Below is the CNN link and transcript of an excellent analysis about how disillusioned that so many Republicans are and how that the GOP is trying very hard to turn out their base. That is summed up very well in this quote from Candy Crowley of CNN:
THE SITUATION ROOM
Aired September 6, 2006 - 19:00 ET
CROWLEY: "In the end, though, Republicans are not aiming for hardened voters. They know those are Democratic votes. What Republican contenders need to do is get their own voters out of the doldrums and into the voting booth."
These disillusioned Republicans ("their own voters") are the people who are in play and who are up for grabs in election 2006 as I have previously documented:
RNC E MAIL WITH ANALYSIS: The main people who are up for grabs in Election 2006!
This is also why Democrats and Democratic candidates have got to be making some kind of a serious, sincere, and credible outreach to these disillusioned Republicans as I have previously stated and outlined:
ANALYSIS: Good points disillusioned Republicans should consider from Chuck Hagel
Democrats have got to be able to connect with the many disillusioned Republican voters that they have nothing to fear from a mainstream Democratic leadership in Congress and convince them that the only way they can get the changes they want is to allow the current extreme GOP leadership to be taken out of power in at least one branch of Congress by their either voting for a Democrat or by their at least staying at home on election day if they will not vote for a Democrat!
Please forward this on so that all Democrats can see how disillusioned that so many Republicans are, will see what the RNC is doing to try and get them to the polls, and will make some kind of a serious effort to try and reach out to them!
These disillusioned Republicans have got to see and understand that voting for GOP Neocon Bush rubber stamp candidates is just a vote for "more of the same" of what they are already upset about now and is a vote for a serious lack of accountability!
They also have to understand that George W. Bush IS on the ballot in November in the sense that voting for ANY Bush rubber stamp GOP candidate is a vote to rubber stamp Bush's national agenda in Congress and is a vote for a lack of accountability concerning Bush's and Rumsfeld's mistakes and misjudgments regarding Iraq!
Here is an excellent question that John Roberts of CNN asks in an interesting dialogue:
ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES
Aired September 6, 2006 - 22:00 ET
ROBERTS: Hey, just a couple of seconds left, Candy. Do you really think the president can scare his base out to the polls?
CROWLEY: I think he can remind his base, whether or not they're scared, or simply a reminder that: Oh, yes, there's this war on terror out here. We have got to keep him there.
It's possible, but it hasn't worked so far.
ROBERTS: Well, we will see if it does this time.
Democrats can win over many of these disillusioned Republican voters (probably enough to insure winning back power) and can help to make sure that Bush's strategy to "scare his base out to the polls" does NOT work "this time" if they will just reach out to them in a sincere way and specifically ask them for their votes!
I also cross-posted this on Gen. Wes Clark's blog where there are some additional comments:
Mitch Dworkin
http://www.securinga...
Listen to Gen. Wes Clark fight for Dems on Sean Hannity's radio program:
An excellent example for all of us to follow and what we all need to be doing to help fight against extreme right wing Neocon smear propaganda which will help our local candidates to win their races!
http://securingameri...
Gen. Wes Clark's endorsement of Jim Webb against George Allen
--------------------
ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES
World Mourns Death of Crocodile Hunter; President Bush Links Iraq to War on Terror
Aired September 5, 2006 - 22:00 ET
COOPER: Well, the president today forcefully restated a very ambitious strategy for the war on terror. That said, it is a speech made under quite a bit of political fire -- Americans no longer buying -- or many Americans no longer buying the president's view of the war and his claim that Iraq is a central front in that war.
As CNN's Candy Crowley reports now, it is having a political impact, even in traditional Republican strongholds.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Want to know how much trouble Republicans are in? Go deep into the Heartland, to ruby-red Indiana, to a Republican-leaning district, and you can hear this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were always Republican. And there's so many things going on now, I'm just kind of backing off, and not knowing, more or less going independent.
CROWLEY: Welcome to the 2nd District of Indiana, represented by two-term Republican Chris Chocola.
REP. CHRIS CHOCOLA (R), INDIANA: I think it's much like the rest of the country. There's a challenging environment for Republicans.
CROWLEY: Uh, yeah. Begin with this: the latest numbers from CNN and Opinion Research Corporation. An unpopular president, an unpopular war, and $3-a-gallon gas is a trifecta.
Democrats are looking for a big payoff, and Republicans are looking at a big problem.
