Gephardt Eyes Massive Gains: Party Could Pick up 40 House Seats

Roll Call ^ | 7/18/02 | Ethan Wallison

[Coop]

"In carrying out the task assigned....you will be governed by the principle of calculated risk, which you will interpret to mean the avoidance of exposure of your force to attack by superior enemy forces without prospect of inflicting, as a result of such exposure, greater damage to the enemy."

That's really, really good stuff! Now if we could just get you into the leadership of the RNC...sigh... ;-)

From where I sit, this just tells the Pubbies going against the media to hide unless they think they can win. Which generally means they always hide. EV, isn't that what's frustrating you to begin with?

[Demidog]

I already have. It looks bad. 6 GOP house incumbents have already lost their primary campaigns.

[capt. norm]

"Pick up 40 seats"

He must have been hanging out with Michael Jackson too much...they're both starting to make about the same amount of sense. (ZERO)

[Coop]

I guess we can hope and pray that people's concern for the Republic outweighs their ire at leadership.

Back with the urban myth again, I see. At least this time someone is blaming GOP leadership instead of President Bush. I'm still waiting for a poll that doesn't show the exact opposite of what is insinuated up above.

[BlueCat]

The democrat activists are working VERY VERY hard to keep this in front of the country. And they KNOW they have the media on board with them -- in fact, they are gloating among themselves about it.

I'm in a position to see this stuff firsthand. It is truly frightening.

[Wphile]

The governance of this country is not play, it is not a game, it is not for party style grandure. The people deserve and should demand politicians bigger than school-yard political gamesmanship.

Right on! But this is the only way the democrats know how to play. I am convinced that they don't give a damn about how legislation effects US but how it effects THEM, and only in political terms.

I believe this corporate stuff will die down and I am hoping the GOP has a game plan for the fall. Remember, most people don't pay any attention to campaigns until after Labor Day.

[Coop]

No they haven't. 6 incumbents have, if memory serves me correctly. But one was Earl Hilliard (D-AL).

[Mr. Bird]

The administration is still holding all the cards: military action. If Whitewater proved anything, it's that people don't get extremely worked up about esoteric financial shenanigans. Unless there's a video of Bush or Cheney taking a bribe a la ABSCAM, this is all Summer nonsense.

Gephardt knows that a strike on Iraq obliterates Harken/Halliburton/Enron from the radar. He's getting in his jabs now, but it will be futile.

One thing needs to be said, however, and that is that the current GOP leadership in congress (both houses) sucks. They are losers, and they cannot count on a popular president or war forever.

[hchutch]

The fact is that most of the base seems to be on board - at least from what I've gathered in the polling data: A ton of Republicans approve of what Bush is doing.

Furthermore, I think that Dems may just overplay their hand. The Senate may get close, but Roll Call also reported that the same guy involved in the Traficant case was also connected with... Torricelli.

Besides, no use spending effort now, when folks are more interested in the barbeque or Men In Black II. Hit them hard in the election, and wait for them to overextend.

[Coop]

And another was Gary Condit (D-CA). And how many GOP incumbents lost to other Republicans? I simply don't see how this equates to a shift agains the Pubbies.

[EternalVigilance]

It is somewhat impossible to "fight back" against the media.

We can fight back to a great degree if we have the will. If our leaders will pursue an aggressive strategy...put our best voices out on the front lines in the media...and finally, if the rest of us will fight the fight everywhere else...on the web, at our jobs, in the churches, in the coffee shops, etc.

One could consider the the Halliburton/Harken fest to be a tactical foundation for further media efforts. Of course the most effective ones will be those that occur closest to election day when there is no time to respond.

I agree.

But the whole thing is a two-edged sword, if we have the guts to slash away with the part that cuts our direction. The Daschle Democrats are firmly in the pockets of corporate interests.

Two examples: Mrs Tom Daschle has brought million$ into the Daschle family finances through her lobbying efforts. Mrs. Tom Harkin has done the same.

These guys need to be outed for their hypocrisy.

[sinkspur]

6 GOP house incumbents have lost their primary campaigns.

Name them.

[eureka!]

"The American people know when all this nonsense began."

They do. It doesn't take an economist to equate the "boom" with the cooked books now being revealed. Gephardt and the 'rats are, as per usual, banking on the Big Lie: say it enough and it will become the truth in the sheeple's minds. It worked on the "all about sex/private matter" mantra with the grifting 'Toon. They've got a long way to go on this one and they don't have the bully pulpit. Methinks as well that the market knows that the huge scandals have, or will soon, be all revealed. Then *poof* this issue is over. That this is all they've got is a very good sign. The strength of the economy will trump this pap and the 'rats will be left with nothing....

[MissAmericanPie]

I think the Democrats pretty much have Texas sewn up in both the Senate seat, and the House seat. It remains to be seen about the Governorship, I think that is going to be tight. It's just a matter of time anyway since Texas has been over run by illegals in the past five years. Between Texas having gone 1/3 Hispanic and all the other minorities, Euro's either are a minority here now or very close to being the minority. Not as bad as Cali, but just short of, and like Cali, going solid democrat eventually. How many electorial votes is that including both states? Anyone know?

[palmer]

The party that gets their base out in the biggest numbers will win.

The Republicans are ready with their new Hispanic base.

[CPT Clay]

If the GOP Retains the house look for a mass exodous of rats. They have delayed retirements and runs for higher offices for the last six years to try and take back the house. This year redistricting is a headwind for them. the Corporate scandal will not be laid at the feet of the GOP. Old style blue dogs, Stenholm, Hall, Turner of TX and Skelton of Mo and Tanner etc will retire before next redistricting, +10 in Gop.

[capt. norm]

Imagine the pressure on Gephart from his party. It's time for him to put up or shut up. This has to be just about his last chance to come through for them after his long string of failures.

[Coop]

The electoral votes for CA and TX in 2000 were 54 and 35, respectively. I think CA gains one, not sure about TX in 2002. But concerning your comments about the Dems having the Gramm's Senate seat "sewn up." Bwahahahahahaha!! I'm the first to say it's close in the polls right now. I think Kirk's going to give Cornyn a good run. But sewn up? Please. And Perry is in a very comfortable position to retain the guv mansion.

[palmer]

Nice guys finish last. We need to be a bit more aggressive

That's a bit understated.

[MinuteGal]

Some people are living in a dream world of hoping here. What good does it do to engross ourselves in the Dem's "who did what" game? Our efforts are misdirected.

I live in a community with a lot of retirees. They are watching their IRA's being shredded. They are sick at heart, nervous, upset and angry and blaming the Republicans. They are the largest consistent voting bloc in the country.

Whether people who have been burned are right or wrong, stupid or ignorant, is not the issue. The Republican leadership and the President are not getting any coherent message out, and the Dems are taking full advantage of it.

Hasn't this been the problem for a long time? We can't seem to get through to the GOP party that because of their apathy, Gebhardt may turn out to be exactly right.

BTW, when's the last time anyone saw or heard the national chairman of the Republican Party publicly expound on ANYTHING?

Leni