Anger at Bush May Hurt GOP At Polls Turnout Could Favor Democrats

[jbfam4]

Anger at Bush May Hurt GOP At Polls
Turnout Could Favor Democrats

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/16/AR2006041600648_pf.html

By Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 17, 2006; A01



Intense and widespread opposition to President Bush is likely to be a sharp spur driving voters to the polls in this fall's midterm elections, according to strategists in both parties, a phenomenon that could give Democrats a turnout advantage over Republicans for the first time in recent years.

Polls have reflected voter discontent with Bush for many months, but as the election nears, operatives are paying special attention to one subset of the numbers. It is the wide disparity between the number of people who are passionate in their dislike of Bush vs. those who support him with equal fervor.

Lately, there have been a lot more of the former -- and even Republicans acknowledge that could spell trouble in closely contested congressional races.

"Angry voters turn out and vote their anger," said Glen Bolger, a pollster for several Republican congressional candidates. "Democrats will have an easier time of getting out their vote because of their intense disapproval of the president. That means we Republicans are going to have to bring our 'A' turnout game in November."

The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll showed 47 percent of voters "strongly" disapprove of Bush's job performance, vs. 20 percent who said they "strongly approve."

[babylonsister]

1. Bring on the well-deserved anger, repugs! nt

[aquart]

2. Okay, these polls only register "anger"

because they don't ask questions that register RAGE.

They should try that sometime.

[JPZenger]

3. In PA, anger at Santorum will help Dems in other races

In Pennsylvania, there is great hostility towards Santorum, who was Bush's greatest cheerleader for social security privatization. That hostility is expected to generate large turnout in the Philadelphia suburbs, which will help Governor Rendell's re-election and the Democratic challengers for Congress.

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Did you catch George Will's column in this morning's paper where he basically said that the Republican members of Congress have given people no reason to seek their re-election?