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The Nation: Hey Democrats, Why Win?
NY Times Wk in Review; Pg 1 ^ | May 14, 2006 | ADAM NAGOURNEY

Posted on 05/14/2006 6:07:23 AM PDT by Pharmboy

WASHINGTON--DEMOCRATS are all but breaking out the Champagne. Republicans are divided and disheartened; President Bush's poll numbers seem to be in free fall. Many Democrats are talking not only about victory in November but about what they will do once Congress is in their hands.

Such talk may well be premature. Election Day is six months away, and the party has lost many a winning hand. But here is a slightly heretical question, being asked only partly in jest right now: Is it really in the best interest of the Democratic Party to win control of the House and Senate in November? Might the party's long-term fortunes actually be helped by falling short?

As strange as it might seem, there are moments when losing is winning in politics. Even as Democrats are doing everything they can to win, ...some of the party's leading figures are also speculating that November could represent one of those moments.

From this perspective, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world politically to watch the Republicans struggle through the last two years of the Bush presidency. There's the prospect of continued conflict in Iraq, high gas prices, corruption investigations, Republican infighting and a gridlocked Congress. Democrats would have a better chance of winning the presidency in 2008, by this reasoning, and for the future they enhance their stature at a time when Republicans are faltering.

Indeed, some Democrats worry that the worst-case scenario may be winning control of Congress by a slim margin, giving them responsibility without real authority. They might serve as a foil to Republicans and President Bush, who would be looking for someone to share the blame. Democrats need a net gain of 6 seats in the Senate, and 15 seats in the House.

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


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 109th; 2006; congress; governing; majority; thenation
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So, what's the REAL reason for publishing this?(adjusting tinfoil hat)
1 posted on 05/14/2006 6:07:27 AM PDT by Pharmboy
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To: Pharmboy
So, what's the REAL reason for publishing this?

The NYT likes to coach the RATs when they think they are falling short.

Adam N. is the head coach.

Fortunately, the advice is always wrong.

2 posted on 05/14/2006 6:09:28 AM PDT by Jim Noble (And you know what I'm talkin' 'bout!)
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To: Pharmboy
Reduced to one line...

"Why take the lead when you already have the leader right by the gonads."

3 posted on 05/14/2006 6:10:26 AM PDT by xcamel (Press to Test, Release to Detonate)
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To: xcamel; Jim Noble

Both great comments...I also thought that Nagourney might have hit upon a real fear of the dems--that a slim victory would give them "responsibility without real authority."


4 posted on 05/14/2006 6:16:42 AM PDT by Pharmboy (Democrats lie because they must)
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To: Pharmboy
--- There's the prospect of continued conflict in Iraq, ---

This a$$ is giddy over continued conflict in Iraq? As an American, I'd like to snap his neck with my bare hands!

5 posted on 05/14/2006 6:20:48 AM PDT by avacado
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To: Pharmboy
to watch the Republicans struggle through the last two years of the Bush presidency. There's the prospect of continued conflict in Iraq, high gas prices, corruption investigations, Republican infighting and a gridlocked Congress

Can you see the smile this reporter's face had while typing this? I can hear the glee from here.

Wohoo! More Iraq violence!
YES! Higher gas prices!
YEEAAAHH! Corruption investigations!

The NY Slimes. All the slant thats slant to slant.

6 posted on 05/14/2006 6:21:25 AM PDT by Personal Responsibility (Amnesia is a train of thought.)
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To: Pharmboy
****So, what's the REAL reason for publishing this?(adjusting tinfoil hat)****

uh.. the NY Times needed something to fill the page where the Escort Service Ads are?
(just a wild guess mind you)

:-)

7 posted on 05/14/2006 6:30:37 AM PDT by Condor51 (Better to fight for something than live for nothing - Gen. George S. Patton)
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To: Pharmboy
The DBM/dems are so foolish right now it really boarders on the edges of insanity.

They wilfully go against what decent, law abiding, Americans care about, and because they're such pompass asses they will stoop in their morale morass even deeper before they finally take heed of a clue!

8 posted on 05/14/2006 6:31:01 AM PDT by sirchtruth (Words Mean Things...)
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To: Personal Responsibility

Wohoo! More Iraq violence!
YES! Higher gas prices!
YEEAAAHH! Corruption investigations!...
Yea Higher Taxes!
WhoHoo! More Culture of Perversion!!
WooPee! Poop Powered Prius in Every Pot!!
HooHoo!! No More Borders!!
Bongo!! Bill and Hill King and Queen of the World!!


9 posted on 05/14/2006 6:31:08 AM PDT by xcamel (Press to Test, Release to Detonate)
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To: Personal Responsibility; avacado

The left claims that they do NOT root against America. Ha.


