[HitmanLV]

I reject the 'electorate as stupid' mentality. They weren't smart when they elected Dubya and the GOP in 2000, 2002, and 2004, and suddenly became stupid in 2006.

That's a strange worldview and it makes no sense.

If the GOP performed poorly it's because they didn't convince enough voters to support them. This has nothing to do with stupidity. If a majority is taking a poor course of action, it's incumbent on us to convince them we are right. Indeed, if they are stupid, it should be easy to convince them, right?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

If the GOP performed poorly it's because they didn't convince enough voters to support them.

People overwhelmingly support the war. The problem is that the GOP has done a horrible job in defending it, and has let the MSM/Dims define them, causing RINOs like Hagel, Brownback, and Huckabee to have second thoughts. That's partly why the GOP lost the mid-terms.

Voters hate weakness in elected officials. Huckabee is your typical finger in the wind politician. Criticizing Bush may win him more guest-shots on the Sunday morning talk shows and fawning NY Times coverage, but it'll turn off conservatives.

[Sloth]

I reject the 'electorate as stupid' mentality. They weren't smart when they elected Dubya and the GOP in 2000, 2002, and 2004, and suddenly became stupid in 2006.

Of course not. They've been stupid all along.

If a majority is taking a poor course of action, it's incumbent on us to convince them we are right. Indeed, if they are stupid, it should be easy to convince them, right?

Not at all, especially when there are competing parties attempting to convince the same stupid populace to go a different way. And particularly when the other side is free to lie & tell people whatever they want to hear ('free' money for health care, etc.).

[MizSterious]

"I reject the 'electorate as stupid' mentality."

Reject all you want. I think it's called "denial." Any country that, as a whole, refuses to see what we're up against can only be called stupid--in fact, intentionally stupid. In this case, the stupidity tax is going to be high. The 'Rats and those who emulate them are leading us into the abyss.

[highball]

I reject the 'electorate as stupid' mentality. They weren't smart when they elected Dubya and the GOP in 2000, 2002, and 2004, and suddenly became stupid in 2006.

That's a strange worldview and it makes no sense.

If the GOP performed poorly it's because they didn't convince enough voters to support them. This has nothing to do with stupidity. If a majority is taking a poor course of action, it's incumbent on us to convince them we are right. Indeed, if they are stupid, it should be easy to convince them, right?

Agreed. "The voters are stupid" is a lazy defense. I'd rather put the blame where it belongs - on the leaders who can't or won't get the message out.

I refuse to let the Republican leadership off the hook for the '06 debacle by using the "voters are stupid" copout.