Standing in Mud
The cliche. The cliche. The cliche. “Fasten your seatbelt… Bumpy ride.” and all of that.
After the results come flying in on November 2, it’s going to look as though the election really could not have gone any other way, as though nothing either candidate could do could have possibly competed against historical and political factors making up the landscape.
The last poll I heard: Bush 49%, Kerry 49%. The magic demarcor for this election, and for the incumbant — the number he needs to poll above in the last polls to probably win, looks to be 49%…
What we know is this.
George W Bush is running against Ted Kennedy. You saw that in the final debate when he made a Fruedian slip, and referred to John Kerry as Ted Kennedy. Flip-flopper has faded into the past. “Liberal” is in. I suspect that Bush Campaign may be confusing the map with the terrain here, and the Bush campaign themes may not be looking like 1988 and become instead 1992, with (ahem) My dog Millie knows more about foreign policy than these two bozos. and You know why I call him Ozone Man?” Bush said. “This guy is so far out in the environmental extreme, we’ll be up to our neck in owls and outta work for every American. He is way out, far out, man.
What’s the message? Elect an out of step Liberal, and the next thing you know the nation will be facing a historically huge budget deficit??
Every comparision with this election that my mind imagines right now comes back to the three Bush elections of 88, 92, and 2000. 1980 vaguely echoes, but we’d need, at the very least, Tom DeLay to lose to Richard Morrison to be able to make such a comparision with what looks at best like a middle – range large Kerry victory, not a landslide… 1992 in scope.
The two possible sleeper issues … gay marriage, on the ballot in various states, and The Draft. One would usher Bush into power, the other would usher Kerry into power.
As per that, the massive voting registration has been comleted, and not fully tabulated. Democrats have a coalition of Bush-detractors and the previously apathetic. Republicans have a massive pew-drive.
As per the massive voting suppression drive… I have no comment.
The Rove – designed trick: Sinclair Broadcasting and Stolen Honor and Carlton Sherwood. (It’s called a google bomb.) For the sake of the underemployed Ohio guy that’s supposedly going to decide the election, who don’t like traitors.
But then again… we may be in the Land of Diminishing Returns on that route. The big splash that was the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is done. The shock has been absorbed. After all, the president is insisting the he go to community college.
No idea what else Rove has.
Something is going to break shortly.
Oregonians: vote NOW! Put that ballot in the ballot box immediately. The parties will be able to keep tabs on the number of Dems, Republicans, and Independents who have cast their ballot, and will be able to plot the three week voting drive accordingly as they go along. High Democratic turnout early is a morale boost to bust out every last registered D-leaning voter they can find.