Free Republic

"This election," Bill Clinton said in the hours before the Pennsylvania primary, "is too big to be small." It was a noble sentiment, succinctly stated, and the core of what Democrats believe — that George W. Bush has been a historic screwup as President, that there are huge issues to be confronted this year. But it was laughable as well. The Pennsylvania primary had been a six-week exercise in diminution, with both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama — and Bill Clinton too — losing altitude and esteem on an almost daily basis. Even as he spoke, the former President was...

The question was so striking it caused a rowdier exchange than queries about North Korea, Social Security and illegal immigration at Thursday night's debate between U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick and Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy. The two men, locked in an ultra-competitive contest to represent the state's 8th Congressional District, were each given the chance to ask the other a single thing at the debate's end. Fitzpatrick threw the crowd into a tizzy when it was his turn: "How many school districts are there in Bucks County?

In this autumn of their discontent, Republicans tremble as November nears. But now comes yet another book by a gloomy liberal anticipating permanent Republican dominance. Thomas B. Edsall of The New Republic, in "Building Red America: The New Conservative Coalition and the Drive for Permanent Power," argues that inexorable social forces, augmented by the conservatives' superior reservoirs of anger, ruthlessness and cynicism -- he neglects only the word "wickedness" -- favor Republicans, "the party of the socially and economically dominant." ---snip--- Edsall notes that one-third of American children -- and almost 70 percent of African American children -- are born...

On June 25, 1996, a powerful truck bomb exploded outside the Khobar Towers barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, tearing the front from the building, blasting a crater 35 feet deep, and killing 19 American soldiers. Hundreds more were injured. When news reached Washington, President Bill Clinton vowed to bring the killers to justice. "The cowards who committed this murderous act must not go unpunished," he said angrily. "Let me say again: We will pursue this. America takes care of our own. Those who did it must not go unpunished." The next day, leaving the White House to attend an economic...

Check out this great new ad from Santorum! This one will leave a mark.

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! My Two Cents on the Bolton Appointment By David J. Aland [1 August 2005] Through the mid-Sixties, a very popular television comedy featuring the actor/singer Jim Nabors held sway: Gomer Pyle, USMC. A spin-off from The Andy Griffiths Show, it portrayed a somewhat dim but genial backwoods gas-station attendant who had joined the Marines, and weekly embroiled his platoon in various misadventures. His trademark line “Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!”, usually uttered in the least surprising situations, became a slang fad for awhile, a sarcastic headliner for those blinding flashes of the obvious. Today, surprising absolutely no-one, President Bush...

I say forget introspection. It's time to be honest about our antagonists. My predecessors in this conversation are thoughtful men, and I honor their ideas, but let's try something else. I grew up in Missouri and most of my family voted for Bush, so I am going to be the one to say it: The election results reflect the decision of the right wing to cultivate and exploit ignorance in the citizenry. I suppose the good news is that 55 million Americans have evaded the ignorance-inducing machine. But 58 million have not. (Well, almost 58 million—my relatives are not ignorant,...

Posted on Wed, Nov. 03, 2004 Corbett leads Attorney General race, Eisenhower yet to concede By Jeff Shields Inquirer staff writer Republican Tom Corbett is expected to declare victory in the Pennsylvania Attorney General's race at an afternoon press conference in Pittsburgh, although his Democratic opponent has not conceded. With more than 99 percent of precincts reporting as of 11:50 a.m., Corbett led Democrat Jim Eisenhower by more than 126,000 votes, according to the Associated Press. An Eisenhower spokesman said "it would be premature" for Corbett to declare victory with an undetermined number of provisional and military ballots outstanding. Should...

Posted on Wed, Nov. 03, 2004 Rivals deadlocked in Pa. attorney general race By Jeff Shields Inquirer Staff Writer Jim Eisenhower, seeking to become Pennsylvania's first elected Democratic attorney general, was deadlocked with Republican Tom Corbett early this morning in a race that could trigger the state's first mandatory recount. The Associated Press declared Eisenhower the winner shortly before midnight, but Corbett refused to concede, with votes from rural Republican counties yet to be counted. A Democratic victory could signal a shift in the way the Attorney General's Office is run. Eisenhower has promised to follow the lead of other...

Bush wins 286-252, with nearly a 4 million popular vote margin, 51.5%-48.1%, with the largest popular vote total ever in American history. Bush generally +5% nationwide in popular vote totals by state. PA and MI very close despite record Philly and Detroit turnouts. Bush aides Mel Martinez and Mitch Daniels win election. Republicans +4 in Senate. Republicans +3 in House. Republicans +1 in Governorships. Republicans up in state legislatures. Little Tommy Daschle loses. This is a huge, huge, huge Republican win tonight! Congratulations everyone!

Some are claiming there is a disconnect between national and state polls. The table below projects the turnout for this election based on state-by-state population growth available from the US Census. I then multiply this turnout prediction by the latest credible State polls (i.e. Mason-Dixon; Gallup; Quinnipiac; Marist; Strategic Vision; etc. - not ARG; Zogby; Lake, Snell, Perry; LA Times; etc.) shown on Freeper Dales "Daly Thoughts" Blog, tally up the state-by-state totals for each candidate, and divides them by the total predicted turnout. Results? Bush 48.8%, Kerry 45.4% in the national tally. Compare to the numbers on Real Clear...

Saturday October 23, 2004--The latest Rasmussen Reports Presidential Tracking Poll shows President George W. Bush with 48% of the vote and Senator John Kerry with 47%. The Tracking Poll is updated daily by noon Eastern. When "leaners" are included, the President leads 49% to 48%. Leaners are those who initially do not express a preference for Bush or Kerry. We ask them a follow-up question to determine which way they are leaning at the moment. Our weekly polling update gives a clear sense of how close and stable this race has remained since John Kerry wrapped up the Democratic nomination....

October 23, 2004--Republican Tom Coburn has come from behind and is now leading Democrat Brad Carson in Oklahoma's U.S. Senate race. A Rasmussen Reports survey of 500 Likely Voters shows Coburn with 48% of the vote to 43% for Carson. The telephone survey was conducted October 20. A month earlier, a Rasmussen Reports survey found Carson ahead by 48% to 44% margin. The biggest change over the past month is that supporters of President Bush are now more supportive of the Republican Senate candidate. Our September 29 survey found that just 62% of Bush voters were planning to vote for...