Jonathan Alter Prepares Democrats For Disappointment

Newsbusters ^ | October 25, 2006 | P.J. Gladnick

[PJ-Comix]

What a difference a few weeks make. Three weeks after Newsweek writers, Howard Fineman and Eleanor Clift, gloatingly declared the End of GOP Dominance and just a week after that same magazine announced that the Republicans were losing its evangelical base, a sharp note of electoral caution has popped up in that periodical. Jonathan Alter is now cautioning Newsweek readers that the Democrats might not do so well in the upcoming congressional elections after all as indicated in the very title of his October 30 article, There Might Not Be a Tidal Wave:

...for all the talk of increased intensity this year, voters are still preoccupied with their own busy lives, not politics. They don't watch much cable news or follow issues closely. If they bother to vote, they'll often do so based on small, serendipitous shards of information.

In other words, despite the obsession of the extreme leftwingers in getting rid of the Republicans, the average citizens have OTHER things on their minds...like getting on with their lives. Alter then goes on to "discover" an old  political maxim---incumbents have the advantage:

In House races, lightly covered by the press, news is mostly generated by incumbents, who get to send out "franked" mailings to constituents that testify to their greatness at taxpayers' expense. And of course incumbents use their clout to gerrymander district maps so skillfully that two families living across the street from each other might be placed in different congressional districts—if such an arrangement helps protect those already in power.

Gee, no kidding, Jonathan. One doesn't even need to take a course in Politics 101 to realize the advantage of incumbency. However, Alter still isn't quite ready to concede that the Democrats might not win the seats necessary to control the House:

But while the odds now strongly favor the Democrats' taking the 15 seats necessary to win control of the House, caution is still advisable on a blowout.

After "reassuring" his readers that the Democrats would probably win enough seats for control of the House, Alter injects a note of Democrat fear towards the end of his article:

Karl Rove's eerie confidence about the midterms is a product of the Republicans' "72 Hour Program." Beginning in 2002, the GOP perfected a system where professionals supervise a highly elaborate micro-targeting of likely voters in the last three days of the campaign. My anecdotal sense is that across the country these operations are worth at least a couple of points against the traditional Democratic combination of labor and volunteers.

Jonathan Alter isn't the only one concerned by the perceived shift in Democrat fortunes in the upcoming elections. The polls, which now show the inevitable tightening up of the races, is causing widespread despair in the Leftwing blogosphere. The folks at the Democratic Undergound have already hit the panic button with hilarious results.

[PJ-Comix]

The PANIC is starting. Hee! Hee!

[mtbopfuyn]

Newsweek is deeply saddened.

[laconic]

What happened to Alter's hair? He used to have a full head of hair when he appeared on tv, or was that something he borrowed from Donald Trump (non-orange version)?

[edcoil]

Howard Fineman and Eleanor Clift

Dumb and dumber
Pete and re-Pete
Two more clueless people I have ever watched on T.V.

I think the guy that got kicked off Top Chef on Bravo knew more then these two.

[truthkeeper]

Probably the chemotherapy.

[Ron in Acreage]

If anything else this election day, we must vote for the GOP for the mere sake of pissing off the entire liberal establishment. Be they in the MSM, Hollywood, academia, etc. This is an "up yours" vote to all liberals! Don't give them the pleasure of getting you to sit this one out.

[laconic]

Sorry, I didn't realize he had cancer, wouldn't have said it if I had known.

[KC_Conspirator]

I will always cherish the memory of Jonathan Alter crying on Imus in the Morning when Algore failed to steal the election in 2000.

[Mo1]

He's trying to scare the Dems into voting

[Grendel9]

ThAnks for that DUMMIES FUNNIES
link! A real boost to GOP morale!

[RexBeach]

Remember the hissy fit he threw on the NBC set the night of the election?

[Darkwolf377]

I like how Alter says that voters are "preoccuppied" with their lives--the subtle hint that people are selfishly living their lives and not reading the MSM crap religiously is funny.

Most people are too busy being Americans to listen to you and your commie pals lecturing them on how awful America is 24/7, Hairplug Boy.

[claudiustg]

---Probably the chemotherapy.---

That looks more like regular old male pattern baldness to me.

[moose2004]

He has non-cancerous Hodgkins.

[RegulatorCountry]

I paid a visit to the DUmpster, just to view this thread, and post #2 is hilarious ... some geek with a really "manly" photo of himself on an incline bike as an avatar, saying "Sounds like some station news director needs to meed mister knuckles." LOL.

[JusPasenThru]

There is no such thing as "non-cancerous Hodgkins". There is Hodgkins disease and "non-Hodgkins lymphoma". I wouldn't want to have either one.

[Alberta's Child]

I didn't see that, but Alter's idiotic suggestion on election night in 2000 (that Bush should concede the election even if he won enough electoral votes -- because "Gore won the popular vote and the Florida electoral votes are in dispute.") said an awful lot about just how partisan and/or ignorant people in the media can be.

Even Russert knew enough to quell this silly idea. I'll never forget the way he looked at Alter all bug-eyed and pointed out that if Bush were to "concede" the election, then Dick Cheney would be sworn in as President!

[moose2004]

You're right, my mistake. I wish Alter good health.

[paratrooper82]

The last election had the liberals all seeking professional help to cope with another loss!

After their defeat this election, God only knows what the liberals will do. Depression is already setting in at the MSM, and the election has not even been held yet!

[USS Alaska]

Without piece.

With piece {and in a manly pose}.