Hello all,
In only a very general sense the purpose of my post is acknowledgment of the political reality of the election, and an overview assessment of the likelihood of any possible postive effect versus the likelihood of a repeated negative cycle of American partisan politics. This is not meant to be a partisan thread despite what anyone else may post.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/11/01/5388233-first-thoughts-unchanged?GT1=43001
Not much change in the final NBC/WSJ poll before tomorrow’s elections… GOP headed for big House and Senate gains… One reason why: It’s overwhelmingly winning the folks who think the country is on the wrong track… Voters, including Dems, say they want more change from Obama… Poll also suggests that tomorrow is shaping up to be more of a referendum on Pelosi than Obama… The GOP’s brand, though, is still in tatters… The final day of campaigning… And Christine O’Donnell pulls an Obama and will air a 30-minute TV ad today.
*** Why the GOP is headed for big gains: And why are Republicans headed for big gains? Check out these numbers: Among the 60% who believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, more than 70% of them prefer a GOP-controlled Congress; just 19% of them prefer a Dem-held Congress. Given these numbers, the assumption by many analysts and strategists from BOTH parties is that the undecided vote ends up breaking toward the Republicans, so the six-point advantage that translates to a gain of 50-55 seats could end up being a nine-point advantage tomorrow -- and that would put the GOP pick-ups over 60 seats. Then again, it would still mean the Republicans would have a smaller majority than the Democrats currently enjoy in the House. For Republicans to equal the current Democratic majority, Republicans would need a pickup of nearly 80 seats in the House.
*** But wanting more change from Obama: Here’s another irony: Regarding the man who promised change in the presidential election two years ago, well, voters want more change from him. Per the poll, a combined 63% -- including 47% of Democrats -- say they want to see “a great deal of change” or “quite a bit of change” in the way Obama has been leading the country. Hart attributes this desire of change, especially from the Dems, to the state of the economy. But it’s also clear that Obama is having trouble with the middle of the country. Just 32% of self-identified independents approve of his job, and his job-approval among moderates is at 49%, which is lower than in past NBC/WSJ polls.
*** More of a referendum on Pelosi? Yet tomorrow’s midterm elections are shaping up to be more about Speaker Nancy Pelosi and congressional Democrats than about Obama. In the poll, 15% who prefer a GOP-controlled Congress say their vote is a protest against the Obama administration’s performance; 20% say it’s a protest against the performance by Pelosi and congressional Democrats; and another 10% say it’s a protest against both. (But 48% who want Republicans in charge of Congress say their vote isn’t a protest vote -- but rather a positive one for Republicans.) What’s more, Pelosi’ fav/unfav among registered voters in the poll is 24%-50% (and 8%-61% among indies). That's compared with Obama’s 47%-42% and George W. Bush’s 32%-51%. Voters are saying: We want to fire Pelosi and send a message to Obama to make some changes.
*** The GOP’s short leash with the public: As Republicans are poised to take back control of at least one chamber of Congress, their brand is still in tatters: 34% have a favorable view of the GOP, versus 41% who have an unfavorable view. By comparison, the Dems’ fav/unfav stands at 39%-42%, and the Tea Party’s is at 32%-40%. Given the GOP’s low standing, McInturff says Republicans would have a very short leash with the public if they end up controlling Congress. Americans, he argues, will keep voting elected officials out of office “until somebody gets the message -- which is fix the economy and get things done in Washington.” The good news for Republicans: They have been able to distance themselves from Bush’s presidency. Only 34% believe the GOP would return to Bush’s economic policies if they regain Congress, while 58% say they would bring different ideas.
*** The Tea Party’s “fervor” and “intensity”: Hart makes a final point on the poll: The Tea Party, he says, has captured the “fervor” and “intensity” of this election season. Per the poll, 28% of registered voters identify themselves as Tea Party supporters. Among these supporters, 57% would replace every single member of Congress if they could (versus 45% of all voters who say they want to do this), and 30% say their vote is to send a message rather than elect the best person for the job (compared with 22% of the electorate who say this). Asked what kind of message they’d like to send with their vote, 50% of Tea Party supporters say that one of their top-two messages would be to return to the principles of the U.S. Constitution (versus 23% of all voters who say this). And Tea Party backers are overwhelmingly voting Republican: 85% prefer a GOP-controlled Congress, while only 10% want the Democrats in charge. The upcoming challenge for Boehner and McConnell: While independents in the poll say they want the parties to work together, the Tea Party doesn’t.
This all reminds me of the so-called Republican Revolution of 1994 when Republicans took over the Congress largely amid strong discontent over Clinton's national health insurance plan ( among some other disliked policies) simply to implant their own policies regardless of what "the country" wanted. Tea Party success could be their and the Republicans undoing if all they do is repeat the unilateralism and deadlock of 1994, leading to national dissatisfaction and Clinton's re-election in 1996. Unfortunately for Republicans the core motivation of the Tea Party is NOT about bipartisan cooperation.
