Winner Take All: The Leader As We Head Towards The Back Nine and the Homestretch

'The Note' [ABC News] ^ | August 11, 2004 | Mark Halperin et al

[quidnunc]

Today, The Note gets all serious and macro.

It is our most fundamental job to regularly tell you three things:

1. where the presidential race stands

2. that where the race stands now is only a snapshot

3. that things can change

And/but the reality is — as amazing as this seems — this is now John Kerry's contest to lose.

Forget the hemorrhaging of manufacturing jobs (and Team Bush's inability — so far — to enunciate a second-term jobs/growth agenda or find a compelling Rubinesque spokesperson on the economy).

Forget the fact that that we still can't find a single American who voted for Al Gore in 2000 who is planning to vote for George Bush in 2004. (If you are that elusive figure, e-mail us and tell us who you are and why: politicalunit@abcnews.com.)

Forget the fact that California, New York, Illinois, and New Jersey (sorry, Matthew) aren't in play and never were.

Forget the latest polling out of Ohio (and perhaps Florida … .).

Forget the extraordinary anti-Bush energy that exists on the left and the "how-do-we-whip-our-folks-up?" dilemma that exists on the right.

Forget the various signs that the Democratic challenger is playing in battleground areas for the middle and the president seems geographically and issues-wise to be still shoring up the base.

-snip-

[flashbunny]

the note is nothing but drudge wannabees.

[No_Outcome_But_Victory]

this is now John Kerry's contest to lose.

Lose faster and more quietly. Lose you will, toiletman! In spite of your acolytes in the commie press saying otherwise.

[ken5050]

this is the current talking point..all a riff on Sabato's comments a few days ago..

[KC_Conspirator]

Forget the fact that that we still can't find a single American who voted for Al Gore in 2000 who is planning to vote for George Bush in 2004.

Ed Koch, moron.

If this city liberal is voting for Bush, I can guarantee that more in middle America are going to.

[Luke21]

This is baaaaad.

[1Old Pro]

the note is nothing but drudge wannabees.

Biased ABC news rewritten for internet consumption....imposters.

[bobo1]

Typical 'rat media brown-nozed reporting.

But even with all the media help, they have left an "out" for themselves, "Kerry lost it himself".

They are correct. It is Kerry's race to lose, which he will, but it won't be the fault of the media lapdogs. They are doing everything in their power to help him win.

Blessings, Bobo

[bayourod]

All those authors writing about all those issues and there wasn't one single mention of Kerry being a Viet Nam war hero. Is the Viet Nam war finally over?

[LS]

Gary Sinese? Ron Silver? Zell Miller?

[EQAndyBuzz]

Well at least I finally figured out where all the displaced Tass reporters ended up.

[TNCMAXQ]

Radio guy Phil Hendrie, a true patriot, is a self described liberal Democrat who voted for Clinton and Gore but says he will vote for BUSH this time. Phil is 1000% in favor of the Iraq war and the war on terror. :)

[KC_Conspirator]

Exactly.

I am getting a little edgy now that many polls are showing Kerry going ahead on the national level and in some swing states. After that flop of a convention, I was pretty confident that things were turning out alright. Now in August, which is historically the GOP worst polling month due to Republicans being on vacation or taking their kids to college, I hoped that Bush could keep things close until the convention, but it may not be that way. Should I be worried some 80+ days until the election.

[flashbunny]

daily polling is an abomination during summer.

We've had one convention and no repub convetion - normally there were two conventions already. That will skew polls. There have been no debates. There has been a mass of 527 advertising and very little RNC advertising.

For those sweating this, remember the lib press mantra last year "people don't start paying attention until after labor day". . But now that bush / kerry are neck and neck, they want to make it seem like mid summer polling is indicative of voter turnout on november 2nd.

[Sisku Hanne]

Forget the fact that that we still can't find a single American who voted for Al Gore in 2000 who is planning to vote for George Bush in 2004. (If you are that elusive figure, e-mail us and tell us who you are and why: politicalunit@abcnews.com.)

Ahem.
And I know several others.
Maybe, like me, they aren't watching your crappy network.

[SunkenCiv]

two later, duplicate threads:

Winner Take All (or this is now John Kerry's contest to lose)
The Note. ^ | Aug. 11, 2004 | Mark Halperin, Marc Ambinder, Lisa Todorovich, Karen Travers, David Chalian, Brooke Brower, Mary Hoo
Posted on 08/11/2004 10:02:05 AM PDT by COURAGE
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1189519/posts

ABC News continues cheerleading for Ketchup Boy (Their slip is showing!)
Ramblings' Journal ^ | 8.11.04 | Michael King
Posted on 08/11/2004 10:30:17 AM PDT by mhking
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1189547/posts

Here's where their claim comes from:

RealClear Politics - Polls
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/bush_vs_kerry.html

Considering they quote Rush on that "notebook", one would think they'd be more widely read:

Democrats for Bush
http://democratsforbush.blogspot.com/

The Kerry Spot on National Review Online
http://www.nationalreview.com/kerry/waffles.asp