Unless things change, I think the GOP is over as of November.

[benburch]

Murtha thinks that they will lose 50 house seats.

GOP officials here in Illinois are offering to help John Laesch defeat Dennis Hastert.

Gasoline prices are through the roof, and rightly or wrongly this is blamed on Bush.

Real wages (inflation adjusted) for college graduates have declined for six straight years.

Their President is at all time lows in popularity, and it looks like his little war in Iraq is about to experience a huge setback.

I think we might be seeing the actual meltdown of the GOP similar to the meltdown of the Whig party it replaced.

Comments welcome!

[AndyA]

1. I hope you and Murtha are right.

The world needs some relief from the GOP agenda. It serves no one except the GOP.

[formactv]

2. There only hope:

Rigging the elections again

[Ezlivin]

9. Rigged elections? All systems are go....

These guys are as devoted to rigging election as this nation was devoted to getting to the moon. I'm sure that a lot of the so-called "black budget" deals with our electoral system. Would anyone be surprised to discover a election control room somewhere under a mountain?

[Sherman A1]

3. I would love to believe that

and really, really hope that is the case. Just that little electronic voting and election stealing thing that sticks in my mind..... Hope you are right and my fears are unfounded.

[Poll_Blind]

4. I agree, but I fear, and this is a real, deeply-held belief of mine...

...that the United States, on a number of fronts, has sustained what historians of the future will simply describe as "Mortal blows to their system of democracy, economy, etc. from which they were never able to recover."

PB

[MissWaverly]

5. I think Bush is trying to broaden the Iraq War into WW III

He wants Israel to be attacked so he can ride to their rescue, he thinks that the American
people and the Congress will unite behind him as he leads us against the bad guys. He thinks
that then Americans will want the draft and the whole world will become involved with
the Middle East like they did with Europe in WW II. This is all to save the Republican
seats in the midterm elections.

[acmejack]

6. It would be the fulfillment of my fondest dream

And the very best thing that could happen to this Country, IMO.

[SteppingRazor]

7. I think we will take back the House...

but I don't think we'll do the same in the Senate, though we will close the gap.

And Bush will remain president through 2008.

And the 2008 presidential election will still be between GOP and Dem.

I think a Whig-like meltdown is so unlikely as to be impossible.

But, hell, I love an optimist! :toast:

[kurth]

8. Don't break out the champagne yet

There is nothing too dirty for the evil pigs.

[kansasblue]

10. 10/12

[porphyrian]

11. I generally think the idea of faith is shit...

...but this is something I could believe simply because I want to.

[saltpoint]

12. Can we move that timetable up to close-of-business Friday?

You put in some exciting propositions.

The GOP is going to have to take a long shower after Dubya leaves office, drink a torrent of hi-balls, go for a hell of a long walk on the beach, and do a little thinking about its future.

Somebody in that party needs to tell Jim Dobson et al to go straight to hell.

LET them break away and form their own party. It will isolate itself almost immediate and while the GOP takes a sturdy hit for one or two election cycles, it may survive, whereas if it lets Dobson's minions and rats run the show, it's going to collapse.

I like your post a lot.

[walldude]

13. I'm hoping for landslide victories

if the exit polls are close then there is a chance they can "steal" the elections again. If the exit polls are showing 60-65% victories there is no way they can steal without getting caught. People need to get out and vote.

[Richard Steele]

14. I am not nearly so optomistic as you, Ben.

I expect that their election theft will hit unprecedented levels,
and their bought-and-paid-for "official results" will show
them actually GAINING seats.

[benburch]

23. I don't think they can do this if the races are not close.

NOBODY will buy it.

[Richard Steele]

25. The public "buying it" is not a consideration to THEM these days.

Look at the blatantly fascist, unconstitutional, anti-democracy "ballot initiatives"
that were declared "passed" in the Ohio election last year.

Opinion polls showed that Ohio voters totally opposed them all;
the worst of the lot had a nearly 3/1 disapproval rating.

But the "official results" simply reversed the numbers,
and illegal laws which were opposed by 70% of Ohio voters
were declared to have won 70% of the vote.

