Where does this defeatism come from? Everywhere you turn there are talking heads and even some Republicans conceding the next Presidency to the Democrats. I see it on TV in the papers and in blogs, and it’s getting me sick! Do I have to remind you all that.it was just 3 years ago that W was reelected and the word realignment was being thrown around to explain the Republican victories? Bush 43 went against history in two of the three elections His first midterm was historic, taking the majority back in the Senate which had been lost because of a defector—and the second getting reelected and keeping his majority in both houses.
Remember the red and blue maps? How can anyone think the country is so shallow that it can turn its politics around in one midterm election cycle? What happened in 2006 ranked average with last off-year elections in two-term presidencies. .
Why now is it supposed to mean doom? It’s not because the Democrats are winning their agenda in Washington. The IRS is more popular than Congress. The more the Democrats try to pass their agenda the more they’re reminding people why voters had thrown them out earlier.
Is it the unpopular war? Well as I wrote over a month ago the war is now something that should be embraced by the GOP, not only because it is almost time to claim victory but because by next years elections it won’t be front page material. The so-called mainstream media prove my point every day when there is no mention of Iraq on the nation’s front pages or leading off the evening network news. There’s a duly elected government in Iraq. All sides are cooperating to bring an end to violence and to share the wealth from their massive oil reserves.
Is everything perfect? No, it’s on the right track.
Were the Republicans correct to stand with the troops and trust the force of freedom? Yes.
Is North Korea at the table and (at least) pretending to be part of the world? Yes.
Is Iran a problem? Yes! Can we afford to allow them to build a nuke? No.
Republicans were correct in all these cases and Democrats look like the 1960’s radicals they used to be. And worst of all the Democrats told all who would listen that the United States had already lost in Iraq before the surge even went into effect. The American people will remember this for decades. National security will continue to be their weakness for generations as it has been since the 60’s.
Maybe it’s the economy that scares Republicans.
Is unemployment is at a record low? Have markets regained the losses from the tech bubble? Are interest rates are still low? Every time :bad news” emanates from “mainstream news” there is a reversal within days of “surprising numbers” proving the economy is not really as bad as they thought.
We were told the job outlook was bad and the economy was slowing until the numbers for October came out and there was a “surprise” again. Here is a quote from November 2nd Wall Street Journal “October was the strongest non-farm employment gain in 5 months. It follows news of the strongest GDP gain in six quarters from earlier this week”
More: “Hard evidence on the economy meanwhile, continues to show amazing resiliency.”
Not only is the housing “crisis” overblown but the situation will not even be talked about by the next election.
Look, it’s never easy to win the presidency but regularly the American people choose conservatism over liberalism. Bill Clinton ran as a supposed “moderate” southern Democrat and never received 50% of the vote. So, explain to me then how Hillary will get more running as a east coast liberal.
The two Democratic frontrunners are the weakest candidates to be put up by a party in decades. Senator Obama is a leftist socialist and babe in the woods where foreign policy is concerned. He is the candidate of one of the most corrupt political organizations of all time, the Cook County Democratic party.
We haven’t scratched the surface of that party’s malfeasance yet.. Senator Clinton is where she is because of who her husband is. These aren’t candidates who bring big ideas or experience. They are celebrities who stress one issue—“cut and run” from the war. And on this they have been proven wrong. .
The only thing that can hurt GOP chances of retaining the White House is a third party run from a pro lifer because the party ignored its base. While it’s a possibility, why do we assume that the GOP base has changed from 3 years ago?
Some might have been disillusioned but there is nothing better at bringing us together than those left-wingers who hate America and everything it stands for.
All in all I say the outlook is great for a GOP victory in 2008. I have won two dinner bets in a row 2000 and 2004. I have already made my dinner bet for this election and once again aim to collect.
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Jim Leahy, an incorrigible conservative optimist, is a regular columnist for The Chicago Daily Observer. In this piece he said something about betting with Tom Roeser but there is no proof of that bet so the reference was deleted—TR