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Democrats' upper hand seen as surmountable
The Columbas Dispatch ^ | May 15, 2008 | Mark Niquette

Posted on 05/15/2008 10:06:55 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

The political climate couldn't be much more favorable for Democrats in their efforts to take back the White House this year, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will, two national political observers said in Columbus today.

President Bush is unpopular, more people consider themselves Democrats than Republicans, and polls show Democrats enjoy a clear advantage on issues Americans care about, pollster Peter D. Hart and columnist Mark Shields said.

Also, the economy is near or in recession, the nation is mired in an unpopular war, and for the first time in many generations, a majority of Americans don't think the next generation will be better off.

“Given the lay of the land, the fundamentals of this election, I've never seen a more favorable environment for Democrats,” Shields said during the first public event of the new Gilligan Institute, named after former Ohio Gov. John J. Gilligan.

“If the Democrats lose this election, they ought to seriously consider going into the aluminum-siding business or taking up needlepoint,” said Shields, a nationally syndicated columnist and PBS political analyst.

But expected nominee Sen. Barack Obama is running even in national polls with presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain because the Democratic nomination battle still is raging, and Obama is not connecting with the white, blue-collar and non-college-educated voters he will need in the fall, the experts said.

Hart, a pollster and founder of Peter D. Hart Associates, described a focus group he conducted with independent voters in West Virginia. He said it was clear that their impression of Obama was shaped by the controversial comments of his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and that many thought Obama was a Muslim.

Also, 9 percent of Sen. Hillary Clinton's supporters said in a recent poll that they would not back Obama if he wins the nomination, Hart said.

“That is the difference between winning this election comfortably, or winning it narrowly, or even losing it,” he said.

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Gilligan's daughter and moderator for the event at the Columbus Athletic Club, said in an interview that she expects that the nomination will be decided by June and that Clinton supporters will support the party.

Sebelius, who endorsed Obama, said that in Ohio and other states that Clinton carried in the Democratic primaries, backing from governors such as Ted Strickland will be key. Strickland campaigned hard for Clinton before the Ohio primary and has said he will do the same for the nominee.

“I'm an optimist that what unites us as Democrats is far stronger than what divides the two candidates,” she said.

Sebelius downplayed national speculation that she will be considered as a running mate for the Democratic presidential nominee this fall, but she stopped short of saying she wouldn't accept if asked, as Strickland has said.

The Gilligan Institute is a new nonprofit group that will study Gilligan's career and encourage discussion and debate about politics and government in Ohio.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: 2008; democrats; election; elections; gop; markshields; mccain; msm; obama
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It's VERY surmountable, if we all get behind Obama's opponent. Barack Hussein Obama CAN NOT be elected president!
1 posted on 05/15/2008 10:06:55 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
It's VERY surmountable, if we all get behind Obama's opponent. Barack Hussein Obama CAN NOT be elected president!

Neither can John S McCain. Uh...

We're in trouble. Personally, I'd rather have a democrat enacting democratic policies than a purported Republican.

2 posted on 05/15/2008 10:18:26 PM PDT by Entrepreneur (The environmental movement is filled with watermelons - green on the outside, red on the inside)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Also, the economy is near or in recession, the nation is mired in an unpopular war, and for the first time in many generations, a majority of Americans don’t think the next generation will be better off. “

“Given the lay of the land, the fundamentals of this election, I’ve never seen a more favorable environment for Democrats,” Shields said during the first public event of the new Gilligan Institute, named after former Ohio Gov. John J. Gilligan. “

That’s the Democrat Party in a nutshell. Fully invested in America’s failure as a means to gain power.


3 posted on 05/15/2008 10:19:01 PM PDT by headstamp 2 (Been here before)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Lets see, since the Democrats have taken over Congress, the economy headed down, gas prices doubled, unemployment up, no energy plan, more pork then even the Republicans, and a promise of taxes going up big time. You know Change we can believe in.

George Bush's number one job is to defend the US, no attacks on the US in 7 years. BTW, Military deaths, have held steady for the past 10 years at a about 4,000 per year war or no war.

4 posted on 05/15/2008 10:23:02 PM PDT by stubernx98 (cranky, but reasonable)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
When a patriot yells Charge! two things happen:

The Dem's blood curdles, and anyone on the wrong side of the fence gets that funny nervous twitch in their eye.
5 posted on 05/15/2008 10:30:17 PM PDT by Fichori (FreeRepublic.com: Watch your step!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I imagine Commies the world over will be tuning in to the election coverage on the 24 hour cable stations in November to watch history in the making. America is going to decide to commit suicide with the 2008 election. I may sound like an alarmist but the GOP no longer exists. The ‘Rats are going to own the WH, the House and the Senate with only a few token Republicans kept around for the ‘RATS’ amusement. What happened to my country?


6 posted on 05/15/2008 10:47:09 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (De-Globalize yourself !)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I guess it's a good thing that only the Democrat Eggheads would understand that headline.

