House vote count for Syria attack:
Sept 4, 5, 6, and today:
CNN:
No: 91, 109, 119, 123 (23 Democrat, 100 Republican)
yes: 27, 23, 24, 24 (16 Democrat, 8 Republican)
the rest undecided or unknown
cnn.com 
The Hill
no/leaning: 71, 110, 135, 138 (32 Democrats, 106 Republican)
yes/leaning: 22, 31, 31, 31 (21 Democrat, 10 Republican)
thehill.com
Washington Post
no/leaning: 167, 204, 224, 226
yes: 17, 24, 25, 25
washingtonpost.com
Not much change in the numbers, but the pattern continues: yes votes are stagnant, no votes increasing. There are 182 undecided votes, according to the Washington Post; the other counts have more undecided. Assuming those who have declared a choice don't change, Obama would have to win almost all those undecided votes, to get an overall majority. Since, according to those who have decided, Obama doesn't even have a majority among Democrats, this seems unlikely.
It isn't quite as bleak for the President as it looks. Those who have declared against a Syria attack, are members with strong opinions, and willing to defy their leadership. Those who are still undecided don't have as strong opinions. For them, the path of least resistance may be to do what the President and House Republican leadership want them to do. The actual vote may be more favorable to Obama.
headlines:
100,000 answer pope’s call, fill St. Peter’s Square for Syria peace vigil
washingtonpost.com
European Union backs ‘strong,’ but not immediate, response to Syrian attack
...no action should take place until U.N. chemical weapons inspectors release their report at least two weeks from now.A similar delay was advocated Friday by French President François Hollande, whose government had said until last week that it was “ready” to participate in a U.S.-led military strike...
washingtonpost.com
Tony Blair: Iraq War made UK 'hesitant' over Syria
news.search.yahoo.com
War-Weary Nation? Why Fewer Want Action in Syria Than in Past Conflicts
news.yahoo.com
War vote on Syria looms for White House hopefuls
newspressnow.com |
