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How Bad Will It Be? [Fred Barnes]
Weekly Standard ^ | 10/23/2006 | By Fred Barnes

Posted on 10/14/2006 4:34:21 AM PDT by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: barnes
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To: MNJohnnie
Democrats are NEVER in trouble in them ever.

But yet they always lose. That is a bit odd.

81 posted on 10/14/2006 6:11:23 AM PDT by beckysueb (Pray for President Bush and our country.)
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To: johnny7

That quote was Bob Shrum his campaign manager when they read the exit polls.

Barnes is part of the echo chamber and wrote the same doom and gloom prior to Bush's reelection. People lie to pollsters and will vote their pocketbooks in this election. No Party has ever lost seats in a good economy and they won't this time either.

Pray for W and Our Troops


82 posted on 10/14/2006 6:11:50 AM PDT by bray (Voting for the Rats is a Death Wish)
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To: johnny7

WWWWAAAAAAA HHHHHOOOOOOOOOOO The Elephants are coming, The Elephants are coming!!!!!


83 posted on 10/14/2006 6:14:34 AM PDT by HarleyLady27 (My ? to libs: "Do they ever shut up on your planet?" "Grow your own DOPE: Plant a LIB!")
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To: johnny7
There are worse things they can do.

Putting liberal judges on the SC. Installing the Fairness Doctrine. Killing the Patriot act. Continuing to criminalize conservatism. They would be a disaster!

84 posted on 10/14/2006 6:15:29 AM PDT by beckysueb (Pray for President Bush and our country.)
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To: johnny7

I'm afraid Barnes is correct on several points. The root logic of the situation is that Democrats have every reason in the world to turn out. Republicans have a slumping President, a hard war, and a Congress that keeps losing members to indictment or disgrace. I think we should be prepared here for what will probably happen.

The good news is this: even if Democrats take the House back, it may be a pyrrhic victory. Democratic victories are not based on a fundmental political appeal that is likely to last. It is based on the idea that Bush is a monster, the Iraq war is immoral, and we want to pull out. This will inflame Democrat voters who believe that Bush is a greater threat to America than UBL, but for most voters this simply will not hook them for long.

Add in the fact that Democrats will likely win a few seats that they shouldn't, (i.e. Republican-majority seats going Democrat because of depressed turnout) and Democrats may hold the House for one term. This is all speculation but we'll see what happens.


85 posted on 10/14/2006 6:16:27 AM PDT by Zack Nguyen
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To: johnny7
I wish some of the "true conservatives" here would stop and think about what they are preaching. ( stay home to punish Republicans)

If being out of power would somehow make one more conservative, wouldn't the RATS be purging the flaming moonbats from their party?

Everyone knows that the opposite is true, the RATS go further left with every loss. A few more losses and they will expose themselves to even the dimwitted voters that never noticed their real agenda.
86 posted on 10/14/2006 6:16:36 AM PDT by Beagle8U (Demonrats want the Gays out of Congress.....stand back and let them purge their base.)
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To: Beagle8U

All you Republicans: YOU MUST COME OUT AND VOTE GOP IN NOVEMBER - DO NOT LET THESE APPEASING DEMONCRATS TAKE OVER!


87 posted on 10/14/2006 6:17:37 AM PDT by Dodgers fan
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To: gridlock

They're going to make HUGE fanfare of the border security signing bill. After 10/17.


88 posted on 10/14/2006 6:27:35 AM PDT by spacejunkie
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To: Beagle8U

{You can't make a party more conservative by voting them out of office, that idea is insane.}

If you were to take that logic of the arugment a step further, then full blown amnesty for illegals would be good for conservatvisim. After all, when hordes of illegals invade the old neighborhoods, the good folks will start the second American Revolution to create a conservative fantasy land.


89 posted on 10/14/2006 6:31:11 AM PDT by Kuksool (Design your Own Polls. Go Vote and Take a Few Others With You)
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To: Zack Nguyen
Pyrrhic victory or not... it will be another lurch toward socialism and a disaster for our foreign policy. For the nations sake... pray this doesn't come to pass.
90 posted on 10/14/2006 6:33:14 AM PDT by johnny7 (“And what's Fonzie like? Come on Yolanda... what's Fonzie like?!”)
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To: johnny7

It's not the end of the world if the Democrats take both the Senate and the House. The Republicans won't be without resources and it won't mean the Democrats can do what they please.


