NEW AP POLL CONFIRMS REPUBLICAN STRENGTH – AT 6:30 P.M. ET:  A new AP poll out today shows increasing Republican strength, as the election grows near:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Tilted toward the GOP from the start of the year, the political environment has grown even more favorable for Republicans and rockier for President Barack Obama and his Democrats over the long primary season that just ended with a bang.

And this despite the fact that the journalistic establishment is doing its thing for the Dems, big time.

The country's pessimism benefits the out-of-power GOP, which clearly has enthusiasm on its side. Far more people voted this year in Republicans primaries than in Democratic contests, and the antiestablishment tea party coalition has energized the GOP even as it has sprung a series of primary surprises...

...Indeed, Republicans expected turnout of 30,000 to 40,000 in Delaware on Tuesday. Some 57,582 people showed up to vote as tea party-backed Christine O'Donnell upset moderate Rep. Mike Castle for the Senate GOP nomination.

And...

Overall, it's an extraordinarily dreary backdrop for Obama's beleaguered party. And with just seven weeks until Election Day, Democrats are running out of options to mitigate widespread expected losses of House, Senate and governor's seats from coast to coast on Nov. 2.

Finally,

With less than two months to go, Democrats are focused on slowing a GOP wave that could give Republicans control of Congress and on trying to fire up their deeply dispirited Democratic base while stemming the flood of independents who now are leaning strongly toward the GOP.

They haven't gained traction with warnings that electing Republicans would mean a return to George W. Bush's policies. Now, Democrats are trying a different tack by elevating - and subsequently tearing down - House GOP leader John Boehner, the likely House speaker should Republicans win control. They're also pouring millions of dollars into advertising designed mostly to make GOP candidates unacceptable instead of highlighting their own accomplishments.

But there's no certainty any of those tactics will work.

COMMENT:  But, combined with a fear campaign, they could work in some areas, which is why the GOP must run as if it's 20 points behind.

September 15, 2010      Permalink

CHRISTINE, YOU KNOW WE ALWAYS LOVED YA – AT 2:57 P.M. ET:  The Republican establishment today bit its lip, arrested its pride, and announced support for Christine O'Donnell, the insurgent who won the GOP Senate nomination in Delaware:

In a clear sign of the grassroots pressure on Republican leaders, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn just put out a statement embracing Christine O'Donnell -- a dramatic contrast with his group's curt response last night -- and writing her a big check.

It's a remarkable reversal, and a vivid illustration that the base is in charge and has the leadership running scared.

The NRSC is sending O'Donnell a check for $42,000, the maximum possible under current rules.  Press reports say that contributions are pouring in from other sources – so many contributions that the O'Donnell website crashed.

We didn't support Christine O'Donnell.  We can't deny our doubts about her.  But we sure hope she wins in November.

September 15, 2010