Depending on who you talk to, nationwide there are about 46 competitive House seats, 36 of which are now held by Republicans. With 62 days until the election, there's no time to pretty this up.
The Republican Congressional Committee called it "a desperate situation nationwide." Appealing for money, the committee warned, "Our candidates in targeted districts are in very serious danger of losing."
The Senate worries Republicans less, but it is worrisome enough. To be in charge of the Senate, Democrats need to hold onto what they've got and pick up six seats. As it happens, six Republican seats look vulnerable. The truth is Democrats had little to do with their catbird seat. Nationally, the new poll shows most people don't approve of either party.
JENNIFER DUFFY, "THE COOK POLITICAL REPORT": In this cycle, voters don't like either party. They just dislike Democrats a little less.
CROWLEY: Which is to say Democrats' biggest asset is they're not Republicans.
JOE DONNELLY (D), INDIANA HOUSE CANDIDATE: Out here in the middle west, some of the things we see in Washington are almost incomprehensible to us.
CROWLEY: Back in Indiana, too, Democrat Joe Donnelly wants Chocola's job.
DONNELLY: People feel that, instead of standing up for them, the government has stood up for the special interests. They want new representation. They want change.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to see you.
DONNELLY: With voters clearly soured on the status quo and Democrats selling change, what's a Republican to do?
AMY WALTER, "THE COOK POLITICAL REPORT": Say to voters essentially, here's your choice. I know you're mad at me. I know you don't like what's going on in Washington, but do you want to elect this person? Can you trust this person?
CROWLEY: Well, exactly.
REP. CHRIS CHOCOLA (R), INDIANA: Elections are about a choice between two individuals. And the people in the Second District don't really know my opponent very well yet, and they will. And I think that they'll send me back to keep doing my job.
CROWLEY: It's not over, but the prospects are dire enough that even Republicans don't talk about gaining seats, but about holding onto enough of them to keep control of Congress.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: The elections aren't only about power. It has a lot to do with money. Here with a quick look at the raw data. We're going to talk to Candy in just a moment.
For the entire House, more than $500,000 in campaign contributions have been raised for the 2006 election in the Senate. The amount is roughly $350 million. Those numbers pale in comparison to the estimated $3.9 billion raised during the 2004 presidential and congressional elections.
Candy, thanks for being with us. Are the Republicans -- that woman who you had in your piece, she's got to be the Republicans' biggest nightmare.
CROWLEY: Absolutely.
COOPER: Are they afraid that she's going to vote Democrat?
CROWLEY: No. They're afraid she's not going to show up.
COOPER: She's not going to come out.
CROWLEY: That's the problem. I mean, part of what you're seeing with George Bush, his audience isn't the nation as a whole. It's his base. He's saying, "Look, come home. You've got to get out. The stakes here are important."
He's never going to convince the Democrats who don't like him personally, who hate this war. They're looking to bring out Republicans.
COOPER: And I guess there's some Democrats kind of licking their lips thinking this is going to be for the Republicans what it was like for the Democrats back in '94, when a whole bunch of Democrats were swept out. Is that possible?
CROWLEY: It's possible, but there are -- there are real differences here. One is Republicans have redistricted in the last 10 years.
COOPER: I heard something about that.
CROWLEY: Yes. So, they've made areas a little more Republican. So, they've guarded some of those people.
And then, too, when -- when '94 came along, a lot of the Democrats that got swept out were freshman Democrats. They really didn't get a chance to, you know, become a big deal in their district.
The Republicans that are under fire are old bulls, mostly. They have been there; this is not their first rodeo. They know how to do it. Then, too, '94 was a surprise. Republicans have known since the beginning of this year, and they've been told over and over again, you're in trouble.
COOPER: And the Democrat strategy is make this about the president. The Republicans want to do what?
CROWLEY: They want to make it about their opponent. You know, they want a mano a mano thing. From District 3 in Indiana to, you know, District 2 in California. They want to just talk about their candidate.
COOPER: Candy, thanks. We'll have more with you in the second hour.
Of course, we don't know yet how those elections are going to play out. That's going to be some of the interesting things to watch over the next 60 days.
Tonight, we do have a better idea on how people will likely vote, at least right now. We'll crunch the numbers in brand new polls just ahead. See how you fit in with many other people in the United States...
