Dems Face Big, Dangerous Enthusiasm Gap for 2010

This is a big concern for the Democratic party heading into the 2010 midterm Congressional elections--and all the more reason why Obama is so frantically trying to pass sweeping health care reform now, rather than trying to do so later with probably a more meager majority.

Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and others have the GOP base all wild eyed and frantic to get to the polls next year, whereas we can expect the Democrats to be comparatively lethargic after spending a ton of energy getting Obama elected last year....

Remember in 1994, two short years after Bill Clinton came into office after trouncing George Bush Sr. the Dems were pummeled into submission by the Newt Gingrich led Republican revolution.

The country has changed quite a bit in the 15 years since then (mostly in terms of demographics--tons more Hispanics, etc.) and the likelihood of the GOP matching their '94 result is almost nil. But as this poll shows us, the probability is that the GOP makes gains.

If you are a Democrat, take a good long look at the picture in the upper right. And vote next year for goodness sake--

Draft Dick Cheney?

America's a really big country with like 300 million or so plus people living here.

Plenty of room for a few crazies who actually think Dick Cheney would make a good presidential candidate for 2012...

Huckabee Too Petrified to Criticize Limbaugh

One of the more humerus things that American political watchers will see these days is the absolute, sheer authority and command wingnut radio blowhard Rush Limbaugh has over the hierarchy of the party--2012 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee included.

Along with Glenn Beck, Limbaugh is the most powerful person in today's GOP, which speaks volumes...

Limbaugh can say or do anything without fear of reprisal...indeed the powers that be stumble over themselves to kiss his ring and swear oaths of fealty to him--

Lou Dobbs and Rick Santorum Consider Presidential Runs

The first comment that comes to mind when hearing this news is....why?

Lou Dobbs is the formerly staid, boring CNN anchor who after a brief stop as CEO of space.com during the Internet bubble, transformed himself into a fire breathing anti-immigration wingnut.

Rick Santorum is the former Republican senator from Pennsylvania who was routed in his reelection bid last year. He, too, is an extreme right wing wingnut.

The answer to the question of why two incredibly politically divisive men with literally a 0.00% chance of ever getting elected president by a plurality of American voters would put themselves through the rigor of travelling the country, raising money, kissing babies, etc. in what surely will be a futile effort is actually pretty simple...

Cash.

You see running for president for a guy with even minimal name recognition gives the narcissist politician or TV talking head a forum to blab away at nationally televised debates, get interviewed by both local and national newspapers and bloggers...and generally keep their names in the mix and raise their profile.

By doing so they keep themselves busy, have their massive egos continually stroked by staff and supporters, and crucially raise the fees they charge for speeches, appearances, etc.

So basically there is little downside for people to run for president, even if they stand no chance of winning.

It satisfies the two ultimate desires for the narcissist politician/public figure: money and ego.

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