Will Pelosi and Reid Cost The Dems The White House?
The media-pushed, nutroots endorsed, conventional wisdom is that Republicans are doomed in 2008. Unfortunately, Charlie Cook is convinced that the antics in Congress could cost the Dems the White House.
Cook criticizes Congressional Democrats for scheduling a vote on the Armenian genocide resolution, then pulling it from consideration. He says that it highlights the weakness of Democrats on foreign policy issues. He then says:
It is important to remember that the Democrats' only presidential victories since 1976 were in 1992 and 1996; the first two elections after the Iron Curtain fell and the Cold War was over. At that point, the foreign policy aspect of the presidency was pretty much discounted, and Democrats nominated Bill Clinton, widely considered to be a moderate.
While many voters might disagree with the Bush administration on foreign policy issues, it doesn't mean Democrats get a free pass. They have to be very careful…
But the important takeaway is that while Republicans might not be a credible threat in terms of recapturing majorities in the House or Senate, congressional Democrats should still be more concerned about the consequences of their actions on their party's chances of winning the White House next year.
Voters seem angry enough at Republicans today to take the presidency away from them, but putting a Democrat into the post can't be seen as a risk.
Cook is right, but the question of the Armenian genocide is the minor one; the real question is whether Democrats will be seen as credible on national security. If the situation in Iraq continues to improve, some swing voters will reconsider how much might have been lost by the precipitous withdrawal pushed by Democrats.
There have been more missteps than that. Pelosi's trip to Syria to gladhand with a dictator who just happens to have been running a secret nuclear program doesn't look good, either. People remember things like that. The Stark incident made the Democrats look unhinged. People remember that, too. Harry Reid's rapidly eroding support back home is a leading indicator that all is not well with the electorate and that the Dems in Congress may, indeed, hurt themselves.
By FedUp, Wednesday, 24 October , 2007 @ 8:59 am
One can only hope! At this rate, the Republicans won’t have to do anything but breathe. I know 4th graders who have more common sense and quite probably, higher IQ’s than both dingy harry and San Fran Nan!
VOTE THESE IDIOTS OUT!