A Sixty Seat Majority And The White House Too?
By Steve Hynd Tuesday Oct 07, 2008 4:30am
I don't want to tempt fate, but things are looking pretty bad for the GOP in the coming elections.
For instance, Al Franken looks like he's giving incumbent Republican Norm Coleman nightmares in Minnesota. He's ahead by 43 to 34 percent in the latest poll there, published Saturday by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. The new poll suggests that one reason for Franken’s gain is voters’ reaction to the abrasive advertising in the campaign. The Independence Party candidate, Dean Barkley, is also drawing support from Coleman says the poll.
And there's more good news both for Dems looking at voter registration as a way to tip the scales in November, as well as for third party aficionados.
The poll detected a significant increase in Minnesotans who label themselves as Democrats. Forty-two percent of likely voters identified themselves as Democrats, compared with 27 percent who said they were independents, and 26 percent who said they were Republicans.
According to the poll, Coleman’s support has slid among men and those in upper- and lower-income brackets. Last month, Coleman led Franken among men, 46 to 36 percent; in the recent poll Franken is ahead, 45 to 34 percent.
Coleman continues to get strong support from white evangelicals, but white Catholics are about evenly split between the two leading candidates. Both Coleman and Franken are struggling equally to keep their respective bases from drifting to the Barkley camp; each has the support of 78 percent of their party members, while 12 percent of Democrats and Republicans alike support Barkley.
And Barkley has cut into Coleman’s former lead among independents, leaving them divided almost evenly among Coleman (34 percent), Barkley (33 percent) and Franken (29 percent).
That's just one race, but it's a snapshot of trends that seem to be pretty widespread across the country. Over at National Review, K-Lo calls all this "terrifying" - and with good reason. The Republican brand is in the tank, their voters are turning to independents rather than endorse another four years of Bushism, and Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts are having a real impact. As my Newshoggers colleague Ron Beasley noted over the weekend, Colorado looks like it's going blue and Elizabeth Dole is "virtually certain to lose" in conservative North Carolina. McConnell in Kentucky, Smith in Oregon and Chambliss in Georgia are looking beatable too. In fact, Dems might well take the magic 60 Senate seats. No wonder the McCain campaign and Republicans down-ticket are all turning to attack ads of the nastiest kinds. They're all terrified.
But Ron also writes that it isn't over yet - and that a whole lot of down-ticket races might hinge on the presidential debates. That's the way it goes in American Idol elections, which the Republicans decided they wanted to run. He adds:
If it's not over already it could be after the debate tomorrow night. McCain needs an exceptional night and he needs for Obama to have a really bad one. Neither of those are likely. Unless the debate is a real game changer in McCain's favor expect the Republican Party to cut the McCain campaign lose and spend what money the party has trying to save some Senators.
However, that economy thing just isn't going to go away and despite McCain's spinning it's stuck to the de-regulating GOP like a bad smell.
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daily . . Good Morning Murica
Franken is what is known as a novelty politician. Ventura had the sound mind to quit politics while he was ahead.
... for a novelty politician, he's very intelligent and well-informed politically, and quite open about communicating his positions.
Yeah, Ventura quit... after he snatched the governorship unexpectedly from opponents Skip Humphrey and um, who was the other guy... Norm Coleman. Jesse the Body may have been an amusing novelty, but part of his novelty as a politician was that he spoke his mind quite openly. People found the novelty of that quite attractive, over the alternatives.
And you know what? I think I'd vote for a dancing ballerina poodle dressed like a circus clown, if my other choice was Norm Coleman.
Franken was a successful writer and comedian on Saturday Night Live and Ventura spent years in comedy wrestling. Palin, however is the noveltiest politician of them all. She's an insult to not only women to but to comedians everywhere. Palin's claim to fame is an appearance on the the Wazzilla evening news where she delivered a few canned one liners in the nude (which got the attention of that misogynist old sick man, former Senator McCain) as she butchered a live moose -- which got the attention of Karl Rove who's the current head of the Republican party. You can't even file that under "comedy politics". And... you can't make that stuff up either.
Al Franken is a very smart man and I believe he's no novelty candidate... I hope Al kicks Norm's ass right outta the running! Eff the GOP and lying republican$, each and every one of them!
