Thursday, July 22, 2004
Panic Sets In for Republicans
Josh Marshall suggests that the leaking of the Berger story is just plain old-fashioned panic on the part of the GOP.
This observation makes a fair amount of sense. Pre-eminent poll analyst Ruy Teixeira's got a few posts up about the rather dismal poll numbers the Bush administration is having to come to grips with -- W is apparently falling behind Kerry before the Democratic National Convention and they're facing the fact that he may not be able to climb out afterwards.
Furthermore, polls are now showing Kerry significantly ahead (Kerry 47%, Bush 41%) in the "swing states" which has to be contributing to the recently stampeding of the GOP herd on the Berger story.
If the economy, which has shown considerable signs of weakness of late, backslides further, W and the boys are in even bigger trouble. In that event, one could see a few of the "red" states turn "blue." Heck, apparently Kerry has now drawn even with Bush in, of all places, Arizona.
Folks, if W can't win Arizona, he's in really deep doo-doo.
Therefore, as Republicans have begun to realize over the last few days that their incumbent is in big trouble (incumbents that poll in the forties in June haven't won a presidential race in more than fifty years) they have begun to grasp at anything in a vain attempt to keep their guy in the game.
That's why they're pounding on the Berger thing.
It's about all they've got.
This observation makes a fair amount of sense. Pre-eminent poll analyst Ruy Teixeira's got a few posts up about the rather dismal poll numbers the Bush administration is having to come to grips with -- W is apparently falling behind Kerry before the Democratic National Convention and they're facing the fact that he may not be able to climb out afterwards.
Furthermore, polls are now showing Kerry significantly ahead (Kerry 47%, Bush 41%) in the "swing states" which has to be contributing to the recently stampeding of the GOP herd on the Berger story.
If the economy, which has shown considerable signs of weakness of late, backslides further, W and the boys are in even bigger trouble. In that event, one could see a few of the "red" states turn "blue." Heck, apparently Kerry has now drawn even with Bush in, of all places, Arizona.
Folks, if W can't win Arizona, he's in really deep doo-doo.
Therefore, as Republicans have begun to realize over the last few days that their incumbent is in big trouble (incumbents that poll in the forties in June haven't won a presidential race in more than fifty years) they have begun to grasp at anything in a vain attempt to keep their guy in the game.
That's why they're pounding on the Berger thing.
It's about all they've got.
