Public Opinion Watch 2/23/06
February 23rd, 2006 | by Paul Merda |We may still be 8 months away from the mid-term elections but the Dems continue to hold the high ground. Although, this isn’t because the American Public think the Dems have much to offer, 26% polled think the GOP has a good plan for America but only 23% think the Dems have a good plan. It seems the only thing keeping the Dems afloat these days are the collossal bungles the GOP keeps getting mired in:
Iraq - 55% of those polled think Iraq was a mistake from the get-go
Economy - While the Market is doing good and new home starts were up in January, a majority of Americans rate the Economy as fair or poor.
While things may not be going well for the GOP, Ruy says “it seems the Democrats would be ill-advised to just coast into November, presuming to win big simply on the basis of GOP woes. They still need something clear and cogent to say. And, no, “We can do better” is probably not it.” Can you hear us Mr. Dean?
5 Responses to “Public Opinion Watch 2/23/06”
By Ditto on Feb 23, 2006 | Reply
George Will said in the lastest Newsweek… “the party in power in Washington has done much to earn a rebuke but the opposition party has done nothing to earn a reward.” The whole article is a valuable review of the possibile outcome for the next election.
Unless we want this mess to continue into the next administration and beyond moderate GOPers, Indies and Democrats need a leader with a message. Whoever I’m afraid another Rebuplican WH, regardless of who it is, will just continue with the same ill-advised, self-serving approach to running (fleecing) the country because of the backroom, good-ole-boy systems established under Bush Dick & Co.
But who…?
By Jet on Feb 23, 2006 | Reply
John Conyers
By ken grandlund on Feb 23, 2006 | Reply
Surprising (or maybe not) is that these polls don’t follow up with the obvious- “If opinion is so low for both major parties, would you vote for an independent, non-partisan candidate? Would you trust an independent candidate more than a Republican or Democrat to put America back on the right path?”
See, for all the whining about both parties (much of it justified IMO), the public isn’t given the notion that there are more than just two choices. Instead, most talk of third party or non affiliated candidates is laughed off as “throwing away your vote.” I would submit that a continued vote for either of the two main parties is more of a throw-away than voting non-partisan, independent, or third party. After all, opinion is so low for the Reps. and Dems. that this seems the most logical choice.
Don’t throw away your vote any more. Choose neither Republican or Democrat!
By Dr. Forbush on Feb 23, 2006 | Reply
Ken,
I have voted neither many many times before. But, that won’t change the politics of Washington. And, Minnesota voted inpedendent they got a pro-wrestler for a governor. I think John McCain is on to something by staying in the Republican Party and working to change it from within. It seems to me that this effort will payoff for him, the Republican Party and America. Exposing the Neo-cons has already gotten people to say, “wait a minute, these are the idiots I voted into office.” Maybe the died in the wool Republicans will pay closer attention to the Primaries, instead of just throwing in their lot with the Party Recomendations.
By ken grandlund on Feb 23, 2006 | Reply
Doc- If the foundation of your house has only 23-26% integrity left to it, it is sometimes better to move out than to rebuild. My point is that if the levels of confidence in both parties is so low, as it seems to be, why would people continue to throw in with them? Does confidence have to approach zero before people decide to try something, anything, new?
Certainly if the attitude “well they are terrible but that’s all we’ve got” prevails, then nothing will change. Desperately clinging to a label that has become meaningless is not progress. It is futility. We don’t have to cling to the two party system if it is abyssmally failing both sides. But until people stop insisting that anything but sticking with the “Big Two” is throwing away a vote, we will continue this slide.
The parties only have the power that we give them.