How Bad Will It Be? [Fred Barnes]

Weekly Standard ^ | 10/23/2006 | By Fred Barnes

[johnny7]

REPUBLICANS and conservatives, brace yourselves! Strategists and consultants of both parties now believe the House is lost and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi will become speaker. At best, Republicans will cling to control of the Senate by a single seat, two at most. For many election cycles, Republicans have been the boys of October, using paid media and superior campaign skills to make up lost ground and win in November. This year, they were the boys of September, rallying strongly until that fateful day, September 29, when the Mark Foley scandal erupted. October has been a disaster so far. A strong finishing kick for Republicans, minimizing Democratic gains, is possible. They pulled one off brilliantly in President Bush's first midterm election in 2002. But recovery will be harder this time, a lot harder.

The press is fixated on the so-called generic ballot--Do you want a Democratic or Republican Congress?--as an indicator of Republican setbacks on November 7. But that gauge has rarely been predictive. Two others are more reliable: presidential approval and party enthusiasm. And they tell an ominous story for Republicans about the difference between 2002 and 2006.

[Texas_shutterbug]

It would be nice if a week before the election the Republicans ran ads around the country talking abou† Pelosi and Stubby boy, and comparing that to Hastert getting rid of Foley.

All they have to do is have the balls to tell the truth, but I'm with Fred, unless the Republican party grows some, I think the dems will take over.

It's getting easy to be chicken little, when so many chickens are running congress.

[gridlock]

The only thing the 'Rats could do is impeach President Bush. They could never remove him from office, because they could never get 10 Republicans to vote for removal.

It would just be tit-for-tat for the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Stupid petty politics, but immensely damaging to the country, which seems to be the Democrat's strong suit.

Bill Clinton was impeached over criminal conduct. If President Bush is to be impeached, it will be because the Democrats disagree with him on matters of policy.

[veronica]

What the Foley thing does is deny the GOP the votes of the fence-sitters, and the so-called moderates and Independents. Just as when the DUI story hit a few days before the 2000 election. I don't think committed Republicans will stay home, it's the mush-minded who will be swayed.

But...a Dem win now could set us up for gains in 2008, when it really matters, when the WH is up for grabs. Better to lose now, in a mid-term election.

[Caipirabob]

I agree. I don't feel nervous about this at all. Every conservative I know plans to vote rather than embrace "Socialism for all". This election season has been the most disgusting, flagrant, outright display of decietful leftist propaganda since Stalin was stealing candy from children. Sickening.

I've never been more motivated to crush the left. I can't imagine any conservative feeling any different. Destroy them in the election and pop them like pimples when they try to claim "fraud". Looking forward to playing "whack-a-mole" with their empty heads come November 8th.

[ConservativeGreek]

more they tell Republicans that their party is loosing the more Republicans will turn up to vote

Maybe that's the plan?
Seems to be working here.
Republicans are very motivated to vote.

[FreedomNeocon]

Fred is one of the guys from that came that believes fear is the best motivator.

I happen to disagree, but I know where he is coming from.

[bimbo]

September 29, when the Mark Foley scandal erupted.

If Foley had switched parties instead of resigning, he could have kept his seat in the House and could have even had som help chasing pages. Pelosi would have issued the "Gay Bashing" notice to the media, and the " scandal" would have disappeared.

[FightThePower!]

Maybe next time the Republicans get in power with both houses and the White House they will do more to take advantage of it. The house and senate did nothing to support Bush and deserve to get thrown out of office.

[ripley]

i am going to vote early and often.....but.....they voted billy boy and his familiar into office twice......why should they be any different now? if they love democrats, they'll have democrats. (i hope they choke on them..)

[johnny7]

They are traditional, checkered-pants Republicans... younger versions of Bob Novack.

[KenmcG414]

That's one thing the RATS over over us, the will to fight no matter what the odds(political matters only). Unfortunately the GOP consists of so many gutless wonders who throw in the towel at the first hint of trouble. The fact that we have no ffense is disgusting and will hurt our cause for many years to come.

[Grut]

If you think a Democratic House is bad, consider a Republican House where the 'pubbies know there's no penalty for ignoring conservatives. If we punish the Republicans we're suddenly relevant, if out-of-power for at least two years. If we reward them, we're both out-of-power and irrelevant forever.

