I am starting to get optimistic.
Few sitting presidents ever get higher percentages on election day than the final polls. Challengers often pick up a few points.
And these polls are based on obsolete formulae for "likely voters".
----- More GOP defections (e.g. perceptive American patriots) -------
Bob Smith, former New Hampshire senator and fellow Vietnam veteran, is the most recent prominent Republican to support for John Kerry as one "who crossed the aisle to forge a bipartisan coalition in the Senate to balance the federal budget."
Among other new Kerry backers are John Eisenhower,; Lee Iacocca, former Chrysler CEO; Russell E. Train, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency for two Republican Presidents; Elmer L. Andersen, former Republican governor of Minnesota; William Milliken, former Republican governor of Michigan; and retired Gen. Merrill McPeak, former chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force. Well-known independents include Angus King, former governor of Maine; and Jesse Ventura, former governor of Minnesota.
Iacocca campaigned for George W. Bush in 2000 and Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984. He appeared in Bush campaign ads four years ago.
McPeak served as Oregon chairman of Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign and in 2000 was co-chairman of Oregon Veterans for Bush Cheney. He is now one of 12 Generals and Admirals supporting Kerry in an unprecedented display of support from the military establishment.
Eisenhower, a lifelong Republican and previously an ambassador to Belgium, was one of 180 former U.S. ambassadors to endorse Kerry.
43 newspapers, including Bush's hometown Crawford paper, endorsed Kerry after having backed Bush in 2000. Kerry is the first Democrat to be endorsed by the Bangor Daily News since the 19th century. The Orlando Sentinel had not in 40 years.
The conservative Detroit News, in refusing to support a second term for Bush, withheld its endorsement from a Republican for only the third time in two centuries. The other two were during Franklin Roosevelt's wartime reelection bids. The Tampa Tribune, which has not endorsed a Democrat for President since 1952, also declined to endorse Bush.
Other than the ranting spittle flying from Zel Miller's mouth at the GOP convention, have any of you seen even one prominent defection going the other way?
---- Doubts and and caveats that may interfere with a landslide reclamation of our country and civilization:
- a likely panic-manipulation of news in the next few days (we must hope that Bush unpopularity at CIA will help save us. We depend utterly upon their professionalism and skill.)
- we have no idea how extensive the wave of GOP cheating will finally go. (So far, except for some defaced lawn signs, EVERY news article about cheating has been about stunts by the right. And this is in my conservative local paper).
- our new and "improved" voting machines have nearly all been programmed by companies with GOP connections.
---- Will we win by sufficient margin? ---
We not only need a regime change. It should be decisive. We need the Gang to be repudiated. To show the world that we are back. That America hasn't lost its mind.
Our celebration will be accompanied by the sound of a thousand shredders, running hot in Washington and throughout the land. That's okay. The FBI has enough evidence, already in the pipeline, for a wave of indictments. Too many will only look vindictive, and we need uniting.
I hope Kerry doesn't just promise to be a "uniter" and appoint a few Republicans to the cabinet.
He needs to make a strong gesture. A real peace offering to sincere conservatives.
I suggest one at: http://www.davidbrin.com/losingmajority.html _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