10 posted on 05/14/2006 6:32:44 AM PDT by Pharmboy (Democrats lie because they must)
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To: Pharmboy
Many Democrats are talking not only about victory in November but about what they will do once Congress is in their hands.

Sounds like a strategy for losing.

The REAL reason for an article like this? "Yeah, we coulda won if we wanted to, but we didn't want to." Consolation if they manage to screw it up again.

11 posted on 05/14/2006 6:36:04 AM PDT by siunevada (If we learn nothing from history, what's the point of having one? - Peggy Hill)
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To: Pharmboy

.......a slightly heretical question

Who's the heretic? Is it Adam? Thought he was the play down the middle "journalist"!

sarc.........


12 posted on 05/14/2006 6:42:06 AM PDT by ConservativeGreek
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To: Pharmboy

Putting on turban and gazing into crystal ball:

Democrats will stay away from polls in large numbers.

Republicans will too but more Republicans will vote than 'Rats.


13 posted on 05/14/2006 7:04:42 AM PDT by NaughtiusMaximus (Join me! Every night I pray for Global Warming . (And I think it's beginning to work.))
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To: Pharmboy
So, what's the REAL reason for publishing this?(adjusting tinfoil hat)

They know that they can't win and are setting up this fall back position, to say, "We didn't really want to win!"

"Such talk may well be premature. Election Day is six months away, and the party has lost many a winning hand. But here is a slightly heretical question, being asked only partly in jest right now: Is it really in the best interest of the Democratic Party to win control of the House and Senate in November? Might the party's long-term fortunes actually be helped by falling short?

"As strange as it might seem, there are moments when losing is winning in politics. Even as Democrats are doing everything they can to win, ...some of the party's leading figures are also speculating that November could represent one of those moments.

<0>"From this perspective, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world politically to watch the Republicans struggle through the last two years of the Bush presidency. There's the prospect of continued conflict in Iraq, high gas prices, corruption investigations, Republican infighting and a gridlocked Congress. Democrats would have a better chance of winning the presidency in 2008, by this reasoning, and for the future they enhance their stature at a time when Republicans are faltering.

They know that their polls are full of BS, and most of the American People are not buying their bs.

14 posted on 05/14/2006 7:14:17 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (There's a dwindling market for Marxist homosexual lunatic wet dreams posing as journalism)
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To: avacado

The Democrats winning here puts them in a similar situation as Hamas winning in Palestine. They were better off endlessly bitching about how things should be done. If they had to hold power and actually follow their own bad advice they would get 4 years in office. Assuming we still have a country by 2012.


15 posted on 05/14/2006 7:21:22 AM PDT by When do we get liberated? (( Multi-culturism has to go for a dirt nap.))
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To: Pharmboy
Pharm, glad you asked. This is the THIRD article in two weeks (one by Jeff Greenfield, and I can't recall where I saw the second) that is in some way starting to make excuses for, or prepare for, a Dem LOSS.

I'm telling you, despite the lies they keep spreading about Bush's "poll numbers" or how the "Republicans are in trouble," they KNOW the real story. Yesterday, I posted a piece here on FR about supposedly "vulnerable" GOP House seats. Bottom line, the Dems cannot take control of the House, and more likely, the GOP will actually GAIN a seat or two!!!

Same in the Senate, I can't find one SURE GOP loser now---Santorum, down single digits, is the closest---and there are two Republican pickups as of this moment (NJ and MN). So that's a net INCREASE of one in the Senate---and Santorum won't lose, so we are really looking at two.

16 posted on 05/14/2006 7:34:12 AM PDT by LS
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To: LS

Pray that you're right! But, I believe you are...


17 posted on 05/14/2006 7:39:58 AM PDT by Pharmboy (Democrats lie because they must)
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To: Pharmboy

So when the Democrats lose the Times can claim victory.


18 posted on 05/14/2006 7:48:20 AM PDT by RedRover (Yes, sometimes winning is losing. It's a nuance thing.)
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To: Pharmboy
Go here for an analysis of the tight House races. From the posts here, and what Freepers are saying, there is no way the Dems win the House, and, more important, it's entirely likely that the GOP has a net GAIN of 1-2 seats. ("Supposedly 'Vulnerable' GOP Districts")

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1631282/posts

19 posted on 05/14/2006 7:56:28 AM PDT by LS
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To: LS

Hmmm... just WHAT will the NYT say if the dems actually LOSE seats this fall?


20 posted on 05/14/2006 8:21:52 AM PDT by boop (The Gimp's asleep!)
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