[HiTech RedNeck]

With the Democratic presidential candidates battling it out for a chance to be creamed by George W. Bush, reading the newspapers these days feels very much like 1972. The Democrats are moving left, the incumbent president is popular, and it looks like the Democrats may be out of power for decades.

Yeah, then 1976 brought us Jimmy Carter.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

From the column:

But unlike 1972, there's no Watergate on the horizon. ..................

[Jay D. Dyson]

Yeah, then 1976 brought us Jimmy Carter.

Had there been no Watergate, there would have been no Carter administration. The 1976 election wasn't about embracing Carter or his policies; it was about burnout the public had with politics. They elected a political outsider...and got their money's worth for their trouble.

-Jay

[the lone wolf]

"then 1976 brought us Jimmy Carter"

Yes. But Carter only won by 1%, and the Leftist media was almost unquestioned in America in 1976. The last time there was a close election, Bush II was the winner, because Fox, Limbaugh and the Free Republic were around to refute Leftist lies.

Next Presidential election, the Left are going to have to articulate their message in an environment that is at least partially hostile. They will never again get a free, almost unquestioned ride from Dan, Peter, and Tom, unless they are willing to settle for the 43% of the vote that Clinton got in 1992.

It is very bad news for them, and they are scared. Before 2000, they never had to struggle for votes on a level playing field. They always had a "home court" advantage. Those days are over, and they know it. That is why Hillary has talked about "regulating content" on the Internet (that means ending free speech for conservatives, such as Free Republic). It is why the DemocRATs want the so-called "fairness doctrine" to restrict talk radio (that means silencing Rush, or forcing some Leftist hack upon unwilling listeners).

The only reason ANY DemocRAT since Eisenhower was elected was due to Leftist Media Bias. JFK only won by a few thousand (stolen) votes. LBJ was elected because of the sympathy vote for the martyred JFK. Carter only won by 1%. Clinton only won because 43% was enough to win in a three-way race, and the third campaigner was running an "astroturf" campaign with the support of the Clinton News Network.

These tactics will not work in 2004, and the RATS are running scared.

[SamAdams76]

Yeah, then 1976 brought us Jimmy Carter.

The good ole days...

[CyberAnt]

That's because THE REPUBS DIDN'T PLAY THEIR POLITICAL CAPITAL.