2010 Election: Worst Case Scenario an Unlikely Scenario...?

[evildevil]

Likely Voters and Unlikely Scenarios

As I've been telling people all week here in Pittsburgh, there's ample reason for Democrats to be worried -- perhaps deeply so -- about 2010. Without major intervening events like 9/11, the party that wins the White House almost always loses seats at the midterm elections -- since World War II, an average of 17

Comments

[dwer]

If the electorate that goes to the polls next November is in fact one which trusts Republicans more than Democrats on education and social security

Except the GOP hasn't given the electorate any reason to trust them. Some form of health care reform will get passed. The economy is (slowly) improving. Our international standing has improved. Obama is by no means perfect, but the GOP doesn't really have ANYONE more attractive then the Democratic incumbents. There's no way in hell that Toomy is going to win a senate race in Pennsylvania.

[jaded110]

I hope you're right, I really do. I've never been this disappointed in someone I voted for.

[dwer]

well, I didn't even vote for Obama. After his turn-around on the FISA vote, I couldn't do it.

But who else have you voted for? I'm from illinois, so I get to vote for Durbin. I'm fairly happy with him. I didn't vote for Blago, either time. I did vote for George Ryan, who put a moratorium on the death penalty, I was happy about that, but not the truck drivers license thingy.

The last presidential candidate I voted for who won was Clinton I. Didn't vote for Clinton II. I would have happily voted for Jimmy Carter.

[jaded110]

Actually, I voted for Kerry in 2004, but he lost. President Obama is the first Democratic Presidential nominee I've voted for and supported that won. I didn't vote for Gore because I was too young and I wasn't registered to vote until I was 22.

[bellichka]

You couldn't have voted for Kerry if you didn't register until you were 22, b/c we're the same age, and I was 20 when Kerry ran. *confuzzled*

[jaded110]

You're right, because I turned 21 in December.

Sorry, my brain is fried.

[bellichka]

actually it would have been 20 in december, b/c I was 20 in february of that same year. So you were 19 at the time?

lol my brain is fried too, it's hot as fuck here, and I've gotten no sleep. woiejowiejfowiejf

[jaded110]

Gah, I shouldn't think at this time of night...

[bellichka]

Well, you've never had someone you voted for win. We'd find fault no matter who won, we all would have been bitching if Kerry had won in 04. Focus on the positives and what's been accomplished only 7 months in, because no matter any mistakes Obama's made, we're still a hell of a lot better off had the alternative become reality.

[jaded110]

Yeah, if McCain was around, health care reform wouldn't even be an option.

[bellichka]

And you know what? If some watered-down version gets passed, I'm okay with that (for now). It gets people talking. It gets them thinking. And it brings the issues to the front burner. Look at gay marriage... first civil unions in a couple of states, and now 6 states have legalized it. By 2012 or 2016 I think we're going to see a lot more. Whatever gets the ball rolling, I'm okay with that. We could be doing a lot more, but at least we're aware and it's become an important issue.

[jaded110]

Exactly. We're only seven months in to a four year term. Not everything is going to get done in a year, or even four years.

[my_private_muse]

I'm relieved that someone is still being optimistic. But as of late, I've lost faith in all kind of shit.

Health care reform = Obama is a socialist Nazi Hilter Kenyan Muzlim Anti-Christ!!111

[thebigbadbutch]

The Democrats hadn't given the public any reason to trust them in 2006 either. All they did from 2000-2003 was bend over backwards to keep Bush and co. from getting mad at them and then in 2004-2006 the Democrat's party platform was "We're not Bush". The Republicans are just taking this a step further and saying "We're not Obama and we're not supporting anything he does".

[dwer]

we'll see. The campaigns I saw last year and the year before were far more substantive then "we're not Bush".