-PJ

7 posted on 05/15/2008 10:50:04 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too (Repeal the 17th amendment -- it's the "Fairness Doctrine" for Congress!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Why are Americans sick of a war if they are winning? What have they contributed to the war effort except watching MSM to tell them they are losing at every turn? Have they bought war bonds, are they rationing food? No. The time is now to tell Americans that they are winning, they are safer if terrorists are defeated across the globe and there is less chance of another 9/11 if Al Qaeda doesn't have a home base in Iraq. This shouldn't be a hard message, but it is because the liberal mindset. That mindset wants failure, wants another Vietnam, wants to relive the dream of world peace through talking to an enemy who doesn't want to talk but wants to kill the infidel. Many Americans take their way of life for granted and think that the whole world, especially the enemy, is just like them: reasonable human beings who want peace. They think this because they are not pressed to think or live differently. If they lived in Israel where rockets are falling on them nightly maybe, just maybe, they might see things differently -- they might be singing something else than All You Need Is Love. But for now they are enchanted with American Idol and Obama and the promises of another golden calf to entertain them through to the fall.
8 posted on 05/15/2008 10:52:46 PM PDT by Blind Eye Jones
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
the nation is mired in an unpopular war

Inexact wording of the flawed liberal premise. We must fight back with precise language.

The "nation" is not fighting, by and large, nor is it consumed in aiding the war effort as it was, say, during WWII. Only a brave dedicated portion of our Armed Forces is doing the fighting. The rest of us are only "mired" in war if we allow the libstream media to say so.

9 posted on 05/15/2008 11:09:00 PM PDT by rfp1234 (Phodopus campbelli: household ruler since July 2007.)
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To: Blind Eye Jones
This is precisely the criticism I have for the current Bush Administration and its appeasement, through Secretary Condi Rice and Depy Secretary Chris Hill, of North Korea and Kim Jong il (as a Conservative, as I also did here on FR during the horrible, quisling Clinton Administration).

10 posted on 05/15/2008 11:09:29 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo (Your Free To Vote 4 McCain. I Won't. I Don't Want To Hear Your Gripes Thru His 4 Years of RINO-ism!)
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To: AmericanInTokyo

bump


11 posted on 05/15/2008 11:17:19 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo (Your cast vote: An oath sworn reflecting your closest philosophy on the ballot. Plan to LIE in 2008?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Democrats' upper hand seen as surmountable

Suuure! Not by the state by state presidential polls that I've seen and posted on FR?

Obama looks like a Mondale/McGovern candidate.

12 posted on 05/15/2008 11:18:28 PM PDT by Red Steel
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Democrats' upper hand seen as surmountable the hand that wipes their sorry yellow bottoms.
13 posted on 05/15/2008 11:33:00 PM PDT by rfp1234 (Phodopus campbelli: household ruler since July 2007.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I think conservatives should take command of assumptions and words. The war was won long time ago when Saddam’s regime was ousted. What we are doing now is supporting the new Iraqui government by securing the peace so the new institutions can take root in a stable environment and the Iraqui people can be self-determinant as a sovereign people. We are fighting conflicts with Al Queda and various insurgent factions that are breaking the peace, not the Iraqui government. We are not at war.


14 posted on 05/15/2008 11:42:18 PM PDT by marsh2
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To: AmericanInTokyo

Yeah, I don’t know why the Bush Administration doesn’t fight back or at least put the message out more strongly. An answer I’ve heard is that they don’t want to get into a verbal pissing match and prefer to keep quietly pushing their agenda. But that just lets them be painted — nay, tarred and feathered — by the media and Democrats. How do you get the American public on board? Perhaps another 9/11 and even then they will be screaming, “It’s Bush’s fault.” Maybe it is the hubris of Bush believing that he is a “uniter,” maybe it is a “sticks and stones” philosophy... but, whatever it is, there is still the injustice of it.

And it also doesn’t help in the upcoming election.


15 posted on 05/15/2008 11:44:55 PM PDT by Blind Eye Jones
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

That’s just the problem. There’s no way in the world I, or many others, can get behind John McCain.


16 posted on 05/16/2008 4:20:43 AM PDT by saganite
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To: Blind Eye Jones

This Campaign is the only war being fought right now, we have won in Iraq, the Economy is back on track and we have a lot of ammunition to defeat the DRats if we choose to do so... the Left knows that BHO is flawed and cannot stand up without 100% suppost by their CrapMedia...I think we ignore McCain’s pussy footing. Just say NoBama!


17 posted on 05/16/2008 4:21:06 AM PDT by iopscusa (El Vaquero. (SC Lowcountry Cowboy))
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To: stubernx98
With the help of the MSM.. and msm is determined to help the rats... they are winning. Majority of the populous donot seem to know that the rats control both houses and the spending spree continues.

MSM made Obama. People do not think for themselves anymore.. It is getting very scarry.
18 posted on 05/16/2008 5:22:13 AM PDT by Strutt9
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The Dem's "upper hand" would be surmountable if Rs didn't keep giving the finger to conservatism.
19 posted on 05/16/2008 5:25:44 AM PDT by MortMan (Those who stand for nothing fall for anything. - Alexander Hamilton)
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To: Blind Eye Jones
"Why are Americans sick of a war if they are winning? .... except watching MSM to tell them they are losing at every turn?"

There is the answer. It's because we have a Nation of sheeple. We will deserve everything we get and the greater population have no one but themselves to blame. Of course they won't do that but will find a scapegoat, one conveniently provided them by the left and their pals ion the treasonous media.

20 posted on 05/16/2008 5:49:57 AM PDT by lexusppd
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