It will be a verdict on Bush and it looks bad. Very bad

[struggle4progress]

Armageddon is forecast for the Grand Old Party this November. But political eruptions are inherently unpredictable

Martin Kettle
Wednesday May 31, 2006
The Guardian

... It is important to be clear that what Cook calls the diagnostic indicators of Republican decline extend far beyond the president's own lamentable approval ratings, currently in the low 30s. This is normally the only polling yardstick to attract any notice in Europe. But American politics are more subtle, various and, above all, local than that. Yet here the rot goes much further.

In four polls over the last month, for example, Americans have been asked whether they think the country is, overall, heading in the right or the wrong direction. Normally this is a good general guide to the political health of the incumbent president's party. Yet in each case less than a third of Americans have answered "the right direction", while more than two-thirds have said "wrong track". A volcanologist would say that this is eruption territory.

When American voters are asked whether they approve or disapprove of the job that the Congress (currently Republican-controlled but not the president's puppet) is doing, the result backs this up. Congress approval rates ranged between 23% and 33% in seven recent national polls; disapproval ranged from 52% to 70%. American election lore has it that when Congress's approval rating hits 40%, the ruling party can expect to lose about five seats in the 435-seat House of Representatives. Well, the latest poll has Congressional approval at 27%. "We've got a category four or five hurricane shaping up for November," predicts Thomas Mann at the Brookings Institution. "The question is whether the levees will hold."

Mann reckons that 50 to 60 Republican seats could be in play this time as things stand. Given the extent to which American electoral districting is gerrymandered to favour incumbents, that would amount to a cultural revolution. Clearly the Democrats would be big winners, overturning the current Republican majority of 27. Yet it might be more sensible to see any landslide more as a rejection of the Republicans. It would mark the end of a dozen years of Republican dominance in the House that began with Newt Gingrich's rightwing revolution in 1994. Ironically, though, many of the losses would be among the few remaining Republican moderates ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1786500,00.html

[grytpype]

1. Music to my ears!

[Nostradammit]

2. "Congress (currently Republican-controlled but not the president's puppet)

"

Oh Really?

Yes, they've certainly fought him every step of the way.

:eyes:

[brokensymmetry]

3. Good. Just one house, that's all I ask.

And then, start some hearings.

In truth, I don't want to imbeach the son-of-a-*; no, that's
too quick, too easy. I want to see month after month of
hearings, and I want the stench of the crimes to fill the
nostrils of America and the world.

Let this...whatever...slink away into the cess-pool of
history; despised by the world, held in contempt by the
American electorate, and hated by his own party.

Now that would be justice.

[cliss]

5. Great post,

strong imagery, nice use of adjectives.

I agree!

[katty]

7. me too-take back The House and start the head rolling

[formercia]

11. I love a good roast

or shall we refer to it as a BBQ? :evilgrin:

[glitch]

14. I like the way you think - and write. :) nt

[Hekate]

4. "Yet here the rot goes much further." Indeed. ROFL

The Brits have such a sweet way with words sometimes. I especially like the way that, unlike their American counterparts, they have no particular desire to try to cover up the dirt.

I'm not inclined to count my votes before they're certified, but this kind of article is music to me.

Hekate

[babylonsister]

6. Ah, we can hope! nt

[garybeck]

8. they still own the voting machines.

wake up people. "Armageddon is forecast" is only true when you consider how people will vote. The votes still have to be counted after that and it's being done by private companies with direct ties to the GOP. don't count on any changes, unless we get rid of the machines!

WORK TO GET RID OF THE MACHINES! IT'S THE #1 PRIORITY!

join your local election reform group. you can find a list here:

http://www.solarbus.org/election/links.shtml#stategroups

[DemReadingDU]

9. I don't trust those electronic machines

edit to add: unless we can get some Dems to buy them :)

[pa28]

12. We need to identify and watch those key races very carefully n/t

[garybeck]

16. but is "watching" them enough?

we've watched before, and stood by while it happens right before our eyes, even on video tape (have you seen the films of the long lines in Ohio?)

what do we do when we're watching it and we see that it was stolen? in my eyes, it's the media who squashes the truth and makes us out to conspiracy theorists.

[klook]

15. Thanks for the link! (local election reform groups)

I wasn't aware of the list of local election reform groups on solarbus.org. This is very handy.

And I agree that as long as Republicans own and manipulate the voting apparatus, we'll make very little headway, if any. They've shown us already that they're perfectly willing to steal elections. As long as they're able to do it again, they will.

[Mr_Spock]

10. Not gonna count my chickens, but the Generally Obtuse Party

can't be out of power fast enough for me. Republicans are immoral and corrupt.

[RobertSeattle]

13. Yep - it you want CHANGE, vote Democrat

If you think things are peachy keen, vote how ever you normally do.

[gristy]

17. Democratic

If you want change, vote Democratic.

Thank you. We now return you to your regular programming.

[RobertSeattle]

18. I beg to differ

It is Democratic Party
If refering to a single person, Democrat
If more than one, Democrats.

Vote Democrat! is perfectly OK.

[gristy]

19. Democrat is a noun.

Nouns don't modify verbs.

[yellowcanine]

20. I agree. Only Republicans or people who are impaired grammer-wise

use "Democrat" as an adverb or adjective.

On Edit: I should have said, "Only Republics or people..."

As in, the "Republic" Party.