Facing cavernous deficits among political center, GOP's reliance on base may not be enough this time

[DeepModem Mom]

LAT: Voters in center may get their say
The GOP's reliance on its base may not be enough this time.
By Ronald Brownstein, Times Staff Writer
November 5, 2006

WASHINGTON — In American politics, this might be the year that the center strikes back.

For six years, President Bush and the Republican congressional majority have governed behind a distinctive political strategy that focuses on mobilizing their hard-core supporters with an aggressively conservative agenda, even at the price of straining relations with moderate and independent swing voters.

Indeed, key GOP strategists argue that in this polarized political era, so many Americans have hardened in their loyalty to one of the two major parties that hardly any swing voters still exist.

But this year it appears that reports of the death of the swing voter are premature.

In races in virtually every corner of the country, key Republican House, Senate and gubernatorial candidates are facing imposing, sometimes cavernous deficits in the traditional center of the electorate, among voters who describe themselves as independents and moderates.

If that trend holds through Tuesday, it may not only sweep Democrats into control of one or both chambers of Congress, but could also ignite a debate in Republican ranks over the continuing viability of the base-centered strategy devised by Bush and key advisors such as Karl Rove....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-midterm5nov05,0,5927439.story?track=mostemailedlink

[codjh9]

1. The only way their 'base' will be enough...

Is if 1) there's a 'Diebold miracle', or 2) (doubtful) not many people turn out.

[MikeNearMcChord]

2. Many of the small government conservatives

are saying FU to the GOP, despite the RW begging them to forgive the GOP's sins and this time they will do them right. Also some of those conservatives who wanted to get government off their back, discovered to their horror that Bush was the ultimate big government guy on steroids and that the only back who the gov got off from was the corporations.

[truthisfreedom]

3. could also ignite a debate over rove's strategy? bwahahaha. rove is toast.

toast toast toast.