The Repugs are going to try to steal this thing but on the other hand people are tired of the asshole in office. It is going to be interesting.
Panicked Arab stock markets plunge
US author of anti-Obama book detained in Kenya
etc . .
We are here to entertain you!
lol.. guess he forgot: Kenya is our latest Blue State! :D
Al Franken's newest book title should be:
More than a Dream.............and Rush Limbaugh is still a big fat idiot
By Senator al Franken
hahaha i would buy it
Bummer, the log in thing didn't remember me even though I had checked the little box that says remember me.
Good Morning Everyone. Let's hope it stays that way.
I don't trust polls or much of anything else these days.
I like Franken, I think he's has a good heart.
when I tried shaking his hand at a debate he looked at me like I took a steaming dump on his doorstep. so much for hospitality and reaching out to voters.
Speaking of Al, I was always curious DURING the primaries who he supported, Hillary or Obama. On one hand I know he is the BIGGEST Bill Clinton fan, but on the other hand Obama seemed more like his type of candidate based on how Hillary and Obama were running at the time.
Anyone know anything about that?
This is shaping up to be the wipeout I thought it would be. I had assumed a year ago that the economy would ultimately be the deciding factor, as the country's distaste for the war had eliminated it as a GOP issue.
I never dreamed that things would get this bad economically. It looks like this is going to be another wild ride on Wall Street. The gyrations are bad enuf, but typically in a market like this, when the tipping point is reached...it doesn't tip upward...it typically falls off a cliff.
Tonite's debate should be very interesting, and I am very curious about how the audience was selected. Personally, I would love to see some right wing nutcase stand up and start screaming that Obama is a terrorist. This country has a very ugly side, that it doesn't want to see. I think it's time that America got a good look in the mirror to see what she has become.
OH...site monitor...I registered yesterday, but I didn't get a confirming email, so now the site won't let me post under my nome de plume. If you guys can send me an email to the email addy I used when I registered...it's appreciated. If you need a different email...just post a reply to this post and tell me where to send it to. Thanks.
Sexual harassing legend O'Racist is going to shit on himself every time he has to say Senator Franken.
O'Liarly will probably accuse him of running under a fictitious name.
Oreilly shits himself everyday. Uncontrollable rage doesn't do an old sphincter any good. It sucks being an intern for Fox under BillO.
I don't see the point of an Obama White House/Dem Congressional majority if they're going to constantly cave in on things like FISA, off-shore drilling, and faith-based initiatives.
I understand (but am still pissed off) that Obama needs to go middle-of-the-road on subjects like this in order to appease independents or the "won't vote for a Muslim-sounding guy" crowd. However, I thought the whole point of the Dems' sweep in 06 was because people were fed up with the previous 6 years of GOP fuck-ups.
Every so often you see some GOP nutcase claim that the approval ratings for the current Congress is lower than that of W. If true, it's because Pelosi and company won't grow a pair and deal with the bastards in the Executive Branch.
In theory, getting the GOP out the majority might be a good thing. I have yet to see the Dems actually find their spine, though.
Matt A.
Yeah that's the thing. Clinton was the same way only worse. If you think about it Clinton was Republican light. The only reason I liked him was becasue the Repugnants hated him so much. I would bet that Obama is going to be middle of the raod too but becasue of the past 8 years it will feel much better. The main thing is that we will have somebody who can actually think.
Let's win the White House, then we can bitch and moan about policy. The fact of the matter is that in order to win a national election, you have to run as a centrist. McCain's whole problem in his campaign is it is plain to everyone that he is NOT a centrist. Worse, even with skewed coverage, it is becoming apparent to the country that he says, depending on what type of audience he is speaking to, whatever he needs to say to be elected. He flip flops constantly. More people than ever before are paying attention to this election. The reasons are irrelevant at this point, although it is obviously due to all the economic distress.
Now, back to Obama. The other fact is that politicians are going to enact policies that help business, and that is ok. The problem with the GOP, and the primary difference between them and the Democratic Party, is that the GOP believes that by giving business ALL that it wants and removing regulation, that the "market" will improve conditions for all people. That is, was and once again been proven to patently false. Government is needed to level the playing field and to ensure that people are not exploited. Government is there to provide assistance to those for who, either due to health, age, status, race, etc., the playing field is not level. That is the fundamental difference between the parties, it is the fundamental difference that Barack Obama has consistently spoken about. Look at his healthcare plan versus McCain's as a glowing example of the difference between the two parties.
