Republicans: Terror, Terror, Terror; Public and Dems: Iraq, Iraq, Iraq

by DemFromCT

Desperate Republicans, terrfied of getting clobbered this fall,  are trying to terror-fy the narrative. But it just ain't working the way it used to.

Unlike in the 2004 election, when Republicans clearly benefited from the terrorism issue and a general sense of insecurity among many voters, the politics are muddled this year. The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, conducted last week, found Democrats with an eight-point edge when people were asked which party they trusted more to handle terrorism issues.

"I can't help but admit that I had a small knot in my stomach this morning," said Democratic pollster Mark Mellman. "It was eerily familiar. But upon reflection, we are in a fundamentally different place in 2006 than we were in 2002 and 2004. For two or three generations, Republicans have, in the main, had a very substantial advantage on national security. The reality is, they have squandered that advantage in the sands of Iraq."

A tie doesn't help Rs because it's all they have. We all know what they're doing. My God, even the press knows what they're doing. And this time they're actually writing about it.

At the very least, the arrests in Britain were viewed by both parties as something of an August surprise, the kind of event that can change the story line of a campaign. The critical question now is the extent to which the fall campaign will be fought over the war in Iraq, something Republicans would like to avoid at all costs, or the overall campaign on terror, the only major issue where Republicans have consistently held an advantage over Democrats.

But in a sign of how this campaign might be different, Democrats struck a tone notably different from the elections of 2004 and 2002, when for the most part their strategy was to try to turn the subject away from national security. This time, Democrats attacked Republicans as failing to improve airline security and, most of all, argued that the decision to invade Iraq had been a distraction that depleted United States resources and allowed the world to become more dangerous.

How about that? instead of just swooning and writing positive GOP spin, there is actually some ananysis in the two major papers. That's not what the WH wanted. This was supposed to be a full court blitz to take back the narrative from now until fall. Reporters are supposed to write what the WH tells them to.

Hey, fellas. Thank you. This is not only not 1972, it isn't even 2004.

Republicans have become increasingly alarmed that the war might drag down incumbents. A senior Republican consultant with ties to the White House, who was granted anonymity so he could describe internal research for a Republican member of Congress, said he had recently conducted a focus group in a highly contested Congressional district in the Philadelphia suburbs.

He was shocked, he said, at the degree of hostility among Republicans toward the war, even accounting for the fact that Northeast Republicans are more moderate than their counterparts in the rest of the country.

The importance of the struggle by both parties on whether this was an election season debate about terrorism or about the war in Iraq was demonstrated in a New York Times/CBS News poll late last month. Forty-two percent of Americans said they thought the Republicans were more likely than Democrats to make the right decision about the war on terror. The same percentage said they thought Democrats were more likely to make the right decisions about the war in Iraq.

Ah, that must be the angry left Republicans, not to be confused with the angry left Democrats that voted for Lamont. But since the truth is that they're all irate moderates, it must be the reason behind the 33% approval rating Bush got in the AP-Ipsos poll today. No wonder the WH is making a political issue out of their incompetence.

33 percent of Americans approved of his handling of the Iraq war, also a record low. On Bush's foreign policy in general, 40 percent said they approved of his administration's diplomacy overseas and in the war against terror, down from 44 percent a month earlier, the survey showed.

I wonder why they don't want to talk about Iraq?

Comments

[DemFromCT]

check the headline:

Cheney Accused of Politicizing Terrorism.

it's getting to the point where you can scratch Cheney and add Lieberman.

[demtom]

Bill Schneider did a similar report on CNN today, explaining the way each party viewed yesterday's raid -- GOP saying it showed success in war on terror; Dems saying it showed failure of Iraq -- and, to Schneider's credit, he never for a moment suggested the GOP's view wiould hold sway. (Mike Allen might look to him for journalism pointers)

The AP and Fox polls do alot to negate the 40% ABC/Wash Post was pushing the other day. Bush is back down to truly toxic territory.

[DemFromCT]

demtom, I so rarely contradict you, but the 33-40% range is exactly where Bush has been for a year. The difference is the loose R's that come and go, weekly it seems, based on what Bush has screwed up last. It's really above and below that where news is made... 29% or 42% would be a remarkable poll.

Everyone else hates him (shocking anyone who actually asks - see main post).

He was shocked, he said, at the degree of hostility among Republicans toward the war, even accounting for the fact that Northeast Republicans are more moderate than their counterparts in the rest of the country.

While the comment refers to the war, it reminds one of the shock at how much Bush was disliked during the 2004 primaries evinced by Chris matthews

[KdmFromPhila]

The comments about the Phila suburbs, where I live now, sound right. In May, there was a special election for a state senate seat here (19th district). The R candidate was supposed to win a "slam dunk" election. (Their word, not mine). The Dem candidate Andy Dinniman, won (that was a surprise) by 13% (that was a stunning surprise). The turnout among Dems and Indies was unusually high (does that sound like CT on Aug 8th?) But he owed his margin to a number of Rs who crossed party lines. Apparently, moderate Rs wanted to send a message to their own elected officials. To put the election in perspective, no Dem has represented the district in the state senate since the Civil War. We'll see whether Lois Murphy benefits from the mood here.

[DemFromCT]

here's the key from the AP, more than Bush's number:

More sobering for the GOP are the number of voters who backed Bush in 2004 who are ready to vote Democratic in the fall's congressional elections - 19 percent. These one-time Bush voters are more likely to be female, self-described moderates, low- to middle-income and from the Northeast and Midwest.

