Bush faces calamity as swing voters flock to the Democrats

[T_i_B]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article1927120.ece

Independent voters are flocking to the Democrats ahead of next month's mid-term congressional elections, strengthening the prospect of a resounding victory by the party in the House of Representatives, and boosting hopes that it could capture the Senate as well.

According to a poll in yesterday's Washington Post, self-proclaimed independents - who account for a third or so of the electorate - say they will vote for Democrats rather than Republicans in their congressional district by a margin of 59 per cent to 31, usually citing disillusion with war in Iraq as the prime reason.

However, the change of heart reflects no great surge in affection for the Democrats. Half of independents who had changed their minds said their vote would be in protest at Republican policies. Only 22 per cent said they were enthusiastically embracing Democrats.

In recent days, President George Bush has been trying his utmost to change the subject to his successes with the economy. He has used a string of appearances to point to solid growth, more jobs, and a surge on Wall Street which has led the Dow Jones Index to rise above 12,000 points for the first time. Yesterday, his aides summoned a group of conservative talk-radio hosts - crucial for getting out the Republican vote on 7 November - to spread the message to the faithful from a tent on the White House lawn that all is not yet lost.

[NMMNG]

1. For now I don't give a darn why they're voting Dem

Just as long as they're doing so. We can win them over between '06 and '08.

[Lasher]

2. I wonder how many ever enthusiastically embraced Republics?

Not many, I would say. What do you expect? They're Independents.

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3. I am sick of the Republicans touting the

big gains on the Dow. Sure, if you've got lots of money to invest it's good. Good also for the big corporations. The Dow reflects the huge profits many are making. But the Dow does not reflect the average person. As for job growth, many people who had lost their jobs have taken lower paying jobs. A lot of people are employed but underemployed. It's hard to buy this Wall Street surge when you aren't doing so well. And I am sure I am not the only one feeling this way.