Whoops. Forgot to address your second question.
If hardliners don't vote GOP, and Bush's strategy fails to take the Senate or even loses the House this year... whose responsibility would that be?
Ultimately it would fall to the GOP leaders, including President Bush. But that goes back to what I was saying (and Torie on another post) - there is no evidence to support hardliners staying home right now. Quite the contrary, they appear energized by his Presidency. Such energy might explain the incredibly successful fundraising season the GOP is enjoying.
*If hardliners don't vote GOP, and Bush's strategy fails to take the Senate or even loses the House this year... whose responsibility would that be? **Ultimately it would fall to the GOP leaders, including President Bush.
That's all I'm saying. I hope that Republicans control both the House and Senate. At this point I intend to vote GOP this Fall, but win or lose, the responsibility for the results of the President's strategy will rest with him.
I've seen far too many in this forum blame the voters for President Bush 41 losing to Clinton in '92. Although I voted for him, I blame him for losing those voters. No one's vote is the birthright of any politician.
Such energy might explain the incredibly successful fundraising season the GOP is enjoying.Fundraising doesn't necessarily translate into popular votes. For example, I believe the GOP led the Dems in fundraising in every Florida county in '2000, and Florida wasn't exactly a cakewalk as I recall.