COOPER: Well, in one way or another tonight, we've been looking at what Americans think and how they feel five years into war and two months from congressional elections. Bearing in mind that polls are not elections, are really only a snapshot of right now. The picture shows a growing number of people angry about the economy and divided over Iraq.
CNN's Bill Schneider has been crunching the numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Remember the angry voters of the early 1990s? They gave us term limits, Ross Perot. They threw out a Republican president. Then they threw out a Democratic Congress.
Well, guess what? Angry voters are back. Three quarters of the public say they're angry about something. What are they angry about? Different things. The war in Iraq is one; the economy is another. The economy?
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: By the way, the unemployment rate is 4.7 percent. That's a good sign if you're somebody looking for a job.
SCHNEIDER: There's plenty of anger over gas prices and the housing slump. And while the economy has been growing, working people had not seen many gains.
Iraq is the top issue for Democrats this year. They argue the war in Iraq is a dangerous distraction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want the focus to be on terrorism, not on being involved in a civil war in Iraq.
SCHNEIDER: The Democrats' argument is, if Iraq is a local conflict between Shiites and Sunnis, it does not threaten us. It distracts us.
For Republicans, terrorism is the top issue. They see Iraq as part of the war on terror.
BUSH: For al Qaeda, Iraq is not a distraction. From their war on America; it is the central battlefield where the outcome of this struggle will be decided.
SCHNEIDER: The election could turn on what issues voters care most about. Right now, that's the economy and the war in Iraq. Voters concerned about both of them are voting overwhelmingly Democratic. Voters who say terrorism is the top priority give Republicans a wide lead.
Angry voters want change, and more voters see Democrats than Republicans as the party of change, which is why Democrats are 10 points ahead among people likely to vote for Congress this year.
Congress? That's something else voters are angry about. Want to know how many Americans are satisfied with what Congress has accomplished this year? How's this for a rating? Twelve percent.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: That is remarkable, 12 percent. You know, clearly, both sides have an argument on Iraq. What do you think the debate boils down to?
SCHNEIDER: Well, I think the core debate is going to be this. The Republicans, President Bush today argued that if the United States leaves Iraq, it will create a base for terrorists who can then threaten the United States. He warned about the dangers of walking out prematurely.
But the Democrats argue, well, what if we stay in Iraq? That will just increase resentment of the United States and make it more likely that the terrorist and the radicals will recruit more members based on anti-Americanism.
You know, Americans understand both those arguments, but that's going to be at the core of the debate between the two sides.
COOPER: Bill Schneider, appreciate it.
Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006 10:30 a.m. EDT
Ned Lamont Courts GOP Voters in Connecticut
Ned Lamont, the surprise winner of Connecticut's Democratic primary, said Wednesday he will reach out to moderates and even Republicans as he seeks to broaden his appeal.
"Amongst moderates and Republicans, I've got to get more in front of them and introduce myself, because they didn't have a chance to pay as much attention to the race," said Lamont, the anti-war challenger who last month seized the Democratic nomination from three-term Sen. Joe Lieberman.
Lamont was in Washington for meetings with party leaders and union officials. Lieberman, running as an independent in hopes of keeping his seat, also was returning to the capital after his Aug. 8 primary loss.
A political newcomer, Lamont criticized his chief rival.
"I'm not an 18-year career politician," he said. "I'm a guy who started up a business from scratch and I'm going to come down to Washington to take a fresh look at some old problems."
After spending August campaigning against each other in Connecticut, the two foes were shifting the fight to Washington, at least for the day.
Lamont was in the city seeking support from labor, a traditional Lieberman ally, and top Democrats.
In a breakfast meeting with reporters, Lamont was asked if he won the Senate seat and President Bush nominated Lieberman to replace Donald H. Rumsfeld as defense secretary, would he back the nomination.
Lamont said he couldn't support Lieberman because of his record of supporting the Iraq war.
"In good conscience, I couldn't support him for that," Lamont told reporters following the breakfast, a repeat of his earlier comments.
Lamont had no plans to attend the traditional party luncheon for senators at the Capitol, averting a potential encounter with Lieberman, who is expected to attend the lunch. Senators often invite their top candidates to the caucus lunch in election years.
Lieberman had support from many state and national Democrats in the hotly contested primary, but most prominent Democrats and party officials are now lined up behind Lamont. Lieberman has secured support from some Republicans, who have spurned the GOP candidate in the three-way race, Alan Schlesinger.
© 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.