Rasmussen poll: Bush approval ratings hit new low

I agree and have to watch this trainwreck while opportunity passes by. (1.00 / 1)

End this nomination nonsense now. I am an unabashed Obama supporter.

However I am a Democrat. The opportunity is right there to hold the House, Senate and the Executive office in my lifetime.

Yet the two are dragging this out and the golden opportunity with it. From now on, the longer it is undecided, damage will be inflicted upon the eventual candidate.

Why is this thing not brokered by cool thinking heads? One of the two should have taken their medicine and throw it in for the party. That is the organized way to do it. The taking back of the country is far greater than the ambitions of any one person.

The Democratic party under Howard Dean's leadership has been as bizarre as his war hoop that ended his presidential dream. I blame Dean for screwing this up. It is right there for the taking and yet we still are risking it all over two egos and a party leader who is ineffective.

Just my own humble opinion. Really, please let's not waste an opportunity like this. I will take either candidate. One I will rejoice in and the other I will hold my nose and connect the black line next to her name.

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by: doxie53 @ Sat May 03, 2008 at 22:07:59 PM UTC

Yeah, damn that Dean! (4.00 / 2)

That jerk, first his "fifty state strategy", then forcing MI and FLA to flip off the DNC and break the rules, now he doesn't even step in in boss the candidates around!  Throw in the fact the the Dems are out-fundraising the Rethugs on every level and what do you have?  Dean the Disaster!

I never cease to be amazed at the stuff I read from supposed political astute/aware/involved people around here!

Julie

To prepare for when your life flashes before your eyes, make sure it's fun to watch.

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by: JNelson @ Sun May 04, 2008 at 01:44:01 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Julie, you may want to take a look at (0.00 / 0)

this before you go making smart ass comments like that. I agree Dean has been effective in some ways but his handling of the primary situation hasn't been one of them. He was outsmarted by the Republicans in Michigan and Florida and now he is getting burned in the fund raising game too.  

The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: michmark @ Sun May 04, 2008 at 02:07:09 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Funny (4.00 / 2)

but Terry McCauluff (?) was able to force Levin et al to back down back in 2004 when he was head of the DNC and nobody is raking his ass across the coals.

Enough is enough...the responsibility for screw the people of Michigan is with the Democratic Party leaders of Michigan.

It's like blaming the cop who gave you a ticket for running a stop sign.

We knew the rules...we broke them...quite whining about it and take the punishment.

Good God, I hope the give us extra punishment just for being an extra special WATBs about the whole thing...

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by: Nazgul35 @ Sun May 04, 2008 at 02:39:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Two points (0.00 / 0)

The Republicans, in the same two primaries(Mich and Florida) did not have problems. Their candidates campaigned, Republicans voted, everyone went home happy. The Democrats-enough has been said about that. Now the RNC is flush with cash while the DNC is broke. I am not saying it was all Howard Deans fault by any means. Just pointing out that he did not make the moves that his RNC counterpart did and not only do we have disgruntled Dems in Florida and Michigan but we have a DNC operating at a big financial disadvantage to the RNC.

The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: michmark @ Sun May 04, 2008 at 02:59:20 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The money deficiency (0.00 / 0)

is being directed at the 50-state strategy...so it is being spent.

Dean out raised McCauliff over a similar time period. I recommend you go back and compare that data.

Are you suggesting he should stop paying for it?

Also, the insiders hate Dean and what he represents, the grass roots getting a bigger role at the table...they have stopped giving cash so that they can in fact blame Dean for not being good...

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by: Nazgul35 @ Mon May 05, 2008 at 00:36:01 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That doesn't change a thing, (0.00 / 0)

Look at the tools provided by the DNC to the states.  The DNC has heavily invested in building state parties where there used to be none.  They have provided the tools for the state and local parties to effectively fundraise and to help candidates to do so too.

