Posted on 02/18/2004 10:05:05 PM PST by RWR8189
They ask: "Did you vote in the last election?" "Do you intend to vote in the next General Election?" This is one of the ways they determine who is a "likely voter." A respondent just self-identifying as a "likely voter" is too easy to give false positives.
No question that the GGGA issues will be important with some segments of the population. Jobs and the economy will likely have a broader appeal. Bush and the Republicans need to find a way to blunt the Rat attacks on this front. In places like Kucinich country and a few others, the salient issue will be, as always, "free money from da gummint", and there isn't much we can do in terms of rational debate to reach people who hold that as their central value.
I was having a discussion the other day with some women from my parish about the abortion thing. There seems to be a continuing disconnect between practicing Catholics who claim to adhere to the teachings of the church, and their support of political leaders who push a pro-abortion agenda. Both of these ladies are smart and highly educated (one is a Ph.D. in theology from Loyola). We were talking about the political issue of abortion and I mentioned that the Rat candidates all support unlimited abortion on demand, while Republicans generally take a pro-life position. The one lady then stated something like, "Well, yes, but that really isn't too important for a President, because it's the Supreme Court that interprets the law in those cases." Then I pointed out, "Yes, and who gets to decide who sits on the Supreme Court?" She thought a minute, and then said, "Well, I think the Senate votes on nominees made by...", and then, with seemingly dawning astonishment, said, "...the President...". It was like, bingo, the light came on.
I really find it amazing that I have to teach supposedly educated people things that I can remember learning in high school government classes.
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