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Pre-election expectations fail to materialize at polls
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | November 7, 2004 | Vicki Haddock, Insight Staff Writer

Posted on 11/07/2004 3:57:24 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

This was supposed to be the presidential election in which those hip souls who dwell in the cybersphere would revolutionize politics, and a gargantuan army of draft-wary young people would really rock the vote.

These and other axioms were embraced by many as articles of faith going into Election 2004.

Hopeful Democrats also believed that President Bush would find reelection impossible because so many Americans disapproved of his performance, thought the country was headed in exactly the wrong direction, and knew they were worse off in almost every imaginable way than they were four years ago.

Bush's opposition was convinced that African Americans, embittered by their disenfranchisement in 2000, would turn out to vote as never before, and that nearly every Latino voter would remain faithful to the Democratic Party. The opposition was sure that a yawning gender gap would give nominee John Kerry an overwhelming edge among women voters, that he could win without carrying a single Southern state, and that 11th hour campaigning by ex- President Bill Clinton would turbo-charge the Kerry-Edwards ticket's chance for victory.

Most of all, Bush opponents perceived that the quicksand of Iraq, which more and more Americans regarded with a sense of impending doom, would morph into the campaign's overriding issue and ensure the president's undoing.

A curious thing happened on the way to the polls, however: all those fond beliefs proved to be mere myths. The demonized George W. Bush got the White House. The Democrats just got it wrong.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 4moreyears; boohoohoo; bush; defense; election; ethics; kerry; kerrydefeat; leadership; minorities; morals; myths; napalminthemorning; partyofthehindparts; security; votingblocks; wot; youthvote
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1 posted on 11/07/2004 3:57:26 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
A generation ago, the South represented just a fourth of the Electoral College votes. It's grown. Today it's almost a third. That transformation prompted the turncoat Democrat, Georgia Sen. Zell Miller....

Telling, isn't it, that she labeled Sen. Miller a turncoat?

2 posted on 11/07/2004 4:03:56 AM PST by mewzilla
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The fact is that the voters did not buy the lies of the Dimwitocrats about the wrong direction, and demostrated that we want to continue in the direction that Bush wants and is taking us in!


3 posted on 11/07/2004 4:05:53 AM PST by stockpirate (Kerry; supported by, financed by, trained by, guided by, revered by, in favor of, Communists.)
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To: mewzilla

It doesn't matter. Zell turned his coat on a socialist takeover.

This article is worth posting in the hallways of universities.


4 posted on 11/07/2004 4:08:20 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
The Democrats just got it wrong.

...And will continue to as long as they look at middle Americans as "Dumb"

Oh, one huge issue I don't see mentioned enough is the absolute destruction of the MSM and the alternative sources that people can get there news.

American will no longer be dictated to by the elitist prix!!

5 posted on 11/07/2004 4:10:54 AM PST by sirchtruth (Words Mean Things...)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

That was a damn good article, and from a SF newspaper. Shocking.


6 posted on 11/07/2004 4:10:59 AM PST by somemoreequalthanothers
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Hopefully the base of the dems will forever be locked on Sept 10th 2001 because they will still think that political theory and strategy have not changed.

Those that slip through, I hope, are so disheartened by the insane,rabid left of their party that they will come to join us.

7 posted on 11/07/2004 4:12:44 AM PST by carlr
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To: sirchtruth

That's a reality the msm doesn't like to talk about.


8 posted on 11/07/2004 4:15:47 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: stockpirate
Hopefully people who came out to vote in this election will not fall back into their old ways and neglect to vote. Maybe this election gave them the patriot bug and they see that their votes counts and is vital to America.
9 posted on 11/07/2004 4:19:26 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: carlr

Yes. Their doctrine is stale and anti-American.

More and more people will see this.


10 posted on 11/07/2004 4:20:33 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

morning, check out this one i just posted.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1273401/posts


11 posted on 11/07/2004 4:21:26 AM PST by stockpirate (Kerry; supported by, financed by, trained by, guided by, revered by, in favor of, Communists.)
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To: somemoreequalthanothers

Yes!

Finding truth in the msm is shocking!


12 posted on 11/07/2004 4:21:35 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
This was supposed to be the presidential election in which those hip souls who dwell in the cybersphere would revolutionize politics,

Oh, but they did. Only, it was the conservative side of the blogosphere. One word: Buckhead!
13 posted on 11/07/2004 4:21:55 AM PST by Rastus
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To: stockpirate
The fact is that the voters did not buy the lies of the Dimwitocrats about the wrong direction, and demostrated that we want to continue in the direction that Bush wants and is taking us in!

I heard a pollster on C-Span say that those who said the country was heading in the wrong direction actually voted for Bush. Normally we think of the "wrong direction" question as an indictment of the incumbent and, hence, a vote against him. In this case, as it turns out, voters who thought we are headed in the wrong direction believe the Dems are the cause and Bush can help solve the problem. Interesting

14 posted on 11/07/2004 4:22:35 AM PST by PaulJ
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
That's a reality the msm doesn't like to talk about.

They will only face the problem when it's too late.

Why Dan Rather is still at CBS is the problem, and they are too arrogant to recognize it.

15 posted on 11/07/2004 4:24:08 AM PST by sirchtruth (Words Mean Things...)
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To: PaulJ

Interesting point.


16 posted on 11/07/2004 4:31:02 AM PST by stockpirate (Kerry; supported by, financed by, trained by, guided by, revered by, in favor of, Communists.)
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To: PaulJ

That right/wrong direction didnt make sense in some of the red states where Bush had a good approval rating (55% or higher) but right track/wrong track was about even. I think thats what Zogby did in respect to his polling thinking that the country would go solidy for Kerry. Cant believe anyone would subscribe to this guy anymore...


17 posted on 11/07/2004 4:34:43 AM PST by bushsupporter30
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To: Rastus
Kerry won 54 percent of young voters.

Not sure, but the 44% that went for Bush is much higher than in past years. Once they have been "mugged," more will turn conservative. Dems have lost a generation.

18 posted on 11/07/2004 4:39:50 AM PST by frithguild (Election 2004 - Many Nights of the Broken Glass)
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To: bushsupporter30

The right track/wrong track question is too simplistic and the Lefties interpreted it incorrectly. A large majority of people who think we ae on the wrong track want Mr. Bush to be TOUGHER and MORE CONSERVATIVE, rather than the reverse.

Perhaps we need a new Studs Terkel to go out and talk to Red America and maybe more important, LISTEN to them. We need an accurate compilation of what we really think.


19 posted on 11/07/2004 4:41:15 AM PST by KateatRFM
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To: bushsupporter30

I approve of the job Bush is doing, given what he has to work with - obstructionists like Daschle, etc. However, the country is going in the wrong direction because conservative principles have not been followed - prescription drugd, the farm bill, etc. I have a feeling I am not alone in that sentiment. And the MSM can't figure that out? Right.


20 posted on 11/07/2004 4:44:08 AM PST by frithguild (Election 2004 - Many Nights of the Broken Glass)
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