc]

71. That is dependent on who is in the White House

Party in the WH always goes last.

[calimary]

80. I figured as much. But I'm surprised the GOP didn't try to change that.

They try to fuck with EVERYTHING that they believe might get in their way. Like minorities' rights to vote. And like women's full, undisputed, EXCLUSIVE jurisdiction over THEIR OWN bodies.

[leftynyc]

82. I hear ya

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to find if Isaac slams the convention, they might try and cancel and go last. I'm thinking Mother Nature will not cooperate with that.

[Vietnameravet]

8. Good post but

but never forget the power of ignorance and the right wing ability to pump out lies and hate nationwide at a moments notice..

[lunasun]

40. I was in Wisc for the last few days - have not been there for a few years

a lot of bat shit crazy has grown there since last visit

corn crop did not look good however

Non thinking swing state TV watchers are being turned in to Zombies by politico commercial$ I think

[nolabear]

9. We just have to keep the message out there where non-Dems are faced with it.

TALK to your conservative friends. Don't argue, even when they do. Just talk. Invite them to look up their claims, in any way they choose. Ask them to engage in fruitful conversation. Plant seeds.

[Auntie Bush]

10. What confounds me is if we have the big majority of women, Black, Latino, youth &

poor...Why is the election so close? We should be knocking their socks off! Why are we only 4 points ahead? Are politicians and journalists deliberately fudging the polling numbers so they can screw up the election like they did in FL and OH?
Who's next?

[Booster]

12. I think they will steal the election, but I don't think Mr. Obama will roll over like Gore did. The

fact that Rmoney has 0% of the black voters tells me they will attempt to steal it. If that happens I think there will be a full-blown revolt.

[NYC Liberal]

26. Hang on:

I don't think it's fair to say Gore "rolled over". He fought it all the way to the Supreme Court. A lot of Dems didn't have his back. Not one single Dem in the Senate would sign on to the objection at the electoral vote certification. Are there things he could have done better? Maybe. But it's not fair to say he rolled over.

But, I agree with you that this time will be different because we not had that stolen election in 2000, but also because the man who got in because of it was so horrible. If Bush had just been an average, mediocre president then people might be more complacent. That eight-year disaster will, hopefully, get people to fight if need be.

[Booster]

29. Sorry. I take back that Gore rolled over. Dems need to learn how to support their own and if they

don't do it this time, I swear I'm going to start looking for a 3rd party. Dems are their own worst enemy.

[japple]

39. You are right. I remember how folks here at DU were ready to send President

Obama to the cooler because he hadn't accomplished all of his goals within 6 months after his election.

[coalition_unwilling]

76. Gore had conceded before the House-Senate refusal to challenge

the electoral vote came up.

Gore did not roll over, but he did concede. Dems of good faith can disagree about whether Gore should have conceded. (I happen to feel he should not have conceded and should not have accepted the SCOTUS decision, but I'm a radical and can see the other side's point of view.)

[lunasun]

41. take to the streets???? fascists would love that excuse to remove more rights...

and I think the election will be a steal /coup attempt
one way or another
GOTV!!!!

[uponit7771]

14. Don't forget 40% of the white vote, 97% of the black, ~70% Latino, 53% of women...I don't

...understand how it's that close either unless they're counting the traitorous bastard conservative vote twice

[jeff47]

22. Likely voters

Blacks, latinos and youth are much less likely to vote. So dominating those groups doesn't mean an easy election - those groups have to show up at the polls.

Even women are less likely to vote than men. But not by as large a margin.

The polls use the records of what groups actually showed up to vote in order to get closer to what will happen in November.

[WinstonSmith4740]

36. I share your concern.

We all know that the repubs don't have to be ahead on election day, just close. If they're close enough, they can steal it.

That being said, we need to remember that most polling is done on the phone, and a vast majority of that is to land lines. At least that's what I understand. Most young people today don't have land lines...only cells. In fact, I'll be willing to bet that a lot of people in urban areas have dropped their land lines, and just use their cells. That leaves older voters, and rural, both of which tend to lean right. I also think (put 'em on folks, I know you've got them!) the MSM has a vested interest in making the public think the election is going to be "too close to call". If Obama went into mid-September with an 8-10 point lead, and maintained it through to the election, no one would watch anything. There goes the debates, the evening "two minute hate", AKA the news, the right-wing ranting crazies, Mitt flip-flopping, and of course, all references to how cute Paul Ryan is. They'd be forced to report, you know, real news. I don't think they're capable of it.

But, as has been pointed out often here at DU, those SOB's will stop at nothing to put Rmoney into the White House. Democrats better not stay home in a snit this November like they did in 2010. I'm not happy about everything Obama has done, but if he doesn't get re-elected in November, we're royally screwed.

[Atman]

64. It's close because the media wants it close

When was the last time you saw a major election that wasn't a "horse race" and 50/50? It sells ads. No one wants to tune in to a boring rout. The media is just trying to keep it exciting.

Oh, and it provides cover for electronic vote theft. EVERY election has been 50/50 down to the wire since BushCo installed the new machines.

[uponit7771]

13. The LEVEL of lying the GOP is doing to hide their intentions is REALLY high

[Smilo]

15. Great OP - Unfortunately money talks

and the GOPT have so much money at their disposal - just think how many people can be bought from the voting machine manufacturers to the programmers to the hackers to the people manning the polls.

This is what we have to be aware of and guard against.

They are projecting when they shout voter fraud, because they are the ones that have done it and will not hesitate to do it again.

[bec]

16. I remember listening to an interview

with Bill Clinton in 2008 and he predicted this would happen.

[Brother Buzz]

17. I don't disagree

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. And just to complicate matters a bit more,

they might have to move the convention if it looks like the weather will be a problem. The city of Tampa can make that happen if they think it will be too dangerous to have all those people in town during a possible hurricane.

So if on top of everything else their convention gets all disrupted, they aren't likely to get the usual post-convention poll bounce that usually happens after all the speeches and cheers and balloons and shit.

I don't wish a hurricane on Tampa, but it won't break my heart if the city tells the GOPers they have to take their hatefest elsewhere.

[andym]

20. One missing ingredient

The President needs to strongly endorse a plan to return the country to full prosperity, beyond tax cuts for the middle class etc. If he can do that as part of his "forward" campaign he has a chance to win big (and so does the country).

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. Careful. I remember Democrats were confident in 2000 and 2004. Didn't work out. nt

[Ezlivin]

27. Election Fraud - Voter ID

They may already have won the election.

Our corrupt system makes it impossible to know how people truly voted.

Sigh.

[Doctor_J]

75. In both cases the elections were stolen, but the treason has gotten worse

[Jessy169]

23. Why 90 million Americans won't vote in November

They could turn a too-close-to-call race into a landslide for President Obama — but by definition they probably won't.

Why do people sit on their butts and not vote when their own self-interests and those of their loved ones are at stake?!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-08-15/non-voters-obama-romney/57055184/1

[MrSlayer]

47. Because they don't know what's at stake.

Do you think a working poor person at two or three jobs, nights and weekends, has the time or inclination to be well informed about all this? Any off time they get is spent sleeping or trying to get any recreation in that they can.

And then there are tons of ghetto/trailer park people, uneducated, poor and oblivious to the whole political game. What the hell do they care about this stuff? They're looking desperately for their next meal and couldn't tell you who the VP is let alone who their federal state or local representative is or what is at stake in an election.

And then there are the people, and there are a lot of them, that do not fit into these categories but just don't care. They don't want to be bothered and they feel that all politicians are bad. They have decent jobs that aren't going anywhere and it really doesn't affect them one way or the other who is in office. I have several friends like this. They just don't give a shit.

Add them to the people that do want to vote but are going to be disenfranchised or purged and it's pretty easy to see how what is happening can happen.

[coalition_unwilling]

79. I think branding the Repigs as the party of rape can help counter some of this, at least with

women.

But I share your underlying analysis, especially about the poor and working poor and the morally degenerate (those who 'just don't care').

Republicans = Rape. I'm going to be trumpeting this message everywhere from today through November.

[coalition_unwilling]

77. Republicans = Rape. If that message won't get them to the polls, then no message

will.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

24. No Democrat lately has gotten a majority of the White Male vote...

...and yet they are the ones that the media parade before us for their opinion.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

25. YES!I knew he would be great when the FIRST thing he did as President was lift the Global Gag Rule.

I don't have a teevee, so thank you for this review of how things are going!!

Makes me VERY happy!

[obxhead]

30. A decade?

I would say more like 3 to 4 decades.

It's a wonderful sight isn't it.

[truebluegreen]

31. Um, Unity?

It's very nice that the Thugs are in disarray, but it would be even better if the administration's message and intent was actually, you know, DEMOCRATIC.

Not Clintonesque, or Obamaesque, DEMOCRATIC. Enough talk about Deficit Reduction being our highest priority, and how more Free Trade deals will grow the economy.