EVERYONE knows that was bullshit, but no one did a goddamn thing about it.
And that's all that really matters to THEM.

You need to discard your "they can only steal the close ones" theory,
because reality disagrees with it.
They know they aren't FOOLING anyone; and they aren't bothering to even try anymore,
because WE have shown them that they don't have to.

You wanna know MY predictions for November?
Katharine Harris will be declared victorious in Florida, 52/48;
and the average voter will scream "bullshit!"
before they change the channel to watch American Idol.

Repeat that scenario 50x, and bet the house on it; we are gonna LOSE
representation come November.

[never_get_over_it]

27. I have to agree with you

I have been saying for ages what possible difference does it make if the vote is close or not. If they are electronically flipping the votes they can make it any freaking thing they want it to be. VNS took the blame in 2000, exit polls in 2004 - pretty soon there won't even be any exit polls. The media doesn't stand up - the Dems don't stand up - and anyone who does stand up is from the Michael Moore looney fringe extreme LIBERAL side of the party - do you remember the horrific things the repunks said during the protest of the Ohio vote - and of course if John Kerry couldn't be bothered to stand with Barbara Boxer how could we ever believe anything was wrong with the vote count - Kerry thought it was ok and he had the most to lose - right - wrong - WE ALL HAD THE MOST TO LOSE

I've already resigned myself to the fact that we will not win back the House or the Senate - that sinking feeling I got in 2004 hit much earlier this time - I know many people are fighting for fair and clean elections - but we are outnumbered by the crooks and the complacent

[Richard Steele]

34. And common sense tells us that they HAVE to steal this one.

They have painted themselves into a corner, they have no choice.

They have gone totally overboard with the theivery and corruption
for 6 years now; the corrupt administrations of the past
never even DREAMED of stripping this nation to the bone
the way BushCabal™ has done.

They know perfectly well that if they lose their (R) majority in the Houses of Congress,
they will spend the rest of their lives in prison.

It's really just that simple.

[Minnesota Libra]

15. There is one thing that could spell absolute defeat for liberals.......

.....though, and that is the pervasive view of those left of the middle concerning the issue of Israel.

[Nite Owl]

16. I sure hope you are right

but never discount the stupidity of the American public to continue to take a beating! Logically their tactics shouldn't work but they hit emotional points.
The message fromt he Dems should be 'It's the Republican party, * is the symptom not the cause.'

[buff2]

17. I thought they were finished in 04

I thought bu$h could not be "re-elected" again and I thought the repukes would lose their power grab. I was wrong on both counts.Election fraud is the only thing that saves them.

[ixion]

18. I'll take that bet

because I think the game is rigged. ;-)

[MadHound]

19. I want some of what you're taking ben, 'cause I'm not seeing that at all

Granted, I'm deeply cynical, but looking at how the Dems are so deeply divided, pro-war vs anti-war, the leftists against the rest of the party, now the pro Israel against the anti-Israel, this party is entirely too divided and pissed off at itself to be truly successful this fall. Add to that the machinations of Rove and the rest of Bushco between now and November, the racheting up of the media spin cycle, and the neo-cons control of the voting machines, well sorry, but I just don't have much hope.

I sadly think that we're going to see Republican majorities returned to both houses of Congress, and quite possibly state races also. I hope I'm wrong on this one, but sadly I don't think I will be.

[AlinPA]

20. I am hopeful, but not that confident. The slimy pigs will roll out the

old "God, Guns, Gays and Flags" issues and will pull in all the religious, bible thumping, hate filled, bigoted, gun nut, flag waving asshole voters. Throw in a little hate the immigrants and that should just about make a very, very tight race.

[meisje]

21. Step away from the kool aid!

[Hubert Flottz]

22. I see the meltdown coming too.

But I'm very afraid that the fighting will start in our country too. I think the GOP getting caught red handed at election theft, might trigger the masses to revolt. It's always been about the "Will Of The People" in America.

The will of the lobbyists, overriding the will of the people and the bogus vote counting has reached critical mass. The useless GOP congress and corrupt partisan judges are as wrong as Bush has been for America and it's coming to a head!