Cheers,
Merlot
In only a very general sense the purpose of my post is acknowledgment of the political reality of the election, and an overview assessment of the likelihood of any possible postive effect versus the likelihood of a repeated negative cycle of American partisan politics. This is not meant to be a partisan thread despite what anyone else may post.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/11/01/5388233-first-thoughts-unchanged?GT1=43001
Not much change in the final NBC/WSJ poll before tomorrow’s elections… GOP headed for big House and Senate gains… One reason why: It’s overwhelmingly winning the folks who think the country is on the wrong track… Voters, including Dems, say they want more change from Obama… Poll also suggests that tomorrow is shaping up to be more of a referendum on Pelosi than Obama… The GOP’s brand, though, is still in tatters… The final day of campaigning… And Christine O’Donnell pulls an Obama and will air a 30-minute TV ad today.
*** Why the GOP is headed for big gains: And why are Republicans headed for big gains? Check out these numbers: Among the 60% who believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, more than 70% of them prefer a GOP-controlled Congress; just 19% of them prefer a Dem-held Congress. Given these numbers, the assumption by many analysts and strategists from BOTH parties is that the undecided vote ends up breaking toward the Republicans, so the six-point advantage that translates to a gain of 50-55 seats could end up being a nine-point advantage tomorrow -- and that would put the GOP pick-ups over 60 seats. Then again, it would still mean the Republicans would have a smaller majority than the Democrats currently enjoy in the House. For Republicans to equal the current Democratic majority, Republicans would need a pickup of nearly 80 seats in the House.
*** But wanting more change from Obama: Here’s another irony: Regarding the man who promised change in the presidential election two years ago, well, voters want more change from him. Per the poll, a combined 63% -- including 47% of Democrats -- say they want to see “a great deal of change” or “quite a bit of change” in the way Obama has been leading the country. Hart attributes this desire of change, especially from the Dems, to the state of the economy. But it’s also clear that Obama is having trouble with the middle of the country. Just 32% of self-identified independents approve of his job, and his job-approval among moderates is at 49%, which is lower than in past NBC/WSJ polls.
*** More of a referendum on Pelosi? Yet tomorrow’s midterm elections are shaping up to be more about Speaker Nancy Pelosi and congressional Democrats than about Obama. In the poll, 15% who prefer a GOP-controlled Congress say their vote is a protest against the Obama administration’s performance; 20% say it’s a protest against the performance by Pelosi and congressional Democrats; and another 10% say it’s a protest against both. (But 48% who want Republicans in charge of Congress say their vote isn’t a protest vote -- but rather a positive one for Republicans.) What’s more, Pelosi’ fav/unfav among registered voters in the poll is 24%-50% (and 8%-61% among indies). That's compared with Obama’s 47%-42% and George W. Bush’s 32%-51%. Voters are saying: We want to fire Pelosi and send a message to Obama to make some changes.
*** The GOP’s short leash with the public: As Republicans are poised to take back control of at least one chamber of Congress, their brand is still in tatters: 34% have a favorable view of the GOP, versus 41% who have an unfavorable view. By comparison, the Dems’ fav/unfav stands at 39%-42%, and the Tea Party’s is at 32%-40%. Given the GOP’s low standing, McInturff says Republicans would have a very short leash with the public if they end up controlling Congress. Americans, he argues, will keep voting elected officials out of office “until somebody gets the message -- which is fix the economy and get things done in Washington.” The good news for Republicans: They have been able to distance themselves from Bush’s presidency. Only 34% believe the GOP would return to Bush’s economic policies if they regain Congress, while 58% say they would bring different ideas.
*** The Tea Party’s “fervor” and “intensity”: Hart makes a final point on the poll: The Tea Party, he says, has captured the “fervor” and “intensity” of this election season. Per the poll, 28% of registered voters identify themselves as Tea Party supporters. Among these supporters, 57% would replace every single member of Congress if they could (versus 45% of all voters who say they want to do this), and 30% say their vote is to send a message rather than elect the best person for the job (compared with 22% of the electorate who say this). Asked what kind of message they’d like to send with their vote, 50% of Tea Party supporters say that one of their top-two messages would be to return to the principles of the U.S. Constitution (versus 23% of all voters who say this). And Tea Party backers are overwhelmingly voting Republican: 85% prefer a GOP-controlled Congress, while only 10% want the Democrats in charge. The upcoming challenge for Boehner and McConnell: While independents in the poll say they want the parties to work together, the Tea Party doesn’t.
This all reminds me of the so-called Republican Revolution of 1994 when Republicans took over the Congress largely amid strong discontent over Clinton's national health insurance plan ( among some other disliked policies) simply to implant their own policies regardless of what "the country" wanted. Tea Party success could be their and the Republicans undoing if all they do is repeat the unilateralism and deadlock of 1994, leading to national dissatisfaction and Clinton's re-election in 1996. Unfortunately for Republicans the core motivation of the Tea Party is NOT about bipartisan cooperation.
Cheers,
Merlot
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