Here we go again
The 2008 elections are shaping up to be a huge let-down for the Democrats.
In 2004 even though the historic precedent sided against the Democrats they felt they could take the presidency. Bush was unpopular and the Congress wasn't accomplishing much. The left-wing blogs were abuzz with the Democrats chance to take back the White House. We all know how that ended.
Fast-forward to now.
The Democrats have a historic chance to sweep into the Congress (more-so than they did in 2006) and Bush is as unpopular as ever with approval ratings being south of 50% for much of his second term. Left-leaning blogs are abuzz with Obama's message of "change" and McCain's inability to distance himself from Bush's failed policies.
Even with all of the "indicators" showing that this election season will be monumental for the Democrats, I plead with them and the left leaning blogs to err on the side of caution. We've been down this road before and it promises to be every bit as ugly as 2000 and 2004.
Indicators like polls. Around this time in the 2004 elections Kerry was up 5-8 points in the national polling. Gore was actually down in the days leading up to the 2000 election. Polls are a decent indicator of what is happening at that moment. A snapshot of time. Between now and election day though, they are pretty much worthless to anyone involved in a campaign.
Aura of inevitability.
People, blogs, whoever will say they aren't saying their candidate/party will win in 2008. But, they are in the very fact that "glow" about their candidates positives and dwell on the other candidates negatives. The smaller blogs I can see, but the bigger blogs (Powerline, DailyKos, Huffington Post, Drudge Report - to name a few) I believe have a duty to call it down the middle. Not go for the common lowest denominator. They don't have to run towards the center, they just have to be fair in their reporting/editorializing.
Why Al Franken is looked over and Ann Coulter is demonized in books is not because of their politics. It's because Coulter makes things up and Franken (usually) fact checks. Extensively.
I just ask, please, don't get ahead of yourselves in naming a president either directly or indirectly before hand.
You never know who will be president-elect November 5th.
In 2004 even though the historic precedent sided against the Democrats they felt they could take the presidency. Bush was unpopular and the Congress wasn't accomplishing much. The left-wing blogs were abuzz with the Democrats chance to take back the White House. We all know how that ended.
Fast-forward to now.
The Democrats have a historic chance to sweep into the Congress (more-so than they did in 2006) and Bush is as unpopular as ever with approval ratings being south of 50% for much of his second term. Left-leaning blogs are abuzz with Obama's message of "change" and McCain's inability to distance himself from Bush's failed policies.
Even with all of the "indicators" showing that this election season will be monumental for the Democrats, I plead with them and the left leaning blogs to err on the side of caution. We've been down this road before and it promises to be every bit as ugly as 2000 and 2004.
Indicators like polls. Around this time in the 2004 elections Kerry was up 5-8 points in the national polling. Gore was actually down in the days leading up to the 2000 election. Polls are a decent indicator of what is happening at that moment. A snapshot of time. Between now and election day though, they are pretty much worthless to anyone involved in a campaign.
Aura of inevitability.
People, blogs, whoever will say they aren't saying their candidate/party will win in 2008. But, they are in the very fact that "glow" about their candidates positives and dwell on the other candidates negatives. The smaller blogs I can see, but the bigger blogs (Powerline, DailyKos, Huffington Post, Drudge Report - to name a few) I believe have a duty to call it down the middle. Not go for the common lowest denominator. They don't have to run towards the center, they just have to be fair in their reporting/editorializing.
Why Al Franken is looked over and Ann Coulter is demonized in books is not because of their politics. It's because Coulter makes things up and Franken (usually) fact checks. Extensively.
I just ask, please, don't get ahead of yourselves in naming a president either directly or indirectly before hand.
You never know who will be president-elect November 5th.
