For the GOP, a Heartland Plunge (W Post)

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/16/AR2006081601425_pf.html



For the GOP, a Heartland Plunge

By David S. Broder
Thursday, August 17, 2006; A25

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When the Columbus Dispatch's respected poll recently reported that Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell was trailing Democratic Rep. Ted Strickland by 20 points in the race for governor of Ohio, there was dismay but no shock among his fellow Republicans. Those I interviewed during a recent visit here said they had seen it coming for a long time.

But it is a political earthquake. Democrats have not been able to win a single statewide office in Ohio for most of the past decade -- and are completely shut out of power in the capitol at this moment. Strickland has never run a statewide campaign and is trying to become the first person since Rutherford B. Hayes to go from Congress to Ohio's governorship. Blackwell has won election in Ohio and led the successful campaign that gave George Bush this state -- and the presidency -- over John Kerry in 2004.

And yet, when the Dispatch poll came out, the best that Blackwell could say was that his own internal surveys showed him trailing by only 11 points -- as if that were a consolation.

What I heard here -- and in subsequent interviews at the National Governors Association convention in Charleston, S.C. -- from one Republican after another signaled serious trouble for the GOP across a broad swath of states from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma in key midterm election contests for House, Senate and governor.

[Atman]

1. Listening to their explanations for "winning" in 2006 will be fascinating!

"All the true, patriotic Americans came out at the very last minute to vote for Bush, in such numbers that their votes didn't even show up in the vote counts until approximately 3:30 am, while all the election monitors were out on break. Really. We swear!"

[Sherman A1]

2. Agreed

and well said.

[young_at_heart]

3. Are Republican voters finally noticing their declining status?

Under Republican "leadership" most middle class people have gradually slipped down the ladder of economic success....maybe they are finally getting the clue as to why.

[ixion]

4. "the successful campaign"?

:wtf:

I think the word is 'corrupt', rather than 'sucessful'. :grr: