PROBLEMS WITH DEMOCRATIC MORALE? [09/13 07:08 PM]
KERRY SPOT
Maybe all of this is just meaningless static in the soundtrack of the campaign, but it's hard to shake the feeling that Kerry supporters are having serious morale problems.
For example, Instapundit notes, "I notice that Kerry was making a lot of noise about the Assault Weapons ban expiring, after being very quiet on the subject until recently, and after trying — albeit ineffectually — to burnish his pro-gun credentials as recently as last week. I take this as a sign that the Kerry campaign now expects to lose, and has shifted to a rally-the-base mode intended to protect downticket candidates. I could be wrong, of course, but that's how it looks to me."
Then there's the comments from Bob Novak on CNN:
NOVAK: I've been talking to a lot of Democrats over the weekend and today, and they're very, very gloomy about Senator Kerry. They really feel that it's an uphill climb now, much different mood than a month ago. They feel that Senator Kerry has to perform better, and you can't do it just by speeches or television ads, you have to do it in the debates.
The debates are just beginning negotiations. The Bush people obviously want to have two debates instead of three, not have a town hall debate, limiting the opportunity. So, I think they're putting — the Democrats are putting all their cash on those debates, going into the next couple weeks.
WOODRUFF: And again, these are Democrats you're talking about right now.
NOVAK: Yes.
WOODRUFF: Separately, Bob, whatever happens in the presidential, what are Democrats saying about their hopes in the Senate?
NOVAK: Well, you know, if — since many of them are going to say it's more likely than not that Senator Kerry will lose, that means that they would have to win 51 instead of just 50 seats to win control of the Senate since they — Cheney would stay as vice president. That means a very tough hill to climb.
They would have to win tough states like Colorado and Oklahoma where there are now Republican Senators, besides holding southern states like Louisiana, North Carolina, and Florida.
And don't forget — and the Democrats I talked to here in Washington are very worried about South Dakota, where the Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle is actually a point or two behind in the polls, and the Republicans are reputed to be ready to throw in big money against Tom Daschle in the next few days.
Things will almost certainly improve in some fashion for Kerry between now and Election Day. But for the Democratic camp, they have to be a little worried that a tough August is being followed by a tough September. |