[eppur_se_muova]

24. About time the Whigs were joined in obscurity by Repugs. nt

[benburch]

26. Only if we WORK for that day, friend.

See you in the streets!

[w8liftinglady]

28. I hope so!If only it could be so!

[Rex]

29. I hope you're right Ben

DC insiders say that no matter how bad things get, Repukes will still win. If they do it will be so close that no one will be able to call election fraud. 52 to 48 is my prediction for most rigged elections. Sorry, but I just don't trust elections anymore. I'll still vote, just in my heart won't think it will count for much.

[Marr]

30. Wouldn't it just be poetic if Bush destroyed the GOP, just as he's

destroyed everything else he's ever touched?

[Cleita]

31. Just to make sure they are gone in November send

positive thoughts, prayers, meditation or whatever you can do towards our candidates so that they will win.

[Poiuyt]

32. Don't forget redistricting and the power of the incumbency

People may hate Congress and think that the nation would be better off with Democrats, but they will still think that their own Congressman/Senator is doing well. Maybe they have done a favor for them in the past. It will take a huge turn to unseat a sitting politician. Add to that people who would rather chew off their own arm than vote for a Democrat.

On the other hand, Howard Fineman was talking about a poll on Hardball tonight that asked people how they feel about replacing their own Congressman and most said they would prefer someone new. That's the first time I've heard that.

I don't know. Republicans are just so good at winning elections. They look at politics as all-out, take-no-prisoners war. Smear campaigns, yuppie riots, election fraud. That's hard to overcome.

[Strelnikov_]

35. Dems Have To Get 61% Of The Congressional Vote To Break Even

Heard this on Hartmann (I think) the other day.

Has to do with the extreme gerrymandering of Districts that has been going on. Many of the Reich Districts are safe.

[LeftCoast]

33. Ben, you bring up an interesting point.

First, let me say, I'm a hopeful skeptic about November. I'm very concerned about turnout in the elections we've held so far. It's not been great. Also, there's a lot less national cohesiveness on the part of the Democrats than I'd like. That having been said, the polling and fundraising numbers look fantastic, so we could very well end up in control of both houses as you seem to imply.

So let's go with that for the moment. It's November. Democrats have won stunning victories across the country. There's a paty at DU like you've never seen. :) But the RW machine is still there. Daily blast-faxes to the media continue. FoxNews talking heads blather Republican propaganda. And how much do you want to bet, the supine media suddenly realizes that it's important to do cutting edge investigative reports on Congress? Then, of course, there are the Republicans themselves. The message is already being laid that it wasn't their ideology that caused them to lose, but rather that they weren't 'true conservatives'. The beast will continue to live on.

My greatest fear is that a win in November will cause people to drop their guard. This is an ongoing struggle and we are nowhere near the end. The Republicans were out of power for nearly 50 years. They've had a long time to plan and they have an incredible operation. One election isn't going to end their party.

[benburch]

39. If we win in November...

...I will NOT rest until I see the GOP destroyed, and many of them up on charges.

[mnhtnbb]

36. Don't forget the R's are counting the votes. Don't be surprised

when nothing changes in November.

[Imagevision]

37. I have a crummy feeling the computers will keep enough GOP'ers in place

I believe Bushco stole the election in 04 and will simply do it again come November...Diebold still says; "no need for paper trails"

[upi402]

38. okay *that* half of the cup is full...

:grouphug: :hug: :pals: O8)

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

40. ...

:popcorn:

[LaPera]

41. Ben, your so optimistic....I love it!!!!

Or are you just throwing it out there for debate....You think the fascist who control the voting are just going to lie down, when they have control and won't do everything to, yo, to hold their majority?

Knowing so many (republicans)will have to face their crimes...impeachment, and/or jail?

And it pays to steal, cuz no way (with the machines) can any one dispute, no way to dispute the results....Not that the Dem's elected to office, would evn try.

ALL we can hope for is if everyone simply says (machines) PROVE IT!!!

[EFerrari]

42. In a fair election, they'd so be toast.

But, this year, HAVA is being implemented

But2, this year, there are election reform groups all over fighting like momma lions.

Wild cards.

It won't be boring, that's for sure!

:kick: