Okay, where are we now? Nationally, locally, politically ........

[Stinky The Clown]

Last night was probably the most fun we've had in a while. The dirty wine glasses at the Stinky/Sparkly abode sit by the sink, along with the other detritus of a pleasant evening of small scale celebration. Awaiting clean-up.

But now, instead of dealing with the dishwasher, we muse ......

The Democrats are lining up behind Ned Lamont - as well they should. One by one, Democratic notables and Democratic organizations are making statements of support and endorsement, with some writing checks. This is a good thing.

Elsewhere, polls seem to be increasingly favoring the Democrats - both incumbents and challengers.

While the Lamont-Lieberman primary dust-up dominated the last few news cycles - and rightly so - things on other fronts have hardly been stagnant. Cynthia McKinney, on whom I hold no meaningful opinion, lost to another Democrat in a run-off in Georgia. Up in a rural area of Michigan, however, a true right wing fringe loony (pro death penalty for being gay!?!) won a primary against a more 'moderate' incumbent Republican. Of course, we won't hear the blatherings of Ken Mehlman regarding this one!

Some see things as a struggle between the left wing nutters and more reasonable moderates. But the facts give lie to that view. People - just ordinary folks, as Il Dunce so loves to frame them - are just plain pissed off. And that's a bipartisan sentiment.

Let's keep something in mind. The Bushpublicans control **everything** right now. On our side, the push seems to be not to purge but to simply bring the party back to where it rightly belongs - smack dab in the middle of the mainstream. Anti war is part of it. The vast majority of the country is anti war. Better said, anti *this* war. While there are some dogmatic pacifists on the left, they are not the majority. They may not even be very representative of the larger party body. No matter. Last night showed pretty clearly that it was much more than the war. Much more. As always, the one note band is the exception among voters. The electorate is far more of a symphony.

Things on the right, however, are shaping up even worse for *their* party. Look back at that Michigan primary for a clue. The more moderate nutter lost to a far right fringe nutter. That can't be good. Talk about being out of step. I see this as but one more indication that the Republicans, for all their seeming unity, are about to implode. The 'values' crowd haven't gotten diddly squat in the 6-plus years the Bushpublicans have held sway. And they're pissed. Meanwhile, at the other end, their more traditional party members - you know ..... fiscal conservatives - are equally disenchanted. There is an increasing din decrying the outrageous deficits, the ill-advisedness of the tax cuts, the profligate war spending. Just recently, we've been declared a debtor nation. This is NOT their father's Republican Party.

So, the Republicans are at least as split as the Democrats are purported to be. The traditional base feels abandoned as their party has moved hard to the right. But obviously not far enough right to please the fringe 'values' nutters.

To muse further, perhaps with a sprinkle of wishful thinking, it seems very possible that the traditional Republican base might well be disposed to support a Democratic candidate. Not all of them, to be sure, but quite possibly enough to swing things our way in November. Meanwhile, feeling equally unfulfilled, the far right fringe element is in a punishing mood (aren't they always?). What will they do? I'm not sure we'll see an outright split with the Republicans ..... yet. But they may well sit this one out. Or they'll push for even wackier loons than they accuse us of selecting (again - see Michigan). Either way, it favors us.

The traditional media is doing horse race coverage. No one seems to be talking about underlying issues and citizen sentiment - except as it amplifies their narrow and often inaccurate horse race handicapping.

I admit it. My head may not be all that clear this morning. It might be the result of last night's Cline Big Break old vine zinfandel, vintage 2000. It may be the afterglow of the political orgasm we all experienced because of Ned Lamont. No matter .....

Today I'm feeling pretty good. I'm feeling that we have been heard. I'm feeling that we got everyone's attention. I'm feeling that, as we're ascendant, the other side's not. I'm feeling that our side's elected officials are more ready to engage us out here in Voterville in real dialog.

Most of all, I'm feeling it is about damned time that we have more to be hopeful about **after** an election than before one.

Ya want some of this Zin?

[chill_wind]

1. Sober as a judge this A.M., but I promise to celebrate, as we all should

"like a bunch of drunken Hessians" :-) (Josh Marshall- TPM) if we manage to capture one or both majorities in Congress

Here's his Election Central poll smatterings for today:

Latest Polls
Race Pollster Released Candidates
RI-SEN Rasmussen Aug 9 Whitehouse (D) 44%, Chafee (R) 38%
RI-GOV Rasmussen Aug 9 Carcieri (R) 43%, Fogarty (D) 43%
TX-SEN Rasmussen Aug 9 Hutchinson (R) 61%, Radnofsky (D) 31%
OH-SEN SurveyUSA Aug 9 Brown (D) 49%, DeWine (R) 41%
OH-GOV SurveyUSA Aug 8 Strickland (D): 57%, Blackwell (R): 35%
VT-SEN Rasmussen Aug 8 Sanders (Ind) 62%, Tarrant (R) 34%
VT-SEN Rasmussen Aug 8 Sanders (Ind) 70%, Parke (R) 23%
VT-GOV Rasmussen Aug 8 Douglas (R) 55%, Parker (D) 37%
AK-GOV Rasmussen Aug 8 GOP Prim: Palin (R) 43%, Binkley (R) 30%, Murkowski (R) 17%
AK-GOV Rasmussen Aug 8 Knowles (D) 58%, Murkowski (R) 29%
AL-GOV Rasmussen Aug 8 Riley (R) 55%, Baxley (D) 35%
FL-13 Tarr Group (R) Aug 8 GOP Prim: Hudson (R) 35%, Buchanan (R) 23%
Bush Wash Post Aug 8 Approve 40%, Disapprove 58%
Congress Wash Post Aug 8 Anti-incumbent 53%, Pro-incum 29 %
Congress Wash Post Aug 8 Democrats 52%, Republicans 39 %
MI-SEN SurveyUSA Aug 7 GOP Prim: Bouchard (R) 56%, Butler (R) 33%
CO-07 SurveyUSA Aug 7 Dem Prim: Perlmutter (D) 49%, Lamm (D) 37%
NV-SEN Rasmussen Aug 7 Ensign (R) 46%, Carter (D) 38%
MN-GOV Rasmussen Aug 7 Pawlenty (R) 46%, Hatch (D) 36%
MN-SEN Rasmussen Aug 7 Klobuchar (DFL) 50%, Kennedy (R) 38%
GA-04 Ins Advan Aug 7 Dem Prim: Johnson 53%, McKinney 40%
NY-SEN Siena Res Aug 7 Clinton (D) 58%, Spencer (R) 32%
NY-GOV Siena Res Aug 7 Suozzi (D) 40%, Faso (R) 22%
NY-AG Siena Res Aug 7 Green (D) 41%, Pirro (R) 37%
NY-AG Siena Res Aug 7 Cuomo (D) 50%, Pirro (R) 35%
NY-GOV Siena Res Aug 7 Spitzer (D) 70%, Faso (R) 17%

K&R

edit to add link: http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/