The Voting Gap
"Opinion"09/08/2010
Paul Munnis
As political pundits try to forecast a Democratic defeat based upon reading tea leaves and chicken entrails one of their pet spins deals with the voter gap in the recent primaries.
To state the obvious: the primaries are not the same as the General Election. It is the latter that counts more than the former.
In Minnesota we had a good turn-out for the Primaries and there was a large field in opposition to the Party endorsed candidate. As a Party we had to make some tough choices. In many other States they were happy with their slate of candidates or the difference between the candidates was so small so as not to matter to voters.
By contrast, the Tea Party caused civil-war in the Republican camp. The Republicans are angry and they ‘wanna throw the bums out.’ If there was to be a Republican Party the Republican voters had to come out to the Primaries and craft a ticket to run in November. That was done with lots of teeth grinding and tobacco juice spitting. It went on to the tune of the Soprano duo – Palin and Bachmann, with lots of protesting Tea Party members chiming in as a mad chorus. It was all sung out of tune like the song: Desifinado.”
Democrats were treated to a spectacle of a Party imploding and eating its children and self-destructing. The result is an assault of false forecasts, idiotic speeches, and bravado. Republican in the best political manner are practicing the admonition to politicians: “Don’t Let Them See You Sweat.” Indeed there is lots of underarm deodorant being employed in Republican circles these days.
Because Obama is pushing back they are spinning it as: “he is afraid…” maybe it should be “he is disgusted with Republicans blocking his agenda; for lying; for using propaganda in lieu of a political vision, for behaving anti-American. If he is angry then who can blame him?
In the meantime, the GOP is desperate. They have launched a media and propaganda blitz but the American voters are on to the GOP and have come to know their ways. The nightmare is: "What if Voters 'Just Say No' " to the GOP?
Today Obama will up the ante as Democrats march toward the only poll that really matters: the election itself. Obama has a few fast balls to throw today and among them is a neat transportation agenda and an added stimulus plan.