Two years after giving the Republican president another term, more than half of these voters - 57 percent - disapprove of the job Bush is doing.

"The signs now point to the most likely outcome of Democrats gaining control of the House," said Robert Erikson, a Columbia University political science
professor.

To my knowledge, that is new.

[Mimikatz]

Those women, I believe, are the ones who were affected most by Katrina. They saw that Bush wouldn't protect them or their families. More terror alerts just reinforces that peception. Plus, women have never been behind the war. It would be nice if the traditional media would get some of this so we wouldnlt have to keep saying it over and over. There is still a lot of work to do, but I now see the Dems gaining 20 House seats and at least 5 Senate seats.

[bugsy]

A couple of questions to US airport security personnel:

Why are you confiscating bottles of 'potentially explosive liquids' and
tossing them into bins located in the middle of crowds of passengers milling
about long lines queued at airport terminals?
Why are you having passengers emptying bottles of 'potentially explosive
liquids' into open plastic garbage containers also located in the
middle of crowded terminals?
Don't you think there is a slight chance that
'potentially explosive liquids' explode when tossed or mixed with the same?
What planet are you from?

[Sara]

Bugsy, I hope however they collect it all, they have the sense to sort it and make it available in homeless shelters and like places. Shampoo, after shave, even the sun block -- let's hope they get in touch with the non-profits and put it to use.

[Sara]

Bugsy, I hope however they collect it all, they have the sense to sort it and make it available in homeless shelters and like places. Shampoo, after shave, even the sun block -- let's hope they get in touch with the non-profits and put it to use.

[bugsy]

One more question:

Why mightn't some asshole terrorist, upon seeing a binful of 'potentially
explosive liquids' sitting in the middle of a crowded terminal, want to take
the opportunity to set it off?
Thanks for thinking our security for us, so we don't have to! (to paraphrase zefrank)

[bugsy]

Sara, that would be the only redeeming thing to do, after all the disruption!

[kaleidescope]

I had a chat with opposing counsel today. This guy is a moderate Republican "environmental" lawyer who represents polluters. He's a long standing partner at Latham & Watkins, a giant industry-oriented law factory. With no prompting, he told me how angry he is with the Bush Administration because of global warming. This colored all his remarks, but he was also very clear about the money wasted in Iraq.

This San Francisco Republican told me his family has a house on Cape Cod that's been in the family for generations. It's in his name. He's thinking about selling it because of the inevitable rise in sea levels that will put it under water. I told him about my house in Arcata that's at 5' above sea level. He said, "sell it right now."

There is a class of thinking Republicans out there and they are very very fed up with Bubble Boy.

The DLC says we should be appealing to these people. Usually that translates to acting more like Republicans. At this point I say it's exactly the opposite. These Republicans know bullshit when they see it. They want something they see as real. And that means taking Bush on on the most existential terms -- wasted money and squandered opportunity in Iraq and NOTHING on global warming.

[Dismayed]

Yea, Kaleidescope. Yes, yes, yes. This planet is all man has or ever will have. I was an Environmental Engineer for 13 years. We are in so much deeper shit than even the audiences of "An Incovieniet Truth" realize. We need a Manhatten project to work this NOW. The importance of all other issues pales in comparison and it will never be addressed in an honest fashion without a change in leadership.

[irene]

DemFromCT, about your first comment...

check the headline: Cheney Accused of Politicizing Terrorism

i misread that as: Cheney Accused of Political Terrorism.

ha! is it a crime yet?

[Elizabeth Brady]

DemFromCT - If you think Republican spin about terrorism isn't working check out the clip "Politics of Terrorism" from today's Hardball. The right wing Terry Jeffrey clearly implies the the Democrats stand on warrantless wiretapping would prevent us from being able to uncover plots like the one the Brits just thwarted. Guess what! Neither MSM journalist (Roger Simon and Ann Kornbluth) nor Mr. Matthews batted an eye. They can't possibly believe that the FISA court would refuse a warrant under such circumstances, but did any of them point this out? Of course not. Viewers were left with the clear impression that Democrats think such spying should be illegal. Disgusting. I emailed the show and Simon and Kornbluth to comlain and urge the rest of you to do the same. This charge left unanswered could be VERY damaging. Don't kid yourself that the average person knows better.

Democrats need to aggressively counter this spin. They should ooint out how dishonest it is and demand that anyone spreading this garbage apologize to the FISA court judges.

[Elizabeth Brady]

DemFromCT - If you think Republican spin about terrorism isn't working check out the clip "Politics of Terrorism" from today's Hardball. The right wing Terry Jeffrey clearly implies the the Democrats stand on warrantless wiretapping would prevent us from being able to uncover plots like the one the Brits just thwarted. Guess what! Neither MSM journalist (Roger Simon and Ann Kornbluth) nor Mr. Matthews batted an eye. They can't possibly believe that the FISA court would refuse a warrant under such circumstances, but did any of them point this out? Of course not. Viewers were left with the clear impression that Democrats think such spying should be illegal. Disgusting. I emailed the show and Simon and Kornbluth to comlain and urge the rest of you to do the same. This charge left unanswered could be VERY damaging. Don't kid yourself that the average person knows better.

Democrats need to aggressively counter this spin. They should ooint out how dishonest it is and demand that anyone spreading this garbage apologize to the FISA court judges.

[DemFromCT]

Elizabeth Brady

pardon me for saying so, but the average person doesn't watch Hardball. ;-)

[albrecht]

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