WP: Aftershocks Are Unpredictable (California Election)

[kskiska]

Nervous Politicians Weigh Election's National Impact

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8 -- As the aftershocks of Arnold Schwarzenegger's election settled in around the country Wednesday, one question dominated the national political debate: Will what happened here spread beyond this state and affect the election of 2004?

(snip)

"That same kind of anger and frustration can happen across the country if the economy doesn't improve, if the job situation doesn't improve, if gridlock in Washington continues on major issues," said Leon E. Panetta, a former U.S. House member representing California and White House chief of staff in the Clinton administration. "If I were an incumbent in any office, I would be a lot more nervous today."

That could spell obvious trouble for President Bush, but GOP strategists said it was foolish to suggest that the election of a Republican governor in the nation's most populous state was somehow bad news for a Republican president, as some Democrats argued.

(snip)

"If you look at the last year and a half, the only anger that's been taken out on anyone is Democrats. The only incumbent governors who lost were Democrats," Matthew Dowd, senior adviser to Bush's reelection campaign, said. "I know they're trying to say this is anger, but that anger, when it's manifested itself in an election, the Democrats have suffered from it so far. To me it's a sign of a rejection of the type of politics that voters don't want, which is slash and burn and no real positive solutions to it. I take heart from that."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A539-2003Oct8.html

[nolabels]

1. Well lets see now

Republicans have been running the House of Representatives for 8 years now, Had the senate for five of the last seven years and have had the White house for two and half years. We have been in a downturn with the economy for the last three and half years. The budget deficit is projected to the stratosphere and jobs are leaving the Country even faster. No body should ever blame the Republicans though because it is all the fault of Clinton and his Penis.

[Vogon_Glory]

2. The Trouble Is People Do Blame Clinton and His Member

The trouble is that it looks like too many voters still blame the economic downturn and the continuing unemployment on former President Clinton and his trysts with Ms. Lewinsky. We have fought, argued, campaigned to convince voters otherwise, but too many of them refuse to think.

There are days I think that it's going to be hopeless for the Democratic Party, and that the only thing that's going to shake the Republican kleptocracy out of power is going to be a mass movement combining the worst features of Huey Long and Hugo Chavez. And if enough people get angry enough, it will come.

This saddens me immensely. I liked the old Republic and the Great Society and I detest the Republican Party for its successful efforts in Third World-izing US politics.