[spanone]

34. unlimited money could buy the election in spite of their chaos

[patrice]

35. Chaos in the Republican Party makes the Tea Party that is amongst them even stronger, because

the Tea Party is not in chaos and it's racist culture will endure anything for their goals, so Tea Party Republicans are the ones who will make stealing the vote and vote oppression in general possible and, then, because of that service to the Republican party in general, the Tea Party will be even stronger in 2013 and beyond, no matter what happens in November this year.

[George II]

37. Almost every day I see something I haven't seen in over a decade........

....it would be nice if you gave us a hint in your subject line.

The rest of your post goes unread, thanks!

[From The Ashes]

42. Oh please...

Maybe the OP could have put the whole message in the subject line, and then you would have had your 'hint'.

And for that you'll leave the rest of the post unread? Your loss, I guess.

[VOX]

61. Don't be a weinie.

Hope you didn't' injure yourself by having to click on the OP's post and read the content. Public scolding, (especially among the like-minded individuals
here) is quite uncool.

[randome]

38. The GOP is self-destructing. Isn't it beautiful?

We have a perfect storm of opportunity. While the GOP is fighting the Tea Party, we have an intelligent, charismatic President as head of the Democratic Party.

The momentum of gay rights is now unstoppable.

This is the start of a new Progressive era.

It's still going to take time and effort but we have the upper hand.

[MrSlayer]

46. And yet, they're winning.

They'll keep the house and probably win the Senate. Four more years of gridlock and misery. Yay!

We just do not live in a smart society.

[Honeycombe8]

49. Good observation. This IS different, isn't it? Feels good, doesn't it? nt

[Speck Tater]

51. It would be nice if the Republican rank and file noticed.

Or cared.

They'll just vote the party line anyway, and never even notice that their party is falling apart. I have a dearly loved relative who is a Republican and doesn't have a clue that anything out of the ordinary is happening in her party.

[iamthebandfanman]

56. I agreed they are

definitely not as organised as they usually are..

but,
i dont think we are putting up as big of a fight for seats in congress as we probably should be..
which is really going to bite us in the ass if we have to deal with another 2-4 years of a do nothing congress..

plus, the crap ton of money they have will help to make up for any chaos they are going through, unfortunately..
i really feel good about the presidency at this point,
but again.. without a house to bring him the bills we want... we are still kinda screwed.

republicans always sink the economy when they control both houses.
they did from 1919-until 1933 and we know how that turned out..
then 1995 - 2007 (with 2 years at a 'tie' , but VP breaks tie)..
and you see what happened..
it should be a priority to take one of the houses..and i think it should be the lower house (the senate is useless apparently unless u can get 60 votes..)

[upi402]

57. been 2 years

Michael Steele and the W Hollywood voyeur club scandal

2010 was a very interesting year. This one's shaping up to be a repeat...

[Cha]

58. Yeah, baby..it's a great feeling

to be on a team so strong and smart as PObama's and supporters' against a neverending tsunami of money, lies, and hate.

You'd think with all that money they could pay someone to come up with better lies than that sludge mitt romney spews on his trail of tears. And, those stupid lies in the ads are so atrocious and blatant that even corporatemedia is calling out his freakshow ass.

[tavalon]

59. I'm also seeing, in the sinking of the Titanic, also known as the current version of Republicans

While I have some problems with Obama the President, I have no problems with Obama the candidate. Heck, he's even better at it this time around. He has Rope a Dope down to a fine art.

[boomerbust]

63. This is what I've seen over the last 12 yrs.

The biggest enemy of the Democratic Party has been The Democratic Party.
They have moved steadily to the right. All the real liberals are gone. Weiner,Kennedy, Feingold. The only true liberal left is a card carrying member of the Socialist Party, Bernie Sanders.

[Ian_rd]

66. And yet Obama is only up by 1.5 points according to RCP average

The GOP is better at politics. Even with no coherent, sellable message, they have tangible advantages that could put that ass-clown in the White House: An unthinking and obedient voting bloc, honed skills at turning most of the media into their echo chamber, dirty tricks, a new age of Jim Crow laws, and this year - money, money, money, money. Rove, Romney and all the other SuperPACs are going to spend so much money lying about Obama this Fall that the entire Mainstream Media couldn't set the record straight, even if they all of a sudden remembered that it was their job. And Obama won't have the war chest to do it either.

You might consider their welfare ads as a test run to find out the costs vs. the benefits of the Big Lie. How many people hear the Big Lie? How many people find out that it was incorrect? Is there a net-positive result in polls?

Despite the cringe-worthy weakness of Romney as a candidate, this will be an uphill battle every single day.