Generic cretinism

Before us we have a choice. We can plunge into justified despair, or we can stop reading polls for a good six months.

Democrats a month ago held a 50%-42% advantage among registered voters in a generic ballot, which asked respondents to choose between a Democrat or Republican in their congressional district without identifying the candidates.... A new CNN/ORC poll indicates the GOP now holds a 49%-47% edge.

Due to the former, I'm leaning toward the latter.

 

Comments

[priscianusjr]

It's a good bet most of this is driven by the GOP and media feeding frenzy over the Obamacare website. But the site is rapidly improving. The naysayers continue to milk the issue, but reality will trump bullshit long before November 2014.

[Turgidson]

I always despair when i see the GOP leading the generic ballot, no matter the circumstance. They are completely bugfuck batshit insane, and yet, no amount of clueless buffoonery or willful destruction is sufficient to cast them aside.

But, given that status quo ante, I'm actually somewhat encouraged that, after two straight months of "ZOMG OBAMACARE FAIL" leading the news, all they could manage was to pull a tie or narrow lead.

The Obamacare news is starting, gradually, to turn. The Iran deal is supported by 2/3 of the country. There's another shutdown/debt ceiling conflagration on the horizon. The Dems can campaign on immigration reform. The economy may, MAY, be mending, although sequester cuts will probably strangle that progess in the crib.

A lot will happen in the next 11+ months. If the GOP, as non-presidential party in an offyear, can only effectively pull into a tie after "winning" every news cycle for nearly two months, there is no reason to give up. Obama may have squandered his chance at a wave putting Pelosi back in charge, but even that is not certain.

[shsavage]

Exactly, Turgidