Similarly, by about 4:1, the public thinks that US military action against Iraq has increased (47 percent) rather than decreased (13 percent) the threat of terrorism against the US. Looked at another way, 85 percent think the Iraq war has either made no difference or increased the threat of terrorism.
You know, I thought EJ Dionne was kind of full of it when saying this year could be the Democrat’s 1994, but geez…
I don’t know if you can characterize 2004 as the Dem’s 1994.
1994 was largely about the “Contract With America” – a series of political promises which the Republicans at least tried to enact. Whether you agreed with the Contract or not, 2004 was at least based in ideas, and a “positive” message.
2004 seems to be based on “please, God, anyone but Bush!”, which is, I think, an entirely different dynamic. It’s not positive, but negative.
Since Americans are always claiming they want positive, I worry about the negative tenor of this campaign. Just look at that “wild-eyed” Bush ad – D’s and R’s see it entirely differently, but both see it as negative (and rightly so!)
Not true; I can’t find the reference, but I remember reading that actually only 30% of voters had ever heard of the contract. Just like today, 1994 was a weak executive who’d walked into an endless series of landmines and totally blown his major policy initiative. This depressed his own turnout, alienated independents, and totally pissed off the opposition.
Democrats up by 9 on the generic congressional ballot. As Matthew Ygelasis says, if that’s accurate I have no idea how the Republicans could keep the House.
