The halo effect. Tip O'Neill said that all politics are local. Not last night. All politics were national. 6 years of negativity about the President paid off. Every election was a test of Obama's popularity.
Too many Americans have become "dumb" voters, they vote on little more than emotion. They feel upset at DC so they knee jerk vote for the party that doesn't control the White House...even though it is the party they're voting for that has caused the problems that led to their being upset.
It's election night and there's no better place to spend it than in our real time live chat here at PlanetPOV!
A lot of money has been spent on a tiny Missouri state assemby race by the GOP....by our estimates six times the average. Why? There is no way she was ever going to win. Why throw so much money at so small a race?
The Grand Strategy at Work!
Has this ever worked? Have Democrats ever succeeded as a party by agreeing with Republicans, "I suppose you're right, The President from our party IS a dick!"? If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, the Democratic Party may need to hold its next convention in Arkham Asylum.
The Republican tension between satisfying the base and appealing to the entire electorate will be made significantly worse if the party controls both houses of Congress. The Republicans will get almost none of the practical things they want, and their political headaches will be multiplied.
Martha Coakley reminds me of Hillary Clinton to the extent that she is clearly intelligent, cares about the issues, yet fails to connect to the citizenry.
Democrats this election have done a good job attracting a lot of big on the record public donors, but Republicans appear to have the big advantage when it comes to big secret donors. $794 Million for the GOP vs. $463 Million for the Dems. That’s a $331 Million advantage for the GOP.
The vast majority of politicians run in whatever direction will get them the most votes. Liberals will pretend to be conservatives on pivotal issues (knowing that their base will still vote for them) to pick up some conservative votes. Conservatives will pretend to be liberals on pivotal issues (knowing that their base will still vote for them) to pick up some liberals votes.
I am working for a Democratic State Senatorial Candidate running against a GOP incumbent....and it looks like the incumbent will slide to an easy win despite the fact that he is opposed to what most of his constituents want and need.
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I Believe in God, But I Hate Religion Part 2
The thought of eternal suffering is a significant motivator for those who are strong in their religious beliefs. It is also conducive to those who push various religious doctrines on their congregants to keep them in line.
People Are Stupid
“Democratic republics are more likely to perish through misuse of power than through lack of it.” — Tocqueville Democracy in America . It’s as if Tocqueville looked into the future.