Uh, John? About that cite? Doesn’t seem to say what you seem to suggest it says. Got a whole list on the right hand side, who’s ahead by how much, you know. Simple stuff, “D” for Democrats, “R” for Republicans. Or so I assume, since there aren’t any "R"s so listed. So where, perzactly, you getting this “50/50” stuff?
Yes, and the latest poll is 48/48. The second column in the left-hand side gives the dates of the polls.
Just pointing out that we shouldn’t get complacent. Things looked good for the Dems a few weeks ago, but the trend is turning back towards the Pubs (or back to where the two parties are more at parity) of late. At any rate, the Dems aren’t counting on you as part of their PR effort, so I’m not really talking about your position. I understand where you’re coming from, and you’d be really good at rallying the base. But in this thread one of the things we’re talking about is how to presuade folks who generally vote Pubbie to vote Dem. I think **Renob **made some important points, that’s all.
One of us is very confused. I’ve almost undoubtedly taken a lot more psychoactive chemicals than you have, so maybe its me. Walk me through this, now.
On the left, a list of various polls. Taken at various dates. The poll most expected to have a right bias would be Fox, no? Which has Dems up by 3. The major news outlet polls for roughly the same time have Dems leading anywhere from 8 to 12 points.
And this just in? A tidal wave type shift in public opinion, in a matter of days? Based on what dramatic event, one wonders. Whats that word? Ah, yes, “outlier”.
Whatever. We’ll see.
Not uneasy for me at all. I’m on the libertarian wing of the RP. I’ve been reading right wing blogs for about five years and a week now, and I just haven’t seen that much to be scared about. No doubt there are disagreements about things like stem cell research, but no fear of a Christian theocracy ruling my life any time soon. Which brings me to recommendation #1: Get Rosie O’Donnell to STFU. Her recent comment that she fears Christian fundamentalists more than Muslim fundamentalists, and the deafening silence of Dems denouncing the statement, might just be the tipping point that gets me to vote this year.
I may stay home. If you want me to stay home then #2: Convince me that you will protect me and my kids from the Jihadists.
#3 Denounce the bigots in your party as strongly as the Reps denounce the bigots in their party.
#4 Support social security reform as a way fulfill Marx’s dream that someday the workers would own the means of production, one idea I haven’t given up on since my youth.
#5 Stop being so oppositional to GWB every time he says something. I know it hurts you with the voters every time you do it, but I just cringe every time I hear it. I’d risk losing an election to you guys if I could count on you to be more civil.
#6 Last but not least, maybe the only point you’ll agree on: Point out that Reps have been spending like drunken Dems. If I do stay home that will be the reason.
Well and politely said, John. But the other part of the OP “… is convincing people who don’t usually vote to get off of their asses, stop making excuses and do it…” So your call as unofficial thread linesman is in error. Those Republicans who can be reached probably already have been. Of far more moment and substance is motivating the apathetic non-voter, a class of citizen I freely confess to loathe.
I doubt it very seriously.
At the very top of the page is a poll asiking if there was a generic Pubbie and a Generic Dem on the ballot, who would you vote for? The lastest poll shows 48/48, while the earlier polls gave the Dems a distinct advantage. Maybe it’s a blip, but it’s not just this poll. Bush’s job approval is up and the most recent poll shows that a (slight) majority of Americans think it was right to go into Iraq. Here’s the USATODAY article. Note the need to court Pubbies who were straying before, but are “coming back to the fold”:
Not all war sucks. Lots of wars are fought for legitimate defensive purposes. Just wars. Of defense.
By contrast there is the other sort: Generally called “wars of aggression”. Now while Olympic personalities might be entirely sanguine about all the rape, rapacity and bloodshed, some mortal people feel this falls pretty squarely into the box of conduct marked “evil”. See further - your favourite dictator.
So you see the problem, while to some, Bush handing out licences to torture, rape and murder, presents a bit of a moral dilemma, it doesn’t draw any fire from other quarters whose morality accommodates.
Likewise, Bush’s vision to fix America has these consistent qualties, of:
1 - appealing to the worst of the American personality; and
2 - not in fact working.
So while there’s an arguable decorum in restraint from “evil”, what else is there? An appeal to the nicer people?
You know what is the Democrats best bet? Pray for rain.
What, on E-Day?! We need high voter turnout!
R’s have similar numbers but less motivation. Rain’ll hit’em harder.
If the same proportion of Republican voters had to walk or bus in the rain to an inner city high school and then wait four hours to vote…electoral massacre.
BTW, there is some evidence that a lot of Pubs, including some prominent officeholders, are so alienated by the far-right wing’s control of the party that they are switching over to the Dems.