When I was the 4th District chair I raised some money for the district.  Nothing jaw dropping of course but it was all invested by the time I left the chair.  I drove all over the district trying to help the counties build their parties, even had the district pay for mailings from the counties to potential members.  I took a look at what was left after that and we gave the bulk of it to our congressional candidate, after investing in fundraising events for him.

In the end many county parties as well as candidates had lots more money than the district.  It was money well spent then and it is now.  I think we are far better off with a national strategy that includes the whole nation and I'd sure rather see the money spent on that than sat on and doled out like Rockefeller dimes by the likes of Terry McAuliffe (to candidates who have proven to need it the least).  

Another thing to consider is the long primary.  Look at the cash those are taking in?  Compare RNC numbers PLUS McLAme numbers and you still cannot beat DNC PLUS Obama PLUS Clinton numbers.  So yes, I believe my point is still correct, we're out raising the R's on every level from national on down.

But hey, I do agree to a point that Dean was "outsmarted" by some in FLA and MI, I wish I could believe happy things like that it was limited to the R's stirring the shit up in those states.  I envy you on that count.  It has been absolutely no secret that the Clintons and their supporters do not like Howard Dean and there's the likes of Brewer who, if he had his way, we'd have the likes of Donnie Fowler for our DNC chair (someone hold me!), so yeah, they've managed to stick it to him for their various reasons pretty successfully.  I mean, we have people right here in MI who are convinced Dean is to blame for MI and FLA breaking the rules and contributing GREATLY to the primary debacle, so what's that tell ya?.

But if you would like to write off my previous remark as simple smart-assery containing nothing of merit you are certainly welcome to do so.  I say once the primary's over the cash flow will even increase it's insane levels to the Dems and the DNC will get a bigger slice of it, in spite of certain groups' not-so-subtle campaigns to undermine Dean at any cost.

Julie  

To prepare for when your life flashes before your eyes, make sure it's fun to watch.

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by: JNelson @ Sun May 04, 2008 at 02:54:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I strongly agree (4.00 / 1)

that Deans 50 state strategy has been effective and give him credit for its implementation. And it's great that Clinton and Obama are able to raise that amount of money but look at what it's being used for. To tear each other down. Will there be any left when one of them gets to McSame? I hope you are right on that point.

By the way, Brewer was a key Dean supporter when Dean won the DNC chair.  

The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: michmark @ Sun May 04, 2008 at 03:08:06 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That Brewer switch to Dean (0.00 / 0)

musta come when it was abundantly clear Donnie wasn't going to win.  

I will never forget being with Brewer soon after that DNC election at an event.  He appeared to be genuinely puzzled over the fact Dean was so popular everywhere he went.  Said everybody wanted to talk/ask about Dean.  I still believe he's puzzled by it and remain unconvinced he's a whole-hearted supporter.  That's just my impression of course, not trying to pass that off as fact.

Julie


To prepare for when your life flashes before your eyes, make sure it's fun to watch.

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by: JNelson @ Sun May 04, 2008 at 04:15:44 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

From where I sit (4.00 / 2)

First a disclaimer: I have no party affiliation and am not endorsing anyone.

In spite of the race and gender carnival, multiple factors point to a Democratic advantage in November.

1. 41 percent of Americans consider themselves Dems. according to an April Rasmussen poll. Only 31 percent consider themselves Republicans.

2. After two Bush terms we are in a deep economic recession

3. Iraq

4. President Bush's disapproval ratings

Since the GOP cannot run on the Bush record, however, things are likely to get nasty. Will the DEMS be able to capitalize on this advantage in the face of ugly negative campaigning? Will they shoot themselves in the foot by taking the "high road" like Kerry? Will they expect voters to be rational or will they acknowledge and emotional component to voter behavior? Negative campaigning hits that irrational, emotional place. It is effective because it taps a conditioned response. What symbol or meme can the DEMS promote that will overcome any powerful negative the GOP concocts?

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by: cew @ Sun May 04, 2008 at 10:59:09 AM UTC