@L and P Again:
I get what you're saying, but I'm not sure I agree. Obama is running on supporting drilling, faith-based initiatives, and broader FISA. As I said in the original post I get why he's doing it. My complaint is that I don't want my presidential pick to support that bullshit.
I realize I'm straying into naive "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" territory, but those programs are wrong. While a Dem majority couldn't be any worse than what the GOP has "accomplished", I'm sick of having to turn a blind eye to this stuff.
Bush's own energy department states that off-shore drilling will have a negligible effect on gas prices. The broader FISA bill puts one step closer to Big Brother. Government should not be funding religious groups, PERIOD. How the hell is this change we can believe in?
Believe me, I don't want McCain or the GOP back in power for a long time, if ever. However, if these are the polices that Obama supports, I'm having a hard time seeing how it's an improvement or that he'll suddenly change his mind if he gets the White House.
Matt A
Mattand, I've been around long enuf to know that nothing is set in stone. Laws and regulations can be changed. You aren't going to see a single new rig drilling in the U.S. in the next ten years. I'd bet my life on that. First, presently there is more oil pumped out of the ground that can even be refined fast enuf. That is why prices are falling. As usual, business got greedy, and they're paying for it. They saw the crazy prices created by speculation, and they racheted up the pumping. Heh...but the American people stopped driving! LOL! We drove approximately 1 billion less miles this year. So, now the oil companies have too much inventory. Why do you think no one, even the GOP, is screaming Drill Drill Drill every day. The oil companies got what they wanted. The Congress let the off shore drilling ban lapse last month. My view is that it is going to be reinstated in the next Congress.
My simple advice. Hold onto your base beliefs, and vote for the party that you believe can bring those beliefs to fruition.
Keep the faith.
This is the simple purchase of pulpits and what the founders of this nation strove to avoic.
In 2004 I worked the phone bank for my county Dem Party. I happened to be there after the bank closed and picked up a ringing phone. It was a young black woman who wanted to know if she would go to hell if she voted for Kerry. I asked her why she thought that this would be a possibility. Her evangelical pastor told everyone so at religious services and that Kerry wasn't a christian and believe in Christ because Kerry was a catholic.
This guy was pulling in his income from the F.B.I.'s. There is little if any auditing, so the money goes straight into the pastor's pockets. When asked about taxes Christ responded "look at the face on the coin and render unto Caesar what is Caesar's." These guys sell themselves and try to sell their congregants. This guy was bought and how much do you think he would support any candidate who would cut off his untaxed income?
So what does Obama need to do?
require a 60-40 majority in the Senate. If they can't get that, nothing will pass. If they do get at least 60-40 but less than 67, Bush may veto. That's why a 60-40 majority in Nov would be ideal.
Republicans are going to have very little to say after this election.
President Obama and a Democratic Congress will push a progressive agenda with populist legislation that very few Republicans, with the exception of those from backwards backwater states, will be able to object to.
And don't worry about the budget. It can be fixed, and it will be fixed. Clinton did it the last time, and we will do it again, AND the economy will grow, and jobs will be brought back. Watch and see.
I hope it turns out so in the coming month. It's still a long way to Nov 4 and I'm almost afraid to watch. With so much at stake nationally AND the Red Sox in the Championship games my blood pressure is through the roof! (g)
And a good morning to all.
I'm sorry to keep bringing this up but now would be a good time to email your comment to NBC about Tom Brokaw's biased commentary on Meet The Press and how you would surely hope he does not carry his baggage to Tennessee tonight. Remember the word "credibility" is a very good word to use with these type of people. Maybe we should have a contest to see how many time you can slip the word into your comment. The thing that is good is the NBC has a comment web page just to comment on Meet the Press. You know they read this stuff. Start typing!
