jcast's Journal: Democrat Confidence in their Candidate:

Terrible:

In an effort to manage the message, Democrats bombarded media websites with post-debate spin immediately following Thursday's Bush-Kerry face-off in Florida - and it apppears to have paid off.

In a survey of non-scientific online polls done by ten major media sites, Sen. John Kerry was running about 20 points better than in traditional, scientific polls. Though Kerry was solidly ahead in three traditional polls as well, in the online polls he was a landslide winner.

In an email prior to the debate, Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe urged the party faithful to "vote in online polls" as soon as the debate ended.

They're reduced to ballot-stuffing to give their candidate the boost he needs to overcome Bush's lead and the swift boat charges.

Hat tip: Little Green Footballs via Tim Blair.

why wouldn't we?

[ceejayoz]

We saw what the post-debate spin did to Gore after his first debate, why not head it off this time?

Anyways, the instant polls of likely voters right afterwards still showed Kerry winning overwhelmingly, even before any DNC-sponsored spin would have taken hold.

Mountains out of molehills, I think.

It'll make the final loss harder

[bmetzler]

Ballot-stuffing doesn't really reflect anything statistically, we know that. But if it gives them a big head, I say knock their socks off. It'll just make the impending loss that much harder to take.

OTOH, we know that Gore did lose the post-debate-debate 4 years ago, and that is what the Democrats are trying to psychologically defend themselves from. Did it work? Maybe it was a trap. Maybe the Republicans wanted them to "win" the first debate this year psychologically, and the Dem's just walked into i

Re:It'll make the final loss harder

[DaytonCIM]

not what is politically expedient

Interesting comment. Don't you think that the Iraq War is being fought with politics in mind? Maybe not to the grand extent that Vietnam was, but certainly the Election plays a part in all military planning right now... Doesn't that negate your comment?

Re:It'll make the final loss harder

[bmetzler]

but certainly the Election plays a part in all military planning right now... Doesn't that negate your comment?

See, that's the problem. Democrats can't figure it out. On one hand, Democrats say that the war is going really bad and President Bush isn't changing his plan to make things look better. Then Democrats say that Bush is using the war in Iraq to get votes.

Well, you tell me which it is? Is he making things look good in Iraq to get votes, or continuing what he believes is the right thing to do

Re:It'll make the final loss harder

[DaytonCIM]

Brent,

The President and Sen. Kerry are both using the war in Iraq to "get votes." That's what politicians do. Please do not generalize your response to me. I am asking a question, not as a Democrat or liberal, but as a fellow /.er. Ok?

I personally believe that the President is making the war sound better than it is, because that is what the American Public wants and I think you and I can agree that the American public doesn't want to know the details of war.

A perfect example is the POW "scandal." The

Re:It'll make the final loss harder

[bmetzler]

This generation is not ready to endure what our Grandparents endured during WW2. Hardship. No politician will stand before the American people and tell them to conserve fuel or resources or give up your Starbucks coffee, so that we can buy armor for the soldiers. You know why? Because this generation is lazy and unwilling to sacrifice anything.

And if Kerry wins, this will be the only reason why.

Ok, so your argument is that Bush is not being as forceful as he should be because of the election? I guess t

Re:It'll make the final loss harder

[DaytonCIM]

Brent,

It's not a matter of playing "macho-man", it's a matter of realizing that this is war and it's not GOOD, not POSITIVE, and not PRETTY. Too often politicians want to make war "pretty" and palatable for the public - that way no one has to actually think about the impact.

I'm not criticizing Pres. Bush or Sen. Kerry, I am merely pointing out that your statement "We have a President that does what needs to be done, not what is politically expedient" is wrong.

That's it.