Posted on 10/28/2008 7:13:51 PM PDT by QenBirQeni
Enthusiasm for both candidates has flagged a bit.Last week a high of 71 percent of Obama's supporters were "very enthusiastic" about his campaign; it's 65 percent now. And high-level enthusiasm among McCain's supporters has slipped about as much, from a high of 40 percent last week to 35 percent now.
Even with the edge off, Obama's enthusiasm continues to far outstrip McCain's. Obama's enthusiasm moreover, is higher -- and McCain's lower -- than in the 2004 presidential election.
Notably, among McCain's core groups, just 39 percent of evangelical white Protestants, 38 percent of conservatives and 36 percent of all Republicans who support him are very enthusiastic about it.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
We have a great election system in the US and we can thank the founding fathers for having the sense to protect us from the folly that is populism by instituting the electoral college system. Yet it is evident that populism has begun the overtake the senses of our electoral college to the point where it is no longer possible to identify whether a Democratic congressman or senator, and some Republican ones, are heeding the call of populism or are holding fast to republican ideals this country so long depended upon.
What makes populism dangerous is the fact that crowds can be swayed by emotion, as evident by the very huge crowds Obama draws, yet very few people in those crowds understand what Obama's policies mean to America. In addition, the very people who are charged with constraining the powers of the executive branch are suffering from the same fever of populism that has taken ill the general public. Not only are Republicans and conservatives in danger of losing the presidency, but they risk losing the ability to rein in any executive radicalism which in the current world will certainly prove to be detrimental to our legitimacy as the last bastion of trure democracy. In the event that Obama wins, the electoral college will fail to protect us from populism. One only has to to look at Venezuela and Spain as of late. It is no longer sufficient to hope that this is the United States and that it would not be possible for us to completely disregard the warnings of our founding fathers, we've got something coming alright.
For the past few days more information on Obama's ideology has surfaced further reinforcing the notion that he harbors socialistic ideology. Although in substance there may be nothing wrong with his belief that socialism is better than capitalism or market economics, there is a reason why Americans have continually rejected socialism in the past. Furthermore, if the tape in possession of the LA Times indeed portrays what it is purported to, then a close ally of the US in the Middle East is (i.e. Israel) is certain to see a dramatic drop in support should Obama win, irregardless of what he professes to the media.
It is the media -leftist in general- that has given Obama the tools of victory. If information is key to victory in this day and age then the leftist media has dropped the ball. Often times we hear the media complaining about suppression of the freedom of speech by the government, yet many media outlets are engaging in near suppression and have completely ignored the background of Obama - yet more evidence of populism. The major topic of the past few days has been taxation and health care. We hear from Obama supporters how it is so wonderful that his tax plan will spread the wealth from those who make a decent income to those who don't make any. I am all for charity but I detest any notion that the government should tell me how I dole out that charity. If the liberals are so inclined to redistribute income then let them do it without forcing the rest of us, who already think that a progressive tax is an idiotic idea, to our own devices. The main counter-argument to Obama's blunder of wealth redistribution is that we already have a progressive tax system so a little bit more from a larger number of tax payers is no big deal. Hell, many Republican presidents including Reagan and Bush have endorsed such a tax system. However, rather than start a fight in the Congress and among the people on the merits of flat taxes or otherwise, the Obama tax plan increases the ratio of which those with incomes above a certain cutoff marginal tax rate will pay even more. Combining this increase in the marginal tax with the myriad of increases in other transfer payment programs, such as the recruiting of a "teacher army" in the words of Obama to the payment of credits to those who make poverty wages and students who are not employed or otherwise make poverty wages, one is left to wonder if Obama will not be forced to lower that cutoff salary range of $250,000 to generate more government income. The worst of it all will be when Obama announces that he will be dipping into defense spending to pay for all of his welfare programs. All of this assuming that he wins. I am still holding out hope that McCain will win. He must, for our country's sake.
I’m not enthusiastic about McCain but I am enthusiastic about Palin and if I get any more enthusiastic about defeating the socialist my arteries will explode.
Evangelical turnout will be HUGE.
GOTV efforts!
How about a working vacation for 2-3 days in Pennsylvania, Saturday through Sunday?
Pennsylvania’s nice. Lovely foliage this time of year. And it’s filled with racists and bitter clingy people with guns and Bibles, so you should fit right in.
It’s not that hard. And besides, you can go out and take over bars with your fellow morons after seven. Then maybe go out in your Ford trucks and run down homosexuals.
This is Sort of What I Mean By the GOP Getting on the Stick: Seriously, if the GOP gave me a hotel room and transportation, I’d do this. Now, I’m not a celebrity, but I do have readers who might decide to come along with the AoSHQ crew if we were all, say, knocking on doors in Bucks County or wherever. If there’s a social thing afterwards.
There are a lot of bloggers people would sign up for. Jeff Goldstein in Colorado, for example, and all of his readers heading out to get out the vote, then having drinks afterwards. Captain Ed in Minnesota. The Red Staters in Virginia. Iowahawk, wherever he lives.
Allah on his couch, yelling at empty bottles of Jack Daniels that they just don’t get it.
Door to door during the day, blog party at night. People are more willing to shell out bucks for a good cause if it’s not merely work, but a bit of fun too. Combination GOTV and meet-up.
I mean, these are trivial expenses for the RNC. I’d pay myself but I don’t pay my way for stuff like this anymore — I’m dirt poor as it is and I can’t afford to book hotels and planes for this sort of thing.
It’s too late now, of course.
Swing State Lodgings? Some readers are asking if anyone can put them up for a weekend to do this.
If you’re in a swing state, have a spare bed, and can sleep through the sounds of reckless masturbation coming from the rumpus room all night, maybe say so.
Ohio Canvassers? Email me if you have any intent; a reader wants you to email him. I don’t know if it’s about getting together to go in groups or lodging. Or him abducting you and selling you into forcible Thai prostitution.
It’s going to be cool and fun, no matter which one.
Subject line “Ohio Canvass” so I can search easily, thank you.
New York to PA Buses, Free:
Show your Support for John McCain in the Keystone State
McCain-Palin Volunteer Buses will leave from outside Penn Station, along West 31st Street right before Eighth Avenue at 9am next Saturday and Sunday, so long as there are enough volunteers to fill a bus.
The bus will return to Penn Station from Scranton around 8:30pm each evening.
Volunteers should RSVP to citizens@johnmccain.com each week by Thursday at noon with their name, phone number and the days they can travel.
The Democrats for McCain Victory office in Scranton is located at 420 North Main Street, Scranton, PA 18504. The phone number there is 570-951-9923.
The Republican McCain Victory office in Scranton is located at 430 Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503.
Don’t think of it as bus.
Think of it as a sixteen-wheel rolling putsch-wagon.
Caifornia Cavalry: Buses leaving from Torrance, Burbank, Newport Beach, Sacramento and San Diego for Nevada, to canvas there.
Email: california@johnmccain.com
I’m told dress is BCPO (business casual, pants optional).
Arizona to New Mexico:
Call the McCain HQ in Phoenix at 602-334-4440. Bus leaves Friday through Monday to New Mexico. FREE hotel.
I hope that’s true because they were a tad upset that Huckabee wasn’t nominated.
Hucka-who? Don’t worry—we will be out in droves.
One important thing this sort of reporting fails to take into account: Republicans don't need "enthusiasm" to vote. We vote anyway. We're not driven primarily by emotion (though this year we're angry as h*ll). Ask a conservative if he's enthusiastic about McCain (leaving Palin out) and he may say no. But this year he'll be voting.
Excellent, you saved me from having to type anything more than
"Ditto".
One important item to be mentioned - the poll numbers they;re using sampled at least 10 percent more democrats than republicans.
Using more accurate numbers, my guess is that the enthusiasm numbers for the pres contenders is about equal. However, the numbers for PALIN ARE OFF THE CHART!
I hope that’s true because they were a tad upset that Huckabee wasn’t nominated.
He was a poor candidate, who cares it’s over, Huckleberry did’nt win the primary got to get over it! let’s move forward or die a painful death!
I hope that’s true because they were a tad upset that Huckabee wasn’t nominated.
He was a poor candidate, who cares it’s over, Huckleberry did’nt win the primary got to get over it! let’s move forward or die a painful death!
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