Are Democrats too confident in 2008 election race? (News story w/ response poll)

[TechBear_Seattle]

Are Democrats too confident in 2008 election race?

LOWELL, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Mary Burns has the kind of Democratic pedigree that dominates Massachusetts politics. Her family and friends vote Democratic, and she lives in a district that has not elected a Republican in 35 years.

But on October 17, she joined other disgruntled Democrats, voting for a Republican in a special congressional election.

Her candidate, Jim Ogonowski, who campaigned as an anti-immigration crusader, lost to Democrat Niki Tsongas by only 45 percent to 51 percent, a much closer margin than expected in a district Democrats saw as safely theirs.

Now political strategists across the country are trying to figure out what Ogonowski's strong showing means for the nation as a whole and how worried Democrats should be about next year's elections for president and Congress.

The article continues at http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071024/pl_nm/usa_politics_democrats_dc

Read the article and please respond: Are Democrats too confident in the 2008? Feel free to elaborate on whether your answer reflects the Presidential race, state and local races or both, and why you responded as you did.

Edit: Reformatted poll question. Why can't we use italic markers in poll questions?

[TwilightGardener]

1. I voted YES. Don't rely on war's unpopularity, and don't rely on Chimpy hatred.

People are tired of the war, but there's no evidence of deep-seated anger about it. Most people are just waiting patiently for it to end and stop being on their TV's, because only 1% of Americans are directly affected by it. And Chimpy ain't running--whomever the R nominee is will look like a breath of fresh air, even if his policies are similar.

[DrDan]

2. Absolutely!

They are also taking the left's vote for granted. My desire to vote for anyone from this party is being reduced daily.

[ShortnFiery]

4. I concur and BTW

Go Big Red!
There's no place like Nebraska. :-) :hi:

[DrDan]

8. GBR!!!!!!

(but it is a stressful year this year)

[sniffa]

3. hmm, tough to say

i don't necessariLy think the candidates, or sitting office hoLders are, but there is an air of inevitabiLity here on DU, regardLess of candidate, that it doesn't matter who we run, we're gonna win huge.

it's whistLing past the graveyard in my view.

[MrModerate]

5. All politics are local (except when they're not)

The 2006 Congressional elections turned the conventional wisdom on its head by being more about national issues (Iraq, Katrina, etc.) than about narrow parochial issues in each district. Unfortunately, the natural caution of career Dems and the thin (almost useless, in the Senater) majority has produced disappointing outcomes on the very issues that shifted the majority.

What will win for Dems in 2008 is not (just) Bush hatred, but the fact that the 'Lican candidates are so odious. Let's see: Phony 9/11 hero, empty suit, old-and-crazy guy with a really bad temper, third-rate actor (Reagan was better), and a pack of yipping rabid dogs. AND they're yoked to the Bush debacle because they don't dare (at least until they're past the primaries) denounce him.

Overconfidence could kill us (not to mention black box voting and other frauds), but what we've got going for us -- at least at the national level -- is four or five (or six or more) candidates ALL of whom would make better presidents than any 'Lican in the field.

And at the Congressional level, we've got Bush Policy Disease, SCHIP, environmental sellouts, etc., etc.

If we don't stupid ourselves out of contention, 2008 will be a progressive win.

[cosmik debris]

6. Dems don't seem to realize

That the Prez is TWICE as popular as the Democratic Congress. If voters go to the polls to vote *against* something, they will vote against Dems.

I think we need to give them something to vote FOR, but we don't seem to have anything. Oh well.

[Perry Logan]

16. Error: the approval ratings of Democrats in Congress are higher than Bush's

[cosmik debris]

17. Grammatical difference not an error.

I said "Democratic Congress" and you said "Democrats in Congress".

See the difference?

[bigwillq]

7. I just hope the DEMS don't get complacent

this elections is still going to be an all out dog fight not matter who the nominee is and no matter how bad this administration is doing. We have to keep working and fighting until the last vote is counted (and we need to make sure all the votes are counted this time). We have to take care of our business and the rest will take care of itself.

[applegrove]

9. I agree. Dems should up their game all the time, striving, striving, striving

for excellence. They know they will be slimmed in the Presidential election. But they should not rely on one thing to win. They must be multifaceted in their strengths. I think Obama and Clinton are multifaceted.

[TechBear_Seattle]

10. Do two faces make a candidate multifaceted?

Sorry, couldn't resist. :hide:

[applegrove]

14. LOL!

[racaulk]

11. Agreed.

We must not get complacent and we must never give up. There is too much riding on this election for us to assume it will be a slam dunk for us, especially a year in advance.

[Perry Logan]

12. This is 180 degrees wrong. The problem is an almost total LACK of confidence.

You can go for weeks at DU without hearing a single confident utterance about Democratic prospects. DU is the only place in the known universe where people seriously think the Republicans have a shot. Even as I speak, there's a thread in the political discussion section confidently--even joyfully--predicting our utter rout and destruction in 2008.

Threads with the theme of "We're screwed!" appear at DU on an almost daily basis--suggesting that overconfidence is not a problem in these here parts.

And the people here who DO have some fire expend it mostly on the Democrats. Go team.

[TechBear_Seattle]

13. I don't think you answered the question being asked

:hi:

The question is about our perceptions of the Democratic candidates, not about ourselves.

[Perry Logan]

15. Point taken. But the conversation had turned to general confidence levels--so I made my move.