Going into this election the democrats have two institutionalized strikes against them.

The first is money and the second is the media.

Howard Dean has some what muted the money imbalance the republicans enjoy with his use of the internet but still it is safe to predict that Bush will have at least twice the money that his democratic opponent will have.

In the 2000 election a PEW report showed that up until the democratic convention the media gave Bush a 2 to 1 favorable reporting and a 1 to 2 negative reporting. That is to say, the media reported twice as many favorable articles on Bush as the democrats and one half the negative articles. This bias is aimed directly at the independents which is where the election is won and lost. The media is doing the same trick again, hammering the democrats, going out of their way to give a negative impression of them while softballing Bush.

I would content that if the media told the unbiased truth about Bush, his economy, his domestic policy and his foreign affairs there is no way he would enjoy a 60 percent approval rating. Yet the media, which is now pretty much controlled by massive media conglomerates who control the news more than they report it, are fixing the election.

Bottom line, assuming that Dean wins the convention, he will face a daunting money disadvantage and a full year of negative stigma from the media. No way he or any democrat can beat those odds.

Still, I'll bet there are a few hard ball optimists out there, how do you think Dean or any democrat can overcome these disadvantages?

Democrats will win the election here is why:

1. Everyone who voted for Gore will again vote Democratic, Gore won more votes than Bush by a margin of 500,000. In Florida 20,000 votes intended for Gore went to Bushcanna, and Bushcannan has admitted it, it won't happen again.

2. The total Electoral vote count produced just one vote of the necessary needed to win, Bush got 271, while Gore had 267, change one small state and the Dems win. If Gepharpt is the V P, Mo. his home state will go Democrat.

3. Several million who are unemployed will vote Democratic, a bad economy always brings out more voters, and they are always Democrats. College Grads who cannot find a decent job, will vote Democrat, young men of Draft age will vote Democrat, as well as their mothers, Many Conservatives, will vote for a Democrat, look at Oniel and some others so disilusioned by Bush spendhrift agenda, and then the anti war people.

Right now the perception is for Bush, because he is on T V making news, but he is not in a race, and many events you see him looking so cockey and positive are staged events, with hand selected people in attendance,, he does not even venture into the general population for a true reception, he will get boo'ed out of town,, he looks good before the Troops, they love him and his Miltary spending, and justifying the billions they waste, with a war, but thats not America, he looks good before the hand picked Republicans cheering him on, but thats not America, Once the Attack is on and once he has to face the general public, he will falter , he will fail, he is gone.

We should all take heart in light of some good recent news.




http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories....02105043&EDATE=


Remember-a democratic candidate defeated a popular war time president with over 60% approval rating. The year?-1992. We should be able to get more votes from people who are sick of their jobs flying overseas and who are nervous about losing health insurance. We'll get the moderates who don't think we should pull out of Afghanistan, but who think this whole Iraq thing is the biggest mistake we've gotten ourselves into. The money will roll in, don't worry about that. Once the Clinton's start campaigning-high rolling democrats in New York City and other cosmopolitan cities will do their best to help out.

From what I've heard talking to friends and family who are part of the military actually serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, etc... There seems to be a larger number of disgruntled military folks and their families than one would normally expect with a Republican. Plus, I think the still doubtful reasons for the war and the confusion in certain parts of Iraq have also contributed to a fall in the approval rating for Bush among some of the troops - so, maybe they'll either be unhappy enough to not send in an absentee ballot for Bush - or better yet, mad enough to vote for ABB (anyone but Bush).

Democrats do stand a chance. Then again Nader also stands a chance however small or insignifcant a chance that may be.

The problem is that we Democrats have to be completely behind our candidate 100% if we want to get Bush out of office. That's the main thing right? Getting Bush out?

Now is not the time to begin questioning whether or not it is worth it to vote Nader, Kerry, or not at all, because I doubt many Republicans are on the same see-saw we are.

If the deck truly is stacked agaisnt us then we better start stacking back.

I believe we definitely stand a chance at this point. Senator Kerry is a scrapper. He's not going to take the political ad insinuations and allegations of the Bush campaign lying down like Dukakis or Carter did. In trying to remain above the fray, they allowed their opponents' craven messages to take hold.

Republican supporters, for the most part, seem to be willingly gullible about this administration. Bush has already established the practice of promising the moon and the stars (this time he's talking about Mars! ) before an election, but he's going to be encountering far more skeptics this time.

Kerry is going to give back as good as he gets. He is already countering the hackneyed Republican charge that "all [Kerry's] going to do is raise taxes." It's funny how that tune never changes--even while Bush holds out the bone of an average $300 tax cut per family to the working people while their property taxes and insurance rates go through the roof to make up for his failed domestic policies.

Promise them that little bit of money and they'll re-elect me. That--plus constant attempts to sully the Democratic opponent--is supposed to do the trick by inundating the airwaves. In the meantime, Bush's campaign stops are so highly-orchestrated that in Ohio, when a snowplow driver had on his truck an anti-Bush sign, he was dismissed from his job. Rove and Company can't let the pissants, er, citizens, get a chance to tell the President how they feel at all costs; their boy might start thinking about the consequences of his actions.

When the populace feels so disenfranchised, they are bound to express their displeasure. I hope they do it by voting for Kerry.

The democrats cashed my check, but didn't issue me a membership card. I'm not going to hold it against them. The one Republican I ever voted for was my High School Graduation Speaker. He began that speech in 1964 with a line I often heard him use, "Every time I drive past 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I say to myself; If I was President, I'd be home now." Under all foreseeable circumstances, even if Gerald Ford is on the Republican ticket, I will be pulling the Straight Democratic Party ticket this November. America can not survive four more years of Dumbya's administration.

This doesn't seem an appropriate place to post "The Democrats don't stand a chance!" The Republicans, much of the media, Corporate America, johnlocke, and others have found plenty of places in which to say ""George W. Bush is the best candidate money can buy and we've bought him."

I have an idea. Some things are more enjoyable when shared with friends. I remember for instance, organizing Dracula pot lucks. The blood bank in Midland used to offer a free, all you can eat meal to all blood donors. I would pick a time and invite church members to "Bring a pint of blood to share..."

I think that "bloc parties" might be enjoyable come November. The more Democrats we can encourage to stand in line at the polls on November 2, the more likely there will be Republicans who find it inconvenient to park, walk, and wait. Locate friends in your precinct, and vote as a group. You'll have someone to chat with in line, and afterward you can get together somewhere to eat, drink, and watch those fabulous election results!

I remember the old saying that Republicans always think their right while Democrats entertain the possibility that they may be wrong. In this election none of this exists. I have never seen democrats so united. I still think Kerry should get Edwards. I think Edwards would deliver N.Carolina and S.Carolina not to mention be just enough to deliver Florida. The sad reality is that the south will not elect a northernor. I always find it funny that a northernor will vote for a Southernor but never vice versa. Kerry has to appoint a southernor. Gephardt is not a southernor and neither is Evan Bayh. Richardson doesnt want it and Graham is for lack of a better title a known loser. Kerry can not afford to pull a Lieberman out of his hat. This election is so desperately needed that names like Zell Miller should be floated. Kidding.....sort of.