Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Weekly Steyn

Mark Steyn does not think the Democrats can take advantage of Republican weakness. He uses Joe Lieberman's primary struggles as evidence:

...the revealing development is Joe Lieberman's troubles in Connecticut. Six years ago, he was the party's beaming vice presidential nominee. Two years ago, he was an also-ran for the presidential nomination. This summer, he's an incumbent senator struggling not to lose in his own primary to a candidate who's the darling of the anti-war netroots left. What's the senator done to offend the base? Nothing -- except be broadly supportive of the Iraq campaign and other military goals in the war on terror. He's one of a very few Democrats who give the impression they'd like America to win.

[...]

The mistake the media make is to assume that the 60, 80, 97.43 percent of the electorate that "disapproves" of Bush is therefore pro-Democrat. I doubt it. On the Republican side, some of those antipathetic to Bush were never in favor of liberating Iraq but figure now we're in it we need to win it. Others were in favor but revile Bush for pussyfooting around not just with the insurgents but with the Iranians and the Syrians. Others are broadly supportive of Bush on the war but are furious with him for supporting the No Mexican Left Behind immigration bill. None of these demographics seems particularly fertile soil for the Democratic Party, especially a Democratic Party willing to devour Joe Lieberman in the interests of Defeaticrat purity.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think Steyn misunderstands how opposition parties win in mid-term elections. I have no idea how the midterms will pan out--but the polls reveal that Bush's base is less motivated than the Democrat's base. This isn't about Republicans turning out for Democrats but in a tightly contested election--a 10% to 15% decrease in turnout is very significant. Again, I am not making predictions but that is the point of the president's lackluster poll numbers. As for Lieberman (for the sake of full disclosure if he was the nominee in 2004 I was set to be his delegate from Southeast Ohio) the polls I have seen have shown him significantly ahead--he is nowhere near the sub-50% approval ratings which are the warning signs for an incumbent.

Tom said...

All good points Jeff. However, it is at least upsetting that Lieberman is getting any challenge at all from that clown.

Anonymous said...

Ned Lamont?

Can anyone seriously want to send that guy to Washington?

I mean really....