As Losses Mount, GOP Begins Looking in the Mirror (Special election MS Tues)

[struggle4progress]

By Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 11, 2008; Page A13

... With lots of help from Washington -- including more than $1.3 million in campaign cash and a last-minute visit by Vice President Cheney -- Mississippi Republicans are desperately trying to retain a congressional seat in one of the most reliably conservative districts in the nation ...

... with Wicker appointed to the Senate to fill the seat vacated by Trent Lott, who retired, Republicans are having difficulty unifying behind Greg Davis, the mayor of Southaven, a Memphis suburb in the northwest corner of the 1st District. Davis beat a Republican from the eastern portion of the district in the March primary. That win puts Davis on the ballot in November, whether he wins or loses this week's special election.

Democrat Travis Childers, a court officer in Prentiss County, came within a few hundred votes of outright victory in the first round of special-election balloting April 22, prompting national Republicans to send out an SOS for Tuesday's runoff. Davis, the NRCC and conservative allies have flooded the airwaves with a multimillion-dollar campaign that tries to negatively tie Childers to Pelosi and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) ...

By pouring $2.9 million into the Louisiana and Mississippi special elections, the Democrats have forced the NRCC to spend $1.7 million to defend its territory ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/10/AR2008051002441.html

[ingac70]

1. Ha!

Love it.

[stevedeshazer]

2. My fellow DUers, please be sure to read the entire article. Tasty.

Thanks, struggle4progress, for posting this. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

We're on the verge of an overwhelming victory in November.

Big time.

[Juche]

3. We have to hold it though

We need to make sure we hold the house for decades, not just a temporary holding on of the house.

As for the senate I feel that with the current GOP being as obstructionist and unwilling to compromise as it is, unless we have 57 or more senators nothing will get done.

[stevedeshazer]

4. I think we have a real chance for both

A much larger House majority and yeah, at least 57 Senators.

[lonestarnot]

7. Dedamnlicious! mmmm mmmm m.

:applause: assume the "fetal position." And by all means GET THE FUCK OVER IT. Is that a picture of Davis? He looks like a duphusduffas magee.

[OmahaBlueDog]

5. This is the 50-state strategy paying dividends

By competing everywere, we've forced Republicans to defend seats in places once considered safe.

[Arugula Latte]

6. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but tell me

this guy is NOT a Big Ol' Doofus:

[lonestarnot]

8. OMG Great minds think alike! Look above at my post. LOL

:rofl:

[stevedeshazer]

9. I think I bought a used car from that guy. Or, was it an adjustable rate mortgage?

He looks vaguely familiar, like my local insurance agent or my pastor.

[Arugula Latte]

12. His frat bro's dad gave him a job at his car dealership.

He was pretty persistent about selling you that protective coating, wasn't he?

[Selatius]

10. I fucking love this line in the article.

Tom Davis, who chaired the NRCC for four years, said he doubts the effectiveness of the anti-Obama strategy because of the contrast between the consistently unpopular Bush and the likely Democratic nominee.

"When Bush tries to articulate a vision," Davis said, pausing to choose his words carefully, "he will butcher the Gettysburg Address. Obama, he will make an A&P grocery list sing."

Hilarious.

[stevedeshazer]

11. 'pausing to choose his words carefully'....

That IS beautiful. That line really sticks out.

[Gman]

13. Obama will likely lose 40 states in November

but the Democrats may pick up as many as another 20 seats in the House and maybe up to 5 Senate seats.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. are you series?

(could NOT resist, or RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!)

[Gman]

18. I'm not being a moran

I am series. And this is offical.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

20. LOL. STOP IT, i have hot tea in my mouth.

[struggle4progress]

15. No: Obama's victory is not certain, but our hard work and dedication will make it very likely

[Juche]

17. Obama's grassroots org will pay dividends for a looooong time

According to the young democrats of america, if people vote for the same party 3 elections in a row they tend to stick with that party for live. Starting around 2004 the young started leaning dem. In 2004 we gave a 10-11 pt margin to the dems. In 2006 it was a 22 pt margin. If Obama gets it in 2008 it will be a 30-40 point margin. Young people already make up 1/4 the electorate, and will be 1/3 by the mid of the next decade.

http://www.yda.org/tools/19/youth-statistics

So Obama has a real chance of getting 80 million young people to become committed democrats for life if he can keep young voters interested in the dem party for the next 4-8 years.

Also Obama's hundreds of thousands of grassroots organizers and volunteers will still be there registering voters and campaigning for governors, senators, representatives, city council members and endless other positions.

I sincerely feel if we play our cards right 2006 was just the beginning of the progressive revolution.

[Gman]

19. If he can keep them interested for the next 6 months is the challenge

if history is any indication.

[Juche]

21. I seriously doubt that'll happen

Youth votes have gone more and more progressive over the last 10 years. I read that now youth prefer the dem party by 25 point margins. If it is McCain vs. Obama it'll be closer to 35 point margins.

Young people aren't going anywhere. All we've known politically is crime, corruption, failure, destruction, lie and amoral party loyalty at the expense of the democracy and constitution. The chance to start fixing that isn't something we are going to forget about and go back to Xbox.

[Gman]

23. There'll be the usual 10% turnout

maybe it might push 15% with Obama on the ticket. But by November, the excitement wears off, another school year has started, it's getting colder, other interests distract and they'll forget to vote, be "busy", etc.

[Juche]

24. You are quite the pessimist

A 40 state blowout for John McCain and a 10% turnout in an election year among 18-29 year olds.

http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/Release_Turnout2004.pdf

At least 20.9 million Americans under the age of 30 voted in 2004, an increase of 4.6 million over 2000, and the turnout rate among these voters rose from about 42.3% to 51.6%, a sharp rise of 9.3 percentage points, according to final national exit polls and an early tally of votes cast. Youth voter turnout was especially high in the contested battleground states.




In 2004 18-29 year olds made up 16% of the electorate, in 2008 due to higher turnout and the fact that there are more of us it'll probably be closer to 20%. With 20% of the public voting Obama and democrat by 30-40 point margins that'll really help the dems get elected.


Besides, young people aren't young forever. When those 25 year olds become 45 their turnout will be higher, but their voting trends will be partly based on how they voted at 25. If we can encourage young voters to vote consistently democrat they will lean that direction for life, so an entire generation of people who prefer progressive policy is coming of age.

[Lasher]

16. Oh good, send Lord Vader in. That'll help.

Harris Poll, February 6-10, 2008:

"How would you rate the job Vice President Dick Cheney is doing: excellent, pretty good, only fair, or poor?"

Excellent/Pretty Good 22%
Only Fair/Poor 71%
Not Sure/Refused 7%

http://www.pollingreport.com/C.htm

[fishwax]

22. wow, I'm surprised his numbers are that high

:rofl:

[Lasher]

25. Guess he has a big family. n/t

[happydreams]

26. I didn't think Repugs had a reflection in the mirror.

Bwaaaaaah!:bounce: