The woms are turning and turning, the soil is churning, and the Senate

[Skidmore]

had better start noticing the earth is shifting beneath their feet.

We live in a very Republican area of the state--a place where farmers are convinced that the "death tax" means imminent loss of their farms before they die. They register Republic, vote Republic, and preach Republic. At least they have in the past. My hubby stops by a local bar once in a while to catch up with the guys. Well, he hadn't been there for a long time and decided to drop by last night. He didn't get home until about midnight--really late for him. Well, all the regulars were there and they spent the entire evening on what about Little Boots that pissed them off the most. Their grievances were many, including the war, border security, price of gas, Scootering (cuz none of them bubbas would be able to get by with fibbin' to the law), immigration, loss of jobs, price of everything, high local taxes...you name it. They were unhappy. Most frequent statment of the evening was "they need to impeach him and soon." Every other paragraph contained some reference to impeaching "the sumabitch."

Now what don't these people in DC get about the will of the people?

[madokie]

1. I'm hearing the same things around here

lots of long faces and shaking heads

[kstewart33]

2. Great story.

It's the first thing I've read online this morning; it's making my coffee taste better!

[Captain Hilts]

3. But are the "Aspens turning"? nt

[Skidmore]

5. By the time this is done with the aspens are going to fall into

the freakin' underworld.

[HereSince1628]

4. Fear of Bush should be the biggest fear, the biggest threat of loss

Conservatives respond strongly to fear of loss and it is indeed time for major blowback onto the Cheney administration that has been using fear to destroy America.

[MissWaverly]

10. Fear of losing $$$$$ is the biggiest Puke fear

loss of K street lobbyists, loss of corporate backing, loss of their base-the top 2% percent.

[Skidmore]

12. They'll always have the top 2%. That is essentially the Republic

party. The top 2% and anyone else they can buy or convince that the stand a whimper of a chance to expand the ranks of the uberrich to 3%. You know, those guys who are just one quarter away from the jackpot on the casino slot machine or one lottery ticket away from having more money than brains.

[MissWaverly]

13. not necessarily, top 2% only loyalty is to winners

and to their own wallets, they will not invest in something that is not a sure winner, remember the Lieberman contest, they abandoned
the GOP candidate to go with the Dem who was loyal to big pharma and was considered a sure thing.

[TahitiNut]

15. The "top 2%" hedge their bets on both sides.

They're mostly investors in their own narrow interests and can't afford to be blind partisans. The corporatists keep a blue stable and a red stable, and invest in people, regardless of party, who'll benefit them the most. Wealth and power are their only ideologies.

[Horse with no Name]

17. The DLC exists for that sole purpose.

They are the corporate master's blue stable.

[HereSince1628]

16. Yes, but conservative personalities aren't all Republican.

It's social-pyschologists claim that conservatives are most motivated by threat and fear of loss. And loss can indeed be personal wealth, but like the definition of an asset (something of value, something of worth) the object of loss can also be ambiguous.

IF manipulation of public opinion of conservative personalities is the goal, BOTH Democrats and Republicans can play that game. Democrats just need to point to losses and threats of losses such as those suggested in the OP. That sort of fear can be used to swing conservatives votes to issues that are important to Democrats.

[GregD]

6. Mount Shasta, CA

We have a street fair in town this week and are operating a voter registration booth. The Repubicans didn't bother to show up, even though they rented their normal space. Makes me wonder why.

[paulk]

7. the real question is

who are these people going to vote for in 2008? Is that desire for impeaching Bush going to translate into a desire for voting Democratic? Or will they vote for the Republican who replaces Bush if there is an impeachment?

[Skidmore]

8. Some will likely vote Democratic, but my guess is many more

will stay home. Right now, I think they will focus their anger on *, and he'll serve as a lightning rod for their anger. But I believe impeachment of * and Cheney will leave such a sour taste for the Republic party that it will take decades for them to recuperate.

[pretzel4gore]

9. and the pigmedia? outsmarted by dubia too?

the worm turn when these tough guys go after rush and bellow really etc...according to mike lind's 'up from conservativism' that conspiracy goes back to before regan (and it twas the red staters who were targeted for the big con, not us)

[kestrel91316]

11. Dems control the house. If they don't vote to impeach Bush, the

Republicans who hate Bush will hold it against them and STILL vote Republican next time.

[TahitiNut]

14. "... but (name a Democrat) would be even worse."

This is the caboose to that train of thought I keep hearing from Reichbots. This, imho, is the poison of partisanship - that somehow the shameful and appalling performance of "one of their own" is an exception to the superiority of the Party. (I hear it on the "left" as well.)

[Ms. Clio]

18. k&r

they get it just fine; they are just fully prepared to ignore it.

[marlakay]

19. I live in a pretty red area and its the same here

no one likes him anymore. All the church ladies in my bookclub are talking about dem candidates and wondering which is the best. I have been keeping quiet as it is a small town and I am new from CA. I keep low profile but its interesting what is happening. We read Truman a few months ago so I was able to put in democrat points of view and sneak them in.

[Stinky The Clown]

20. Ha .... short story about the will of the people .......

.... today we were in Costco. In the produce section, I'm saying to Sparkly, "Hey, we can buy these raspberries. They're Product of the USA." Some guy overhears me and chimes in that he's been *really* reading labels lately, too. He said he was scared about all the stuff about tainted Chinese crap. Then he goes off about American farmers getting driven out of business, etc., etc. He says "That Bush better do something to fix all this."

Stinky (me) sez back, "Yeah! Like resign."

The guy smiles and sez, "Damn right!" Another guy and his wife are hearing this and they smile, too. The wife says, "Or be impeached."

Yeah ...... I'd say people are pissed off and their will is to have the Bush boy out of office one way or another.

[babylonsister]

21. I heard it on a plane today from two sources, and they weren't

whispering!
And someone needs to tell Pat Buchanan that the average schmo might in fact 'get' what went down with Libby. He claims most Americans don't understand or care; I think he might be wrong. While some surely don't care, there are more than he might realize who are incensed.

[Arugula Latte]

22. Well, where I live (Portland, Ore.) we hated Bush before hating Bush was cool.

Nobody I know more than just a passing acquaintance has ever liked Bush. Nobody changed their tune after 9-11 -- they still hated him and saw through the fakery.

So, it's nice to hear these anecdotes about redder areas ...

[bvar22]

23. If you live in rural America and have contact with farmers,

then here is a great site for you. It lists the NAMES and AMOUNTS of "Farm Subsidies" received by individuals in YOUR county!...NAMES and Amounts!!!

http://www.ewg.org/

This informaation will open some eyes in your community!