|
Turns out, not so good. While we angst over Obama's every move and worry about the Dems yet again snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, it seems things aren't going too well on the other side of the fence.
First, there were reports of serious grumbling among many GOPers with the McCain campaing: While the practice of second-guessing presidential campaign decisions is a quadrennial routine, interviews with 16 Republican strategists and state party chairmen - few of whom would agree to talk on the record - reveal a striking level of discord and mounting criticism about the McCain operation.
"It's not just message or not having just one single meta-theme to compete with Obama," said a veteran Republican strategist with close ties to McCain's top advisers. "It's not just fundraising, which is mediocre. And it's not even just organization, which is [just] starting or nonexistent in many states."
"McCain's campaign seems not to have a game plan. I don't see a consistent message," said Ed Rollins, a veteran of Republican presidential campaigns. "As someone who has run campaigns, this campaign is not running smoothly. But none of this matters if they get their act together."
And now reports of a high-level shakeup. within the McCain camp.
And how's that drive to retake Congress going? Between Mitch McConnell's admission that the GOP isn't going to retake the Senate to the anemic GOP prospects in the House, not so good. The vaunted GOP "Regain Our Majority Program" (ROMP II, formerly "Retain Our Majority") has only one open seat contender and two challengers, one of whom is running for Tom DeLay's old TX-22 seat, and 5 incumbents needing defense. And a GOP fundraising machine has been exposed as something out of the Producers, keeping 95% of the money they raised for candidates or funnelling it to cronies.
Meanwhile the Dems "Red to Blue" program has 18 open seat contenders, 20 challengers and another 20 "emerging races," for a total of 50 more than the GOP's list. And the Dems right now have a 37 seat majority in the House. And Dem registration and voter identification are both way up.
So don't get discouraged. Things look better for us right now, as to both electoral prospects and the possibility of positive change, than at any time since I cast my first presidential vote in 1964.
|
STATE BLOGS