NBC comment page. My comment:
I just want to say that I am very concerned about Tom Brokaw doing the debate on Tuesday because he has lost credibility with me and a huge majority of the people I talk to. On the last Meet The Press Brokaw intentionally mislead the public with his phony poll he injected at the end of the Steve Schmidt and David Axelrod interview. I used to really like Mr. Brokaw but since he has been filling in on Meet The Press he has shown me he is really a right wing mouthpiece. After this fake poll indecent he has lost his credibility with me and other people I talk to about Meet The Press. Please please please make sure he is fair during the debate. If it is perceived that he is in the pocket for the Republican Party he will be doing NBC a disservice and people will think of them as ABC after Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos moderated the debate on ABC a few months ago. Personally I will never watch ABC again and every time I see a reference to them in a news story I give it no credibility. I sure hope Tom Brokaw does not do that for NBC.
I used to listen to Al back during his Air America days and when you listen to someone long enough, you really do get a good chance to figure them out. I think he's going to make a damn fine Senator, probably for a very long time, and I know he's going to have the wingnuts in a state of frenzy the entire time. What a HUGE win this will be... talk about more and BETTER democrats.
Agreed. And a Grateful Dead fan as a Senator, channeling Jerry Garcia, would probably be a good thing these days...
Another pro-war pro-corporate DLC shill. Hope for small change!
are you an idiot? He's not pro-war and i HIGHLY doubt he's on the DLC.
LOL @ pro-corporate.
But Al Franken is definitely the next best thing. This is his first run for political office, but from everything I've seen and heard, Al Franken is politically very astute, and he has proven that he's not afraid to confront reichwing shills face to face and win.
The least we can do is vote for a guy that will fight against the bastards that are wrecking America. Norm Coleman is one of those bastards. He's a sleazeball that jumped parties to further his political career, and he voted over 90 percent of the time with King George and the BushCo Crime Syndicate. Norm Coleman has nothing positive to offer Minnesota or the nation. He had plenty of time to do good things, and well, the disasters we see today are what Norm Coleman helped bring about.
Al Franken is a big part of the answer. America doesn't need simply to replace corrupt Republicans with Democrats; America needs to elect smart, determined LIBERAL Democrats.
It is time to get back some of the money that Norm Coleman helped transfer from America's middle class to the wealthiest 1 percent. We have been losing the culture war for too long. We have had enough of the pillaging by Norm Coleman's economic royalists. Haven't we all had enough of Norm Coleman?
Let's hope the Dems are good at remodeling and renovation.
Looks like the White House and Congress have become total 'Fixer Uppers'.
http://www.wilytrax.com
The economic fate of the planet will be played out this week.
"Your overconfidence in the free market is your weakness."
"Your faith in government is yours."
** "You don't know the power of government healthcare. It is only for ME."
My wife & I are doing what we can to make sure we have 60...
Support the candidates regardless of where you live...
Franken was the godfather of the modern lefty media backlash. Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot was a precursor to an entire industry of progressive political humor. Air America (as imperfect as it was and is) created a market for lefty voices in the media. Without it there would be no Rachel Maddow. Not sure there would even be a Keith Olbermann.
Al took on the right-wing media before it was safe. Thank you Al!
Say it Bill-O: Senator Franken. :)
Actually it was safer "before it was safe" then because no one was paying attention.
Heck when they aired that ad that showed Al as angry against the GOP bastards, I actually said out loud. THATS WHY I WOULD VOTE FOR HIM. I think Al can thank Norm for part of this increase in the polls.
From your lips to God's ears!
I am hoping I can catch the first time that billo oliely has to say Senator Franken. I wonder if he'll be able to do it without vomiting. I hope not; Id love to see him spew chunks on the air! Talk about schadenfreude!!
Yes, I know Im being vindictive but its no more than that lying bully deserves!!! Its not as if Im advocating violence against that vile creature!
a smart, honest, and good man. He will make a fine Senator.
I just hopes he follows through with his plan from Lying Liars to impeach Bush on the day before he leaves office.
A good sense of humor is a great sign of intelligence. Try to write good comedy, that takes brains. Al will be able to see the humor in everything which will help him see both sides of a n issue. Of course you might find that to be elitest. I'd rather have very bright people and with a sense of humor.
That the Republicans are still focused on retaining power - rather than for example LEADING or actually fixing what's wrong with their party. That's just an example of why they don't deserve the power they have. If they wanted to convince the American people of their sincerity, the best place to start would be their own ranks. Larry Craig, David Vitter, Ted Stevens and should be out on their ass. Scooter Libby should be in jail. Anyone who abuses the trust of the American people should be as well. Bush, Cheney, Gonzales, Rumsfeld and the like should be impeached and brought up on charges as needed.
But they won't. Because they don't give as much of a fuck about this country as an intestinal parasite cares for it's host. If the host dies, yeah they'd be concerned because then they need to find some other society to infect. But beyond that, they don't care.
They care about one thing. Power and THAT is why they're terrified.
...NOT!!
Unless by novelty you mean that he is a breath of fresh air. Something new, and much needed in the Democratic Party. Hasn't there been enough of the same old same old centrism? It's time that the Dems own up to their liberalism, embrace it proudly, and turn the country around. After the latest $850 BILLION Republican boondoggle they sure don't have to run away every time someone points the 'tax and spend' finger.
in the Senate, they'll fall short of having a reliable cloture vote because of Lieberman and the Blue Dawg senators like the two Nelsons, Lincoln, Baucus, Carper, Landrieu (if she makes it back), Bayh and others.
The REALLY scary thought is that the Dims get 59 seats PLUS Loserman, and thereby are compelled to stick their tongues up his ass and lave his prostate for tactical reasons. Over the last 8 years, the Dims have developed quite a taste for GOP shit...
I believe Lieberman is up for reelection in 2010.
He'll be gone.
Also, never underestimate the possibility that with a big Democratic win...he loses his chairmanships, his prestige and decides to take a walk and go work for the Israeli lobby.
He was elected by the GOPukes and the Busheviks in 2006. Remember Ned LaMont?
I am completely certain that the Elitocrats will never concede their veto power in the Senate and that, therefore, even a wildly popular "Presnint Obama" will be unable to conduct the reforms (he says) he wants to enact.
Minnesota is the only state in the union to vote for Mondale in '84. They voted in Ventura for governor on a whim. There was no doubt in my mind that they would replace the incumbent with Al Franken.
"Well, let's not start sucking each other's d*cks quite yet."
Crisis Papers on DU: Can the GOP Steal The Election Again? You Betcha!
GOP Scaring Student Voters
However, voter turnout is the cure. Get the word out.
Obama/Biden 08
Oh Al's lookin' pretty presidential there,
You betcha!
)O(
232 years destroyed in 8 years. Laws passed to protect the political crooks, wiretaps, eavesdropping, Patriot's Axe, again and again it goes on. Cheney laughing in the face of requests for information on the Energy Commissions secret meetings. Bail outs which are handouts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcZSh1diQRQ
he's funny, and doggone it, people like him. Coleman and his badly capped teeth have got to go.
Franken is no "novelty" candidate. As anybody who listened to him on Air America Radio could tell you, Al did and does his homework. He loves our country and the people of Minnesota. And he cares about what happens to the vulnerable. Show me a republican--c'mon you guys--show me ONE--who cares about the vulnerable. The only vulnerability they care about is in financial markets. Vulnerable people? Not so much.
Read his books.....see his movie.
He's a good man for the job.....because he's a good man.
While I'll cheer as loudly as anyone over a Democratic shutout, we have to keep our eyes on the prize.
This time four years ago so many people were talking about Kerry's forthcoming victory that some people were wondering why we should bother with an election at all. With a Dem victory considered to be a slam dunk, the progressive community lost steam.
This, combined with a lot of GOP skulduggery probably cost us the election and gave us another four years of the fratboy in chief.
The train has to keep rolling, full steam ahead until after the election.
The 2004 was a virual tie going into election day, the 2000 race had Bush with a point lead. We had not seen such a big margin in twelve years. The closer the race the more likely of manipulation. I do not see it happening and the GOP does not seem, to care either.
make Bachmann go away. Preferably all the way to Guantanamo Bay.
I live in MN. Al Franken has a quiet track record of working to elect Democratic candidates in MN, even when he lived elsewhere, from Wellstone when he first ran for Senator to Congressman Tim Walz today. He has researched and written books about American politics that refute the lies and rely on fact-checking. He knows the state, but he also knows a wide range of people on a national level.He can speak at length and in depth about issues ranging from farming policy to foreign policy. I listened to a long double interview with him and his Democratic primary challenger, Jack Nelson-Pallmayer, and I came away convinced that while Jack more closely represented by views as a progressive, Al has my full suppport as someone who will be energetic and effective in public office.
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