the key THIS time howver is for the Dems to stop behaving like a battered wife, and take a hefty frying pan to their gonads.

Once they lay them out, this tactic, and anytning else they can do will be ineffectual form here on out.

We can them move smothly from defense ot offense and later in the year, early next year begin to lay out our 2006 vision and alternative.

Pound their sickness, pound their corruption, and pound their abject failure, and the abject failure of conservatism.

there is no need ot call them nazis or fascists, if we act tough and effectively they already have a name - conservatives.

The story here is indeed Independents.  It has been since late 2003, when the last moderate Democrats gave up on the present Republicanism.  My analysis is that there are about five or six major issues, and the story is how voter demographics- presently Indies and some moderate Republicans- give up on one hardline Republican policy set after another.  (My list is Economic, Social, Ethics, Diplomacy, Military(Iraq), Terrorism.)  Indies are down to believing the Bush Administration on Terrorism, and even that is beginning to fade.  Still, some very hard emphasis on terrorism could run Bush support up again.

When Indies fully give up on the Terrorism policy, or their trust in the Bush people on it (there being very little actual policy to speak of), that's when Democrats win Indies.  That means the Presidency in '08.  Moderate Republicans are where the game is for the '06 elections, though.  Democrats are going to have to counterattack once the present Republican effort to rally fades again.

If there is actually anything to be gained, an analysis should focus upon split tickets because  this information is readily available; however, this approach may not eliminate all extranious variables even if spliting tickets is considered a controlling variable for determining the amount of independent voters.

I like the fight; however, I think the majority of  supposedly independent voters are either uninformed or misinformed, do not decide who they're going to vote for based upon logical considerations and should probably not be allowed to step into a voting booth. They don't form any particular block and garnering their vote can best be compared to herding cats.

The best approach is to simply develop a solid program based upon it's appeal to as many as  possible rather than attempting to build coalitions based upon nebulous statistics.

But, if we don't go for the jugular every day, the Republicans will win yet again with their vicious attacks.

Democrats need to continue attacking, just like Howard Dean has been doing since January.  If I hear one more democrat knock down a fellow democrat, I think I am going to lose it.

I've never been a big believer in the Bush connection to 9/11 - sure its possible, but I just didn't know - maybe I didn't want to know.  But I happened to catch a movie on cable the other night that I'd never seen before, and now I can't get it out of my head - 'The Long Kiss Goodnight'.  After watching it, a Bush connection does not seem so far fetched.

If the three psychos feel their back is to the wall, they may turn on US.  Rove seems to stick with what works, and repeating the process over and over and over.  If they truly are behind 9/11, they may decide it's time for another one...

Eek!

We need a huge movement that will hit some Republican contributors in their wallets.

With your money you can influence what goes on in congress legally.

Consider this. What if suddenly next week 100,000 people called WALMART at 1 800 WALMART and told them, unless you can get the Republican congress to pass a TEN dollar minimum wage we will not buy from you and we will get our friends to call you and tell you that they will not buy from you.

This huge movement of people suddenly calling and telling Walmart that they will lose our money unless the Republican led congress does what we want will influence them strongly and it appears legal.

Will you join me?

http://www.boycott-republicans.com

"HAD ENOUGH?  NEXT TIME VOTE DEMOCRATIC!"  

Or some similar slogan.  Have them start appearig all over the country.  last time i suggested this someone had another good slogan.  We have to keep reminding people that there are choices.

Don't read too much into these polls. SEcond term, independents always get tired of the incumbant. Clinton kept up with independents because the Reps offered only attacks. People know there are chooses, but they would much rather not vote if they hear the same things from BOTH sides. You offer no positive agenda and work on hate and fear of Reps, while the Republicans work of fear of gays and liberals.

Kerry only came close to winning because of the hate, but I assure you, liberals will only remain in the minority. Every social or democratic or labour party has won by going to the center. Take a hint from Clinton, James Carville, Tony Blair, Schroder, and others.

They're takinng these stands on their own.

Gawd! Imagine if a powerful opposition leader stood up and LED THEM!

To me, the question is this:

Can the American people figure it out for themselves and vote in a lame Dem Party, who will then have a chance to grow into the possibilities and responsibilities?

Or are we stuck in impotence until an opposition leader comes along?

If Rove had to face a real opposition, he woulda been out on his ass long ago.

The recent Survey USA state by state approve v. Disapprove poll for Bush was UGLY from the Bush perspective. He is tanking hard in all of the Blue states, but he is still polling comparatively decently in the Red states with the exception of Ohio and Nevada. Chris Bowers at MyDD does some number crunching using the 10 region taxonomy developed by Commonwealth. He notes that Bush is bleeding support in the blue states at a fast clip. However he is adding to his personal approval ratings in Southern states, the Mississippi River Valley and Appalachia at a reasonable clip.

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