It's 2005...we won!...or did we?

[brokensymmetry]

I talk with lots of people, as do many here - and, frankly, * appears to be all but toast in 2004. Senator Kerry is already in a statistical dead heat with him, and the real campaign is not yet begun. The top 5%...even some top 1% types...are crossing over to the ABB camp. Those who still plan to vote for him lack enthusiasm for the choice...and people who used to send big checks to the pugs are now sending zip.

Let's suppose, for the moment, that there isn't a re-selection. The ABB voters swell in numbers. The ABB voters are motivated to vote - as are Democrats and Progressives of every stripe. But the * voters are demoralized and lack enthusiasm for their leader. I truly wonder if they'll even bother to vote.

It isn't surprising they feel this way...the deficit is growing rapidly, and that scares them. * is talking about a large increase in immigration, no change in the rush to globalization, and, recently, has agreed to more funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, and so forth - all of which are anathema to his core constituency.

Has Rove gone mad? I wonder. Is it possible that we're being set up? Suppose that they put on a semblance of a campaign so we all believe that it's real, but engineer things so our candidate, whoever it might be, wins. We're happy, right?

But then, after January 2005, our guy gets in. We probably won't control both houses of Congress - and maybe neither house. And the problems begin to hit - peak oil for one. And catastrophic environmental change for another. And the bills come due for all the spending * is doing right now. Perhaps our new President raises taxes - resulting in a lower stock market and howls of "tax and spend Democrat". Perhaps he cuts spending - and spending cuts are never popular. And there are things that probably can't be helped, such as peak oil and environmental changes.

In 2008, the pugs come in and offer to save us from all this...and the voters give them the whole ball of wax.

So, what do you think? Am I just being paranoid, or is our new President going to face some nearly impossible challenges?

[David Dunham]

1. True, the GOP Congress Will Go After any Dem Pres, just like Clinton

[SoCalDem]

2. Not if he's TOUGH..

A speech before both houses, that is televised could do wonders.. I'll even write it..

[brokensymmetry]

3. The genuine populist approach -

Yes, that could work. It would have to be one of the great speeches in American history, I think - on a par, perhaps, with the Gettysburg Address. A real call to action...

[SoCalDem]

5. I'll get busy writing it

:)

[Beaker]

4. it already seems to me like Bush is looking for the exits-

more money for the NEA?? how obvious does he have to be?

they've accomplished most of their goals in one term, and don't want to stick around for when the shit hits the fan.

they harvested the surplus for rich, and got rid of sadaam- those bushes are nothing if not efficient. the only question that remains is who gets the christmas pardons this time around

[brokensymmetry]

6. (Chuckle) A real Christmas present!

I wonder if our friend Kenny-boy Lay is on Santa's special list?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

7. I often wonder the same thing. I would hate to follow this

gang of theives. take a look at what Carter inhereted, and what happened to him.
Clinton inhereted crap too, but got a second term based on populism and good politics.
Seems to be a cycle, don't it?

[brokensymmetry]

8. Good point.

President Carter is, arguably, one of the most intelligent Presidents we've had - and, I think, one of the most good-hearted - but events resulted in him being trashed.

[patricia92243]

9. I've said many times that I'm so afraid Bush has got in such a mess that

even if we do manage do get a Dem in the WH - that I'm not sure he would be able to straighten it out. That even goes for the good Doctor Dean.

[Fovea]

10. Its 2005

And DeLay is about to face criminal charges over Westar.
Fat Tony is facing impeachment.
We control the Senate
They control the House but Hastert has abandoned
the right.

The ongoing investigations over Cheney/Halliburton/Enron have taken
down the entire Oil Oligarchy. He will go from there to France for trial. Perle, Wolfy, and Rumsfeld
are fighting for their freedom in the Hague. That happened
as soon as President Kucinich signed on to the International Criminal Court.

Kathleen Harris ratted out JEB after they snubbed her for the Fl senate nomination.

Grover Norquist is in jail for his
terrorist ties. He is sharing a cell with John Ashcroft and Rove,
who went down in the Plame investigation.

Sure, they tried to fix up a blanket amnesty deal with the new administration, but then the Saddam Trial got underway, and 20 years of shit hit the fan. It even took Bush Sr. down when the original bait and switch strategy was finally explained in full.

The President has a lot of challenges, but the Republicans have started to clean house, and a new moderate Republican party is building.

Trent Lott has re-formed the Dixiecrat party with Orrin Hatch,Zell Miller, and David Duke.
Thier Motto -- Dixie It's like a whole other dimension.

[brokensymmetry]

11. I like your scenario!

It's much more pleasant than mine!

[LastKnight]

12. seems too perfect... whats the catch? NT

[Fovea]

16. The catch is

we can't do it wearing a tutu.

[Gadave]

13. Overconfidence

Overconfidence is the leading of cause of upsets. When going for the Presidency, we are up against the best of the best of who the Republicans have to offer (not candidates, but strategist and operatives). They are just as talented but probably have less pause in doing unethical things. They will mount a tough defence, make no mistake.

We have a huge hill to climb, unseating a sitting president. Also that sitting President has the largest war chest of any other in history, and has yet to really spend a dime.

As it stands he can outspend all the Democratic candidates combined.

When they turn on the guns, it is going to be brutal. It is going to be long. It is going to be hard. Thats why the Dem candidates better hope the primary is not over on Tuesday. That nominee needs more of a test for the onslaught the Repulicans will unleash.

This is reality. We have an oponent and he needs to be beaten. But we have to respect his ability to defend himself, or we will "misunderestimate" him. That is what happened in 2000. We "misunderestimated" him cause the press played up the candidates gaffs. We forgot the puppetmaster (Rove) was pulling the strings.

Its ok to be optimistic, and we need to believe we can win, or there is not sense in trying. But, don't fall into the trap that matchup polls in January reflect Nov realities. (Let us not forget Dean in December).

Anyway, lets rally, lets fight, and lets realize we are dealing with full grown tigers, not cubs.

[brokensymmetry]

15. True.

I suspect that the campaign will, as you say, be brutal...and yet, if the BFEE is truly Machiavellian, I wonder if they might not engineer a loss, just to leave us holding the bag.

[Beaker]

19. there's also a possible economic perk-

with the $200+ million donated campain warchest, and laws that allow any unspent money to be converted to personal use- he could end up with one helluva nice severence check.

they got what they came for, and if they stay they might have to do some actual work- cleaning up the mess they've made.

[Bertha Venation]

14. DO NOT DISCUSS NO-HITTER IN 7TH INNING.

I can't even read this. See you in November.

[zbdent]

17. Declaring on 1/20/2005 that we won would be the same as

Bush's declaration of victory on 5/1/2003.

Friends, if we knock that sorry piece of shit out of the white house in November, 1/20/2005 will only be the beginning of the war.

Think about it.

Neo-nazis.
NRA.
Pharmaceutical industries.
Tobacco.
The homegrown terrorists, the "militias".

We cannot "just" win the WH. We have to take back Congress, the governorships, and the state Houses and Senates.

How many people believe that Nixon, along with Ford's "pardon", could have sounded the death knell for the Repubs, if it wasn't for the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979?

[brokensymmetry]

18. Too true.

And don't forget about the big corporations that pay their CEO's millions - even tens of millions - as they lay off workers!