91 posted on 10/14/2006 6:33:23 AM PDT by bkepley
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To: visualops
If Pelosi is crowned Speaker (shudder), the MSM will magically talk about how great the economy is. Plus if gas prices rise up to $3 a gallon, the MSM will shrug it off as no big deal.
92 posted on 10/14/2006 6:33:26 AM PDT by Kuksool (Design your Own Polls. Go Vote and Take a Few Others With You)
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To: Kuksool
"If you were to take that logic of the arugment a step further, then full blown amnesty for illegals would be good for conservatvisim. After all, when hordes of illegals invade the old neighborhoods, the good folks will start the second American Revolution to create a conservative fantasy land."

That isn't MY logic, but you are correct.

Being mad about the borders and illegals, and allowing RATS to take control to make it much worse doesn't make sense to anyone that isn't stoned.
93 posted on 10/14/2006 6:38:44 AM PDT by Beagle8U (Demonrats want the Gays out of Congress.....stand back and let them purge their base.)
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To: veronica

"But the Dems will be in a tough spot, because they will have to make good on their Bush Derangement Syndrome promises, such as raising taxes and cutting-and-running in Iraq, and I very much doubt that will go over well with the public at large, once reality sinks in."

You are so right. It's fine to scream "cut and run" when there are no consequences, but when there's a million person bloodbath in Iraq and Iran and Osama take charge, it will be pretty hard to argue how smart the Dems are in global politics.


94 posted on 10/14/2006 6:40:09 AM PDT by FastCoyote
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To: FastCoyote

Should the RATS take control of Congress, they won't vote to "cut & run". Instead, they shall hold endless hearings to make Bush, Rudy, Allen and McCain to look bad. While making Hillary look good.


95 posted on 10/14/2006 6:44:39 AM PDT by Kuksool (Design your Own Polls. Go Vote and Take a Few Others With You)
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To: FastCoyote
You can run on Bush Derangement Syndrome, but governing is something else entirely. Especially during war time.
96 posted on 10/14/2006 6:44:45 AM PDT by veronica (Angry kook location: In a house, on a street, in a town, soon to be posting from the loony bin...)
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To: TNCMAXQ
But not all those polls can be wrong. Things are not looking too good right now.

I am with you. The denial around here is mind-boggling. I never would have expected so many FReepers to be so unable to face reality, quoting polls as reliable evidence when they show the GOP ahead, calling them worthless when they show the GOP behind.

Yes some of the polls are skewed, but they are not all skewed, and even when you adjust for the bias, the GOP is still in trouble. People who predict the GOP will gain seats are smoking something.

97 posted on 10/14/2006 6:48:34 AM PDT by freespirited (The MSM is the root of all evil.)
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To: veronica
"My hope is that some event in the next few weeks refocuses the public on the really important issues and what's at stake."

I could be wrong but there is every possibility the administration will take every opportunity to publicize any (terrorist) plots or plans foiled between now election.
Not that I think there is anything wrong with this, after all the dirty trick the Dems have pulled.
I don't think there's anything wrong with blowing your own horn, the end justifies the means.

98 posted on 10/14/2006 6:48:51 AM PDT by #1CTYankee (That's right, I have no proof. So what of it??)
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To: carmody
Anyway, I thought the mantra of the left is: "It's the economy, stupid." People vote their pocketbooks.

That may be the only thing I would agree with the left on. People desparately want financial security. Currently, the economy is doing well, we're at full employment, and the DOW is on the verge of breaking 12,000. The economic environment certainly favors the Republicans. All the rest of the claptrap is background noise generated by the Dem's echo chamber -- the leftwing media.

99 posted on 10/14/2006 6:49:20 AM PDT by Starboard
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To: #1CTYankee

I could not agree with you more.


100 posted on 10/14/2006 6:50:54 AM PDT by veronica (Angry kook location: In a house, on a street, in a town, soon to be posting from the loony bin...)
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