...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Wednesday, January 28, 2004
      ( 1:13 PM )
 
Day After Machinations

Just felt like using a big word. Well, obviously my prediction abilities leave something to be desired. I got everything really REALLY wrong. Oh well, at least I didn't bet money. I think the absolute BEST news coming out of NH yesterday was posted by Kos earlier today:

The best story of the night? The one that should
unite us all? From the Republican primary results:

Bush 57,670
Kerry 835
Dean 633
Clark 545
Edwards 541

That's over 2,500 registered Republicans who
wrote in a Democrat in their ballot.

That's got to scare the shit out of Rove.

With that many crossover republicans in just a small state like NH, now is the time to start considering the fact that we don't only have to appeal to our base, but we may just have the ability to draw away republican voters who voted Bush in 2000. What candidate can best do that? From this sample result, it looks like any one of our top candidates can do that, but realistically the one with most appealing record for Republicans has to be Dean, with his fiscally conservative record, his record on guns, and his stance on the economy and jobs. In a general election, I still can't see how John Kerry can appeal to possible cross-over republican voters over Bush (except for veterans).

In my own opinion, Dean's post election speech last night was the best I've ever heard him give and by far outshined any of the other candidates'. He stayed on target with all the issues, gave an entire theme of hope and his entire soliloquy about bringing back community was unscripted and very well put. And the crowd enormous. I hope it gets a lot of airplay - though I'm not holding my breath.

People seem to think that Kerry, now that he's the frontrunner, will get the same treatment from the press. I'm not holding my breath on that one. For one thing, he's almost too boring to attack, unless the media wants to talk issues - and when do they ever do that? He is touting his veteran status big time (because he's so weak on his voting record and lacks so much passion), yet he has not offered one piece of veteran policy as part of his platform. Does just being a veteran make you a good president? Well, it certainly is one up on our current president, but the issues people are voting on are domestic. That's why Dean has to keep touting the message he made last night and why the people of the southwest and other states will hopefully take another look at the fact that Kerry doesn't hold the same fiscally conservative creds, nor does he have the experience of working with an obtuse legislature to balance a budget or provide health care for all chidren in his state. To all those dems who think Iowa and NH decided this race, you are wrong. This is a true, old - fashioned race for the delegate counts. Dean is still ahead in delegates, counting super delegates, and if he gets the right strategy going into February, Kerry isn't in the home stretch.

People, stop voting out of fear. Vote out of hope and stick with the candidate that stands strongly for Americans. Any one of our guys will beat Bush, I have that confidence - it's too early to throw in the towel, no matter who you support. Vote your guy, but don't vote because you're afraid. That's just what Karl Rove is hoping for.

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