[dfergu7477]

I posted this on another thread yesterday regarding the Senate, but it sure seems applicable, here...

---

"I think that all the negative polling is having an effect on you all. Just as in other recent election years, we're going to gain seats. From now 'till the election is the critical time.

"Allen, Talent, and Corker all win. That gets us to 51.

"Further, DeWine, Santorum, Steele, and, yes, Burns, win, as well. DeWine's opponent is way too liberal, as is Burns'; Santorum will come from behind as he always does and Casey is uninspiring; and, in a stunner that announces the permanent decline of the RAT party--blacks vote for Steele, big time.

"We also get at least two of Chafee, McGavick, Kean, Bouchard, and Kennedy. Chafee I don't care about, but his race is a toss-up; McGavick benefits from voters being sick and tired of blatant RAT vote stealing, corruption, and the insipid Cantwell; Kean is a toss-up who must overcome RAT corruption and vote stealing, but has a good name; Bouchard is a proven vote getter who has a great shot in a state where the economy will hurt the do-nothing Stabmenow; and Kennedy may yet decide to get aggresive and get after the nut, Klobuchar.

"And (I know I'll get accused of drinking the kool-aid, here), I think Harris will do much better than most think and could be the upset of the cycle. Nelson is uninspiring and way too liberal for the increasingly GOP Florida. He is the only RAT state-wide office holder and excites no one, while the GOP is really strong, there. So, RAT turn-out may be very low while the GOP's is high.

"Most important, our voters "get it." 2004 was was the critical point. There is no way that over 50% of the country votes for Bush in 2004 if they believed ANY ONE THING the DBM said about him. The electorate increasingly understands that the DBM is biased and their polls are cooked.

"So, c'mon! Have some faith. OUR voters beat the unelected, liberal, media elite in 2004. They are still motivated in 2006--perhaps even more so--as they have seen that THEY have the power, not the despicable, un-American DBM.

"We gain at least two Senate seats, maybe more."

---

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

[eeriegeno]

This year, they were the boys of September, rallying strongly until that fateful day, September 29, when the Mark Foley scandal erupted.

So let me understand this Fred?

One person (Mark Foley) is going to shift the balance of power in this country?

Americans are going to vote the GOP out because of the shenanigans of one congressman? They are going to ignore that the democrats are a cut and run group? They are going to vote for democrats because they beleive that democrats will provide more security? They are going to vote for democrats who have promised to raise taxes? They are going to hand control to whackos like Pelosi, Frank, Kennedy, Biden, Leahy, Clinton, et al?????? I don't think so Fred!!!!!!!

[Miss Marple]

Perhaps they do deserve to lose office for their cowardice, but the President doesn't deserve the horrible treatment he and his cabinet members will get with a democrat Congress (imagine Rummy grilled on TV for two weeks at a stretch) and for sure the military doesn't deserve to have funding cut (as Chralie Rangel promised).

Also, I well remember how we got the tax increase during Bush 41's term. The democrats held the military funding up on Desert Shield, and the President was forced to concede on taxes so that we wouldn't have to withdraw our troops from Saudi Arabia.

This is also what they did in Vietnam, and why we lost that country.

So, hold your nose and VOTE GOP!!!

[Thermalseeker]

What do you suppose happens to Republican turnout if we go into the election with everyone all convinced it is all over but the crying?

What really, really puzzles me is the number of Republican pundants who have already thrown in the towel. Given the inaccuracy of the polling in the last couple of elections, and comparing that polling to the current election polling, at this point it looks like a 'Pubbie landslide in the works to me......

[ichabod1]

In Fred's case that may be exactly what he's thinking. In the case of the rat media well, they never seem to learn.

[#1CTYankee]

"Hannity was pretty grim yesterday."

He's playing the "scare us into voting card", I don't think it's quite as grim as he made it out to be.

I am however concerned, the Pubs still refuse to play hardball with these people as they throw everything they can and see what sticks.
If the only one we can rely on is the likes of Chris Shays were in trouble.

[WashingtonSource]

Their red blood cell count is mighty low.

[FightThePower!]

I'll vote GOP, but it won't do any good, I live in the city of Atlanta and I'm sure it's all Democrats here.

Can anyone point to anything useful that was done by congress in the last 2 years? Another wasted opportunity.