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September 03, 2009
Hey Democrats, The Sky Is Not Falling
A familiar defeatist dirge can be heard these days, from the Democratic side of the American political landscape. And after 6 weeks of our beloved press characterizing the rantings of some extremist right-wingers at town hall meetings as mainstream opinion, it is not surprising that many Democrats have the jitters.
Yes, President Obama's poll numbers have come down over the last few months, but remember nearly half the country didn't vote for him in the first place, and the GOP's numbers are now so low it's hard to imagine they held the White House and Congress as recently as three years ago.
But polls, schmolls, right? Well, Joshua Grossman, at the excellent 538, offers more empirical evidence against the Chicken Little crowd -- actual election results. That's right folks, in two special election contests held Tuesday -- one in California and one in Iowa -- Democratic candidates performed almost exactly as one would expect, winning in Iowa, and dominating the jungle primary first round in California.
Is everything rosy for Democrats? Of course not. Health care reform is a real fight, as opponents have pretty effectively muddied the waters of public opinion, and while the national economy is beginning to show signs of life, average Americans aren't yet experiencing improvement.
Last time we checked, however, the midterm elections were scheduled for November 2010, not 2009. The political climate for Democrats may well be treacherous a year from now, but it may also be improved from today's situation. We simply do not yet know. A year is an eternity in politics -- just ask Mark Sanford.
So, stop cowering in the corner; stop obsessing over video of gun-toting "birthers". Get up, engage, and fight for progress.
Posted by houtopia at September 3, 2009 08:58 AM
Comments
Howdy Houtopia,
Good to see you back...hope the dearth of posts was due to lots of paying customers.
Posted by: Joe White at September 4, 2009 07:26 AM