QandO

September 05, 2004

An interesting peek...
Posted by McQ

... into the minds of those on the left following the RNC. Writer Farai Chideya sends a "Letter from New York" to the SFGate describing a gathering she had to watch the Republican's do their thing:

On Monday night, the Republicans were having their party, so I had mine. I gathered friends -- New Yorkers, San Franciscans and one stray Angelino --

for cocktails, snacks and a chance to observe the political system from the relative safety of a Manhattan living room. We put boring speeches on mute, but jacked up the sound when John McCain and Rudy Giuliani took the stage.

[...]

The guests seem stunned by, but impressed with, the ability of the Bush campaign to take people who have never shown much personal or ideological affinity for President Bush (and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would fall among these) and turn them into Zombies-for-Bush.

Near the end of the night's broadcast, I took a poll. How many people thought Kerry was going to win?

The room contained liberal and Democratic voters of different races, national origins, incomes, professions and generations. Not a single solitary one raised a hand.

Ouch.

Just as you can talk an economy down, the same can easily happen to a campaign. Remember, this was before the TIME and Newsweek polls were published. Little vignettes like this say to me that Kerry support is pretty soft among much of the left. It means that not only does he have to woo undecided voters, but it appears that he's going to have to work to solidify his base again.

Which means he has to more Howard Deanish to his base and more John McCainish to the undecideds and moderates.

Quite a trick if he can pull it off.

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