Hostile Ground
April 29th, 2008 at 10:11am Geoff
Laid witness to the Democrats’ perpetual exercise in fratricide, Republicans and supporters of Sen. McCain have steadily grown more bullish on their electoral prospects this coming November. They do not do so without cause, as the unique strength of Sen. McCain as a Republican candidate in this election environment and the weaknesses of the two Democrats being conspicuously exhibited in the light of day carry the potential of combining to create a delicious cocktail come November. But lest any Republicans grow too exuberant or overconfident, ample ingredients are simultaneously present with the potential to create a distinctly putrid cocktail as well.
A Republican has tenanted the White House for eight years now, circumstances conducive to the party in opposition winning the next election. In the last hundred years only once has a two-term president been succeeded by a member of his own party, in 1988 when George H.W. Bush won following eight years of President Reagan (I obviously do not count President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who won a record four terms, and his successor Harry S. Truman, who assumed office following FDR’s death shortly into his fourth term and won a term in his own right in 1948).
Specific to present circumstances, following the worst attack on American soil and two wars fought in one broad struggle, George W. Bush’s presidency has seemed longer than its eight years. Americans are ready to move on, and as the party in power Republicans up and down the ballot carry an extra burden this year in consequence. This is reflected in higher Democratic identification, primary participation, and fundraising.
Once the Democratic nominee is (finally) determined, he or she will likely be the beneficiary of a boost in polling and public standing thanks to at least some semblance of a Democratic coalescence around them and the subsequent favorable media attention it will garner. At that time the full force of the Democratic machine will mobilize behind the nominee with the full potential to overwhelm the Republican counterpart in the fall.
This all in amalgamation is ground favorable to Democrats, and distinctly so. History and present circumstances give them fertile ground for electoral victory in November, and they have the greater number of resources through which to till it. On this ground Sen. McCain and Republicans must fight, and though there is room to hope that winning this fight is possible, it will take a steely advance up a steep incline to do so. We should all be realistic about that.
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2 Comments
1. js | April 30th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
if republicans carry the burden of war…it is not because it was truely an unjust war…for in these conflicts, we have deposed tyrants, set free entire cultures that have lived in the bondage of tyrany for decades…irregardless of accusations of our own citizens and government officials describing our fight for freedom as war crimes and unjust…we have done for our brothers in Afghanistan and Iraq what our very own forefathers did for us…and that was only to give us a chance at liberty, free to pursue justice on this earth the way natures God, and the God of nature intended for us to do…
2. auditionis.info&hellip | May 1st, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Hostile Ground
Robertson, of course, endorsed Rudy Giuliani this year, and though he (thank God) lost to John McCain, McCain has actually kissed Falwell’s ring. So why no slamming McCain for his active courting of the Falwell/Robertson vote? …