Kristol, NYT: Republicans see the weaknesses of party and McCain, assume Obama will prevail

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Who ultimately wins? In politics, as in life, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Many Republicans I know see the weaknesses of their party and of the McCain campaign all too clearly, and assume Obama will prevail.

But a surprising number of Democrats with whom I’ve spoken expect a McCain victory. One told me he was struck by the current polls showing a dead-even race, suggesting both a surprising openness to McCain among Americans who disapprove of Bush and a striking hesitation among the same voters about Obama.

Then there’s the fact that we’re at war. As a Congressional staffer put it, “Here’s something to consider: Although Hillary will be out in May, she may determine the outcome in November. McCain’s secret weapon — among Clinton supporters — may be Hillary’s 3 a.m. national security ad.”

And an experienced Democratic operative e-mailed: “Finally, I think McCain’s going to win. Obama isn’t growing in stature. Once I thought he could be Jimmy Carter, but now he reminds me more of Michael Dukakis with the flag lapel thing and defending Wright. Plus he doesn’t have a clue how to talk to the middle class. He’s in the Stevenson reform mold out of Illinois, with a dash of Harvard disease thrown in.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/07/opinion/07kristol.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=bill%20Kristol&st=nyt&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[u2spirit]

1. What sucks is that Kristol is never right

sigh

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. Yeah, he likes to position himself as someone with his "finger on the pulse"...

...and nothing could be further from the truth.

[GarbagemanLB]

2. Is this the same guy that used a false Newsmax story in one of his articles?

[ulysses]

4. "experienced Democratic operative"

We still don't know who any of these schmoes actually *are*, do we?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

6. Yes...I had to make sure to include that part...

...Kristol's like the old-school Hollywood gossip columnists: "My sources tell me..."

:rofl:

[ulysses]

8. it's not just Kristol.

These "operatives" and "strategists" who, poor souls, seem to not have been given names of their own, are ubiquitous in the press and every last one of them spouts this pseudo-DLC shit. I'm always reminded of "Dem_Strategist", the wanking wonk who graced us with his presence on DU four years ago long enough to drop the hilarity that, while we're playing checkers, Kerry prefers chess.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. They are the people he imagines he's talking to whenever he drops acid. Which

would also explain that that shit eating grin he always has.

[Yurovsky]

5. It will come down to getting out the base ...

and I've always held that Obama or HRC would do a better job of getting out the Dem base than gramps would do in getting out the GOP base. No way the bible-thumping/home-schooling/snake-handling wing of the GOP comes out to vote for gramps (well, maybe if he makes Huckleberry the VP, but that would kill gramps' chances with independents).

I see a big Dem win in November. If HRC drops out after PA, and Obama has 6.5 months to pound gramps & W, we could see a landslide (60+ in the senate, increased House majority, etc). It might finally be safe for poor John Paul Stephens to retire. Who knows, one or two appointments might be enough to get some of the crazy Roberts-court BS reversed.

At the very least, the war will end soon and health care will become more accessible to all. I expect both within the first year if my landslide forecast pans out.

GOBAMA!

[ayak9]

9. An electoral tidal wave

This is my greatest hope for Obama v. McCain. Absent a false flag-type terrorist attack, the Pukes aren't going to survive in any recognizable form. When poeple get their fill of stupidly high gas prices, continuing $12 billion/month cost of Iraq fiasco, home repossessions, corporate welfare, insane foreign policy, innumerable scandals, etc.,etc., the Republican brand will be forever diminished.

Obama, with his new politics, represents a movement, which has the capacity to roll over the political landscape like that tidal wave that hit in Indonesia - wiping away all the decay and older structures so that they can be replaced by new more workable ones. Then, we might actually be able to procede into the 21st century, like we might have - had Gore been elected in 2000. As it now stands, it may take us 40 years to undo the damage the Bushies have wrought. A Bandeh Aceh-type tidal wave this election would really help effect that change.