Maybe Democrats need to calm down

[mlevans]

An article by Gary Younge in yesterday's Guardian online suggests that American Democrats ought to stop flying into a panic every time another of these national polls indicate the McCain/Palin ticket has picked up a bit of a lead over Obama/Biden. Following is some of the rationale the reporter uses to back up his assertions.

We ought to give some thought to the fact that just because the majority of our fellow travelers think the country is headed in the wrong direction doesn't mean they all agree on the direction it should be headed. This race was never going to be a landslide, despite a strong sense of voter dissatisfaction over the policies of the last 8 years and the party primarily responsible for them.

We need to consider that Obama tends to be a late finisher. Six weeks prior to the Iowa caucuses, he trailed Hilary Clinton by 6%. He was down by 19% and 14% in New Hampshire and South Carolina respectively. We know how those races turned out.

The main thing though, according to the article, is that our electoral college system gives an advantage to Obama. He leads McCain in all of the states that Kerry won in 2004, and has commanding leads over McCain in Iowa and New Mexico. That represents 12 of the 18 electoral votes needed to make Barack Obama our next president. Two more states, Michigan and New Hampshire, bring the total to 21; Obama leads in both of them, but it's pretty tight. Obama also leads narrowly in 4 of the 8 states won by Bush in '04. McCain leads in 3 of them and Virginia is basically neck-and-neck.

It's obviously not going to be a cake-walk. However, if any party ought to be antsy right now, I think it is the GOP. What else is the selection of Sarah Mooselini, Princess of Pork, besides a move born of desperation?

To read the rest of the article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/09/uselections2008.usa

[Vincardog]

1. Maybe Democrats need to get real pissed off and make sure it is a landslide

we need a filibuster proof majority in both houses and then we can send the NeoConvicts and the radical Reich into the ash bin of history where they deserve to fester and rot with all the other failures.

[Name removed]

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[maxpip]

2. Democrats Divided Again?

I am pleased to see that Obama is putting piss and vinegar into his responses to GOP 'swift boaters' (I repeat that word, but would like to know what it actually means or refers to) and I hope he and his campaign continue to swat down the GOP SWAT teams as we go along.

It's hard to see what is really happening with all the accusations, mud-slinging and polls being flung around, and I did write the following before logging in here today which was my perception of what seemed to be happening; but I feel much calmer as I see the optimism here - thank you:

"The Republicans continue to do what they are experts at doing: trying to divide the Democratic party. After a rousing DNC (and for once, we thought Dems were on the same page, regardless of who won the primary), it seems we have split into factions and the Repubs use it to their advantage.....for instance:

- playing the woman card so that some Hillary supporters (only a few I'm sure who weren't much support after all) have divided women, because a right wing extremist, who happens to be a woman, was paraded out by the RNC. This includes playing the anti-choice, choice card....otherwise known as the abortion issue.

- using the term socialist as a negative button pusher, calling people with a social conscience, socialists to imply 'Communism'. This by fascists who desire to put their noses in your bedrooms and bodies.

- twisting the half-truths of the economic crisis. Who else but Republicans could drive America into the ground with billions of dollars worth of debt; then without blinking an eye or taking responsibility turn around and use it for their own platform - the economy is hurting DUH! This is like Cheney shooting his friend in the face and blaming the pheasant because well...if I wasn't hunting the pheasant, I wouldn't have pulled the trigger...which hit you in the face.

and on and on.

I'm not particularly an Obama fan, but I intend to vote for him because I know in my bones that another eight years of Republican extremism (and I don't believe for a moment that McCain is a maverick or a moderate) is bad for my country, not only in terms of the economy, but because they will turn back the clock on all the hard work done by environmentalists, people who have worked for humane policies toward animals; social justice; fairness and equal opportunity for all; the availability of safe and legal abortion and birth control; a 'sane' energy policy, and you know all the rest of which I speak.

Republican hypocrisy is overwhelming. They want to privatize profits but socialize losses. They think they can fight religious extremism in the Middle East while electing a religious extremist in the West. When they point a finger at someone, there are four pointing back at them.

They call it the liberal media to throw Americans off, when we can see for ourselves how slanted the right wing global corporate media is toward the GOP when their poster boys/girls are in danger of losing.

For those who have seen Lord of the Rings, I feel as if Frodo failed and now McCain/Palin have the ring. Palin is the Republican party's precious.....ssss.. and they ain't giving up the ring.

So, ladies and gentlemen....if Obama can't pull this off...it's not all his fault (although he may be too nice to have withstood the poisoned arrows of the Republican Party), it is ours....for giving in to the extremes of the GOP and letting them divide us once again - even after Obama's inspiration in Denver.

And the shame of it is, that there are over 11 million more registered Democrats than Republicans and if every one of us gets out there and votes for Obama, we will not be having this conversation after November 4th.

[Tutankhamun]

3. The 800 pound gorilla in the room is, of course, election theft.

That's the real problem for Democrats. A close race goes to the Republicons.

Please let the scandal rumors be true. Better yet, maybe McCain will do a paid endorsement for Aricept. C'mon John! Think of the money!

[drlefty]

5. Obama will Crush McLame

No one should be worried. The media's lifeblood is ratings because of that they will skew the polls to show a razor tight election when we all should know that is balderdash. All one has to do is look at the huge advantage we Democrats have picked up in voter registration numbers all across the country. Nothing can stop us now!