"Is the Dems' Bush strategy finally gaining traction?"

[Clio the Leo]

Is the Dems' Bush strategy finally gaining traction?

Okay, so we now have two national polls suggesting that the Dem strategy of tying the GOP to Bush may finally be gaining some traction. For Dems, it's not a moment too soon.

As I've noted here, polls have steadily shown that the public may not be buying the Dems' central message -- that a vote for the GOP is a vote for the Bush policies that ran our economy into the ground. But that may be changing, if this finding buried in the internals of today's New York Times poll can be believed:

If the Republicans win control of Congress in November do you think they will try to return to the economic policies of George W. Bush or won't they try to return to the policies of George W. Bush?

Return to policies of George W. Bush 47

Won't return to George W. Bush policies 36

That's not all. Buried in the National Journal poll last week was a finding that attracted no notice:

By a plurality of 45 percent to 33 percent, poll respondents were more likely to say that congressional Republicans are offering an economic agenda similar to Bush's than to say they are proposing something different.

Why the shift? This is speculative. But my bet is that the shift is being driven by the debate over whether to extend the Bush tax cuts, which has dominated the news in recent days. The unanimous Republican support for extending the Bush tax cuts, especially for the rich, may have focused public attention on the Dem argument that Republicans want nothing more than a return to Bush policies.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/09/is_the_dem_tie-gop-to-bush_str.html

[Phx_Dem]

1. Hi Mr. President!!!

:hi:

(he's waving at me! :P )

[besdayz]

2. a

if these numbers are real, that's shrewd politicking by the dnc to keep this tax battle drawn out...
usually tax discussion favors repukes but in this case the name bush has such an overriding negative effect....