Disenchanted Bush Voters Consider Crossing Over (Independent joins GOP in just two weeks time!)

NY Times ^ | 2.22.04

[ambrose]

Disenchanted Bush Voters Consider Crossing Over By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

Published: February 22, 2004

BEACHWOOD, Ohio - In the 2000 presidential election, Bill Flanagan a semiretired newspaper worker, happily voted for George W. Bush. But now, shaking his head, he vows, "Never again."

"The combination of lies and boys coming home in body bags is just too awful," Mr. Flanagan said, drinking coffee and reading newspapers at the local mall. "I could vote for Kerry. I could vote for any Democrat unless he's a real dummy."

Mr. Flanagan is hardly alone, even though polls show that the overwhelming majority of Republicans who supported Mr. Bush in 2000 will do so again in November. In dozens of random interviews around the country, independents and Republicans who said they voted for Mr. Bush in 2000 say they intend to vote for the Democratic presidential candidate this year. Some polls are beginning to bolster the idea of those kind of stirrings among Republicans and independents.

That could change, of course, once the Bush campaign begins pumping millions of dollars into advertising and making the case for his re-election.

But even as Democratic and Republican strategists and pollsters warned that a shift could be transitory, they also said it could prove to be extraordinarily consequential in a year when each side is focused on turning out its most loyal voters.

"The strong Republicans are with him," a senior aide to Senator John Kerry said of Mr. Bush. "But there are independent-minded Republicans among whom he is having serious problems."

"With the nation so polarized," he added, "the defections of a few can make a big difference."

In the interviews, many of those potential "crossover" voters said they supported the invasion of Iraq but had come to see the continuing involvement there as too costly and without clear objectives.

Many also said they believed that the Bush administration had not been honest about its reasons for invading Iraq and were concerned about the failure to find unconventional weapons. Some of these people described themselves as fiscal conservatives who were alarmed by deficit spending, combined with job losses at home. Many are shocked to find themselves switching sides.

While sharing a sandwich at the stylish Beachwood Mall in this Cleveland suburb, one older couple ? a judge and a teacher ? reluctantly divulged their secret: though they are stalwarts in the local Republican Party, they are planning to vote Democratic this year.

"I feel like a complete traitor, and if you'd asked me four months ago, the answer would have been different," said the judge, after assurances of anonymity. "But we are really disgusted. It's the lies, the war, the economy. We have very good friends who are staunch Republicans, who don't even want to hear the name George Bush anymore."

In 2000, Mr. Bush won here in Ohio with 50 percent of the popular vote, as against 46.5 percent for Al Gore.

George Meagher, a Republican who founded and now runs the American Military Museum in Charleston, S.C., said he threw his "heart and soul" into the Bush campaign four years ago. He organized veterans to attend campaign events, including the campaign's kickoff speech at the Citadel. He even has photographs of himself and his wife with Mr. Bush.

"Given the outcome and how dissatisfied I am with the administration, it's hard to think about now," he said. "People like me, we're all choking a bit at not supporting the president. But when I think about 500 people killed and what we've done to Iraq. And what we've done to our country. I mean, we're already $2 trillion in debt again."

A nationwide CBS News poll released Feb. 16 found that 11 percent of people who voted for Mr. Bush in 2000 now say they will vote for the Democratic candidate this fall. But there was some falloff among those who voted against him as well. Five percent of people who said they voted for Mr. Gore in 2000 say this time they will back Mr. Bush.

On individual issues, the poll found some discontent among Republicans but substantial discontent among independents. For instance, on handling the nation's economy, 19 percent of Republicans and 56 percent of independents said they disapproved of the job Mr. Bush was doing.

"As the president's job rating has fallen, his Democratic supporters have pulled away first, then the independents and now we're starting to see a bit of erosion among the Republicans, who used to support him pretty unanimously," said Evans Witt, the chief executive of Princeton Survey Research Associates. "If 10 to 15 percent of Republicans do not support him anymore, that is not trivial for Bush's re-election."

But Matthew Dowd, the Bush campaign's chief strategist, suggested that no one in the White House was worried about Mr. Bush's losing much of his base. He said polls continued to show that the president was enjoying the support of 90 percent of Republicans.

Many of those interviewed said that they had experienced a growing disenchantment with the conflict in Iraq over many months, but that only recently had they decided to change their votes.

A number said they had been deeply disturbed by recent statements of David A. Kay, the former United Nations weapons inspector, who said he was skeptical about administration claims that Iraq possessed unconventional weapons.

"The lack of evidence on Iraq has really hurt him, and the economy here is bad ? there's a lot of unemployment in the mills," said Phyllis Pierce, who is in the steel business in Cleveland and recently decided not to vote for Mr. Bush again.

John Scarnado, a sales manager from Austin, Tex., who voted for Mr. Bush in 2000, said he would vote for Mr. Kerry if the senator won the Democratic nomination.

"I'm upset about Iraq and the vice president and his affiliation with Halliburton," said Mr. Scarnado, a registered Republican who said that he had not always voted along party lines. "I think the Bush administration is coming out to look like old boy politics, and I don't have a good feel about that."

Many of those wavering in their loyalty to Mr. Bush were middle-class voters who said that his tax relief programs had disproportionately helped the wealthy.

"I voted for him, but it seems like he's just taking care of his rich buddies now," said Mike Cross, a farmer from Londonderry, N.H., adding, "I'm not a great fan of John Kerry, but I've had enough of President Bush."

[Ciexyz]

The guy in the article is spouting Iraq, Iraq, lies, lies -- all Demopuke talking points. Not a true Republican! This is a BOGUS interview.

[Rokke]

Did you buy your helicopter yet?

[raloxk]

Hey Best President Reagan:

Are you aware that in 1983 he signed the largest tax increase in american history? Are you also aware he legalized abortion in Califoria in 1967 and gave amnesty to illegal immigrants in 1986? He was a huge huge supporter of government subsidzed retirement programs long after he switched parties to the GOP

there was a good article about conservatives and a hilucination they have called "Ideal Reagan" who never actually existed.

[Keyes2000mt]

What's our exit strategy to get out of CA?

Get California out of the US? I could go for that. Let Mexico have 'em. :)

[finnman69]

February 21, 2004

AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY THE NEW YORK TIMES HAS CREDIBILITY ISSUES? Compare this quote from the Times a couple of weeks ago:

"I don't think I could vote for George Bush again when I think of the 500 people killed in Iraq and what's happened to the economy in this country," said George Meagher, an independent, who runs the American Military Museum in Charleston and said he now favors Mr. Kerry.

with this quote from today:

George Meagher, a Republican who founded and now runs the American Military Museum in Charleston, S.C., said he threw his "heart and soul" into the Bush campaign four years ago. . . . "People like me, we're all choking a bit at not supporting the president. But when I think about 500 people killed and what we've done to Iraq."

This looks suspiciously like the same quote, recycled and relabeled. But thanks to the Internet, we can fact-check your ass. (Originally spotted here, with what I think is an appropriate comment: "Shame on the NYTimes....but then, it says alot that they have to keep interviewing the same guy over and over for different stories, to gather the right soundbite.") Or, more likely, recycling the original quote in a different story.

And as for relabeling the source guy from "independent" to "Republican" to fit the slant of the story, well, that's pretty lame -- especially as the stories are by the same reporter.

posted at 09:02 PM by Glenn Reynolds

[Dec31,1999]

You know what's a shame? It's a shame that Freepers have NOT YET figured out a way to COMPETE in the media. Apparently, Fox News is not doing the trick. It is going to take more work, more commitment and more dollars. Let's all $hit or get off the pot, because not as many are reading this website anymore. We've become fairly less of an influence on national politics than a few years before.

With the media onslaught against our incrementalist, even tried and true Conservatives are falling for the lies.

Vote for Bush!

[stands2reason]

Isn't it odd that an article about Bush losing his base doesn't even mention the word "immigration"?

[pfflier]

"I could vote for Kerry. I could vote for any Democrat unless he's a real dummy."

Ergo, he can't vote for Kerry

[stands2reason]

I highly doubt these are actual Republicans they're talking to.

How can you say that? Didn't they all mention Bush's amnesty plan, the prescription drug plan, and gov't spending?
Oh, nevermind... ;-)

[eddie willers]

You want to send a message?.

These guys sent a message...

and the "lesser" of two evils is needed NOW to go against real evil.

[Action-America]

The rest of us will be out doing our part to stop Al Qaeda in spite of you.

What has that to do with the many problems that Dubya has created for us right here at home? ANY conservative would have done the same job in Afghanistan and Iraq, that Dubya has done. But, REAL conservatives would not be opening our borders (which, by the way, has the potential for allowing Al-Qaida operatives to pass), increasing spending, increasing the size and power of the federal government or violating the provisions of the Constitution, as Dubya has done and continues to do.

Right now, I would be glad to vote for ANY conservative. Unfortunately, Dubya doesn't even come close to qualifying on that criteria.

"Compassionate Conservatism" is just a code phrase for "LIBERAL".

 

[Frank_2001]

Good points!

[F16Fighter]

What an absolutely bogus "sampling" of supposed malcontented Dubya supporters.

Nearly ALL of these phonies complain about "body-bags"?? And not ONE person complained about the lousy immigration situation?? Who's buying this RAT infested story?

[Action-America]

Did you buy your helicopter yet?

No. My goal is to be able to place the order some time before 12/31/04. At this time, I think that I am still on track for that date. The one that I am leaning toward is the Bell 4XX series, like the one that you see Trump in, at the start of "The Apprentice", each week. Fast. Quiet. Smooth. Long-Range. Dependable (for a helicopter).

 

[stands2reason]

...and I bet you are communicating with someone who thinks he's a "true" conservative.

"I want the government to stay OUT OF MY BUSINESS, right after it gets me a good job with benefits."

[Rokke]

Boy that sounds great. Sounds like Dubya is really cramping your style.

[chmst]

ping

[NYCVirago]

Great research, ambrose. One other thing I noticed:

In dozens of random interviews around the country, independents and Republicans who said they voted for Mr. Bush in 2000 say they intend to vote for the Democratic presidential candidate this year. Some polls are beginning to bolster the idea of those kind of stirrings among Republicans and independents.

How "random" is it to quote twice in three weeks the same person with an axe to grind against Bush?

[Qwinn]

""The strong Republicans are with him," a senior aide to Senator John Kerry said of Mr. Bush. "But there are independent-minded Republicans among whom he is having serious problems."

We're fine, folks. If this is the kind of moron Kerry gets to be a senior aide, when the fact is that he got everything in his sentence exactly -backwards-, Bush will win in a landslide.

Qwinn

[reformedliberal]

I cannot wait to see if they even report the VVAJK and the Vietnamese Human Rights groups protest of Kerry at the NY primary.

Every vet I know hates Kerry and thinks he is a phony