Ssssshhh! This is the Reason We're so Frayed & Combative Right Now:

[The Backlash Cometh]

It's because, at some base level, we know that the next presidential election is going to be determined by the Democratic primary. Just take a look at Kramer's meltdown and tell me it isn't so:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x45379

Don't get too excited, because, for the average American, it's going to be a Pyrrhic victory. Whether the corporations succeed in electing their candidate or we get to elect ours, it will still mean great sacrifice from the middle class. And it's going to be very hard to do, I'll tell you now, knowing that this group of scoundrels are going to get a chance to leave office and enjoy their mint juleps, served to them by servants working for them at cut-rate cost.

[Buzz Clik]

1. If, by this:

It's because, at some base level, we know that the next presidential election is going to be determined by the Democratic primary.

If you mean that who we nominate will dictate whether or not we can win, I agree. If you mean we are anxious because we know that our nominee is guaranteed to be the next President, I totally disagree.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Kramer was just a visual graphic.

Salin gave me the biggest clue in another thread. None of the Republicans are raising a whole lot of money. That's unthinkable.

I'm pretty sure that the Moderate Republican, remembering the good times under Bill Clinton, are banking on Hillary Clinton, and of course, all the Independents and Democrats will vote for her if she makes it through the primaries.

[Buzz Clik]

Oh, man! I cannot agree.

I must admit that I don't have hundreds of Republican friends, but I do have a couple dozen. I cannot think of one who would vote for her under any circumstances.

I recognize that, much to my dismay, she is wooing the moderate faction of the right wing, and she's wooing them with enthusiasm. But, I dunno. I don't see it. It certainly won't be a slam dunk.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. I think the moderates will vote for any Democrat. Especially Hillary.

Conservatives will put up a fight, but I think that the powers behind the media will be on the Democrat's side, regardless of who is running.

[Buzz Clik]

7. That's my hope as well.

[salin]

9. I am in a red state... and have watched many

republicans first recoil from Bush, then from the national level party (not the local party as much). There is a huge shift going on.

Last week there was an item in the HILL - conservatives (led by Norquist) trying to get the WH to change its rhetoric on Iraq. Not the strategy, mind you, but the rhetoric - to include an indication of troops leaving (fat chance - as bush would never do that) - why? They fear that a whole generation of voters is being lost to them - and indeed it is. Here in red-state central - an effort to get a "gay marraige amendment" on the ballot FAILED - the goal was to drive the far right to the polls - but the effort was stalled. A few years ago this would have kept the tide running.

We are not to a point where there is a chance that this state will go blue at the pres. level (haven't done that since LBJ in 1964) but THREE congressional seats flipped to dem in 2006 - and if that is happening here... the states right around us (think OHIO and, increasingly... even Kentucky) are shifting as well.

Don't get me as being complacent - I will work my ass off for the democratic candidate. But that said, never in my lifetime I have I seen a political season such as this. I do think that it is nearly inevitable that the dem nominee becomes president.

Heck - listen to the repub candidates speeches... bush policy a; bush policy b; bush policy c... and so on - they are running on bush, while they run away from him as a person. No wonder their fundraising is so flat.

Here in the redstate... I have personally heard a number of people who used to sneer as they mentioned Hillary Clinton's name... speak positively of her, and of the Clinton years. (Blow me over with a feather... seriously). I am not a huge Hillary fan, but if she can garner repub support here... I think that ANY of the democratic candidates can. Seriously. And if one shifts Indiana to a close (but not won) state - i predict that many former close states become "take" states.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. I don't know how they're going to make up the deficit if they're already behind

in campaign money. And if, as you mentioned in your thread, that the Dems are at least succeeding in getting the Bush Administration to admit to mistakes, it is going to be even harder for the RNC and GOP to use them in campaign fund raising.

[Buzz Clik]

14. Interesting analysis. Many thanks.

[OwnedByFerrets]

12. You are so correct.....

I know MANY republicans who "may" vote for a democrat in the general election, but NONE, ZERO, ZILCH will vote for HC. For some reason, there is just that much hatred of the Clinton name. Like it not, its the truth.

[Robbien]

4. I wonder how much the Abramoff scandal and breakup of Delay's PAC

have to do with GOPer's fundraising woes. Abramoff/Delay and Cunningham and so on, delivered the goods to the GOP. They just have not established another fund raising scheme to replace it.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. You can't count on the Christian Right, either, for fund raising. The guy who took over

for Ralph Reed was incredibly stupid enough to think they would be easily exploited...again.

[Robbien]

10. Dobson is their money man now with his "Family" groups

but I hear that his major funder, the Faith Based Initiative of the Federal Government, is having a harder time slipping Dobson money these days.

[CrispyQ]

3. They control the voting machines,

therefore they control the winner of the dem primary. We will get the dem candidate that the MIC wants.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. I think we've reached saturation level with Republicans.

As Salin's posts point out, the Dems may appear to be caving in, but they are getting the Bush Administration to reveal a lot of dirty little secrets. And even if the average Repub voter doesn't understand it all, the powers that be do. This government's credibility is busted. Going out and selling ourselves as a bastion of democracy to other nations isn't going to sell anymore. So, we need a new face. Ergo, a Democrat.

The real protector of the status quo is the Senate, anyways. We wouldn't even know if they really had all the votes, would we? They could be telling us all kinds of lies just to follow a course of action that they came up with behind closed doors

[ProdigalJunkMail]

13. i was going to say Chemtrails were the reason... n/t