FOX poll: Less than half think Bush will win now

[Sundog]

Amazing. We're going to beat him. Even Fox is hedging its bets now.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,97174,00.html

[Nyarlathotep]

A bit premature, don't you think? I seriously doubt that I will vote for Bush but since we don't even know who is running against him, I couldn't tell you with 100% certainty what my OWN vote would be at this stage. So it is too early to say that Bush is a shoe in to lose, no matter what the polls say.

However it is good to see that he isn't the sure bet that he seemed a year ago.

[arcticpenguin]

Originally posted by Sundog
Amazing. We're going to beat him. Even Fox is hedging its bets now.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,97174,00.html
What you mean "we", Kimosabe?

[Sundog]

Originally posted by arcticpenguin

What you mean "we", Kimosabe?

:p

What makes you think "we" includes you?

That's ok, you have plenty of time to come around.

[KelvinG]

A lot can happen in a year. Didn't George Sr. have a lead in the polls a year before the 1992 election?

I'm desperately hoping that Georgie Jr. gets booted from the White House next year, but it's to early to start getting one's hopes up.

[Mr Manifesto]

Always remember September 11. I say this, because Johnny Howard in Aus was waaaay behind in the polls until A-Q did the airborn ram-raid on the WTC. Then he couldn't lose if the newspapers published photos of him squashing babies' heads under his jackboots. He won the election two months later.

Let's say that it's likely Bush will lose, but the future, as ever, is uncertain.

[svero]

Well the way things are going with freedom and evildoers and terrorism and direct messages from the magic sky faerie and all, it will probably be illegal to vote against his magesty in 2004 unless you want to be burned like the witch you are.

- S

[Zep]

Nothing will change unless more Americans actually get out there and vote next time. It seems to an outsider that US presidents get in based on the lack-of-votes-against rather than the plethora-of-votes-for.

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by Zep
Nothing will change unless more Americans actually get out there and vote next time. It seems to an outsider that US presidents get in based on the lack-of-votes-against rather than the plethora-of-votes-for.
Welcome to America.

Also note, winning isnt about being the most qualified, but being the most popular. Oh well, the system has worked for 220+ years, why change it now...

[Some Friggin Guy]

I would also like to add to Yahweh's point:

It isn't even always about being the most popular, but being the most popular in certain areas that have a greater number of electoral votes, since W. Actually lost the popular vote, yet was still elected president.

[Frank Newgent]

about half of Americans now think President George W. Bush will be reelected next year
Don't these people ever get out of the house?

[ssibal]

Originally posted by Frank Newgent

Don't these people ever get out of the house?

Maybe they are the half of registered voters that do not vote.

[Zep]

Thanks, Yahweh and SFG. And I'm aware of incidents like LBJ managing to make it to the Senate on a handful of votes "suddenly discovered" by his boosters from an unknown rural backwater polling booth in Texas. :)

I know! Why not make elections "more American"!

1. Drive-thru polls - should be popular in Vegas.

2. Touring poll trucks for remote voters - like touring libraries only with civics.

3. Win-a-vote - don't win a million dollars, win some more votes for the candidate(s) of your choice.

4. Green-stamp votes - buy more stuff, get more votes for your fave candidate.

5. Beauty contest votes - winner of the best-dressed booster gets to vote twice!

Remember! Vote early, vote often! :)

[Cain]

It isn't even always about being the most popular, but being the most popular in certain areas that have a greater number of electoral votes, since W. Actually lost the popular vote, yet was still elected president

I would like to add to Yahewh and SWG's points:

It isn't even about being the most popular in the general election, or even (fairly) winning the electoral vote, but stealing the election with the aid of Kathrine Harris and winning by one vote in the Supreme Court.

To seriously add on to Zep's post: Shanek's ode to the free-market has inspired me. We should consider selling being able to sell our votes to candidates. If you can auction your vote on ebay, or sell it outright to the GOP, think about all the poor people that could eat on well on the first Tuesday of every November. Of course governments everywhere -- not just here in the US of A -- impose harsh regulations, disproportionately affecting the poor, that forbids the free transfer of votes. Get big government out of our elections, dammit!!

See, I'm all about solutions.

[Brown]

Bill Maher suggested a possibility on his HBO program last Friday: namely, the possibility of an "October Surprise."

Maher suggested that maybe, just maybe, bin Laden might be captured about a month before the national election. Such an event would certainly boost the President in the polls, no?

I am not a person who buys into nutty conspiracy theories, but I wish this one didn't seem so damned plausible.

It's very early, but the election is shaping up to be the nastiest campaign yet, and it is looking very much like the Bush camp is girding up to "win at all costs." One Maher's guests, Paul Krugman (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/12/opinion/12KRUG.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20O p%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fColumnists), sees the same signs: "[E]verything suggests that there are major scandals - involving energy policy, environmental policy, Iraq contracts and cooked intelligence - that would burst into the light of day if the current management lost its grip on power. So these people must win, at any cost. The result, clearly, will be an ugly, bitter campaign - probably the nastiest of modern American history."

It is not too late for Mr. Bush to win re-election (or, as some would say, to win his first election) on merit. If Mr. Bush showed true merit in his handling of foreign and domestic affairs, he'd earn a majority of votes. At the current time, however, Mr. Bush's team seems to be gearing up to win by means other than winning on merit.

[Cain]

I saw that installment of Maher's show. Ventura nearly drove me crazy with his know-it-all, talk-radio attitiude. Christ. I believe even Krugman confessed he was going insane when "the Body" averred a typically fatuous explanation of agriculture subsidies.

Anyway, Maher was obviously kidding when he suggested the Republicans drag Bin Laden out in chains before the election. It's still a year away and too soon to tell what's going to happen. Six months ago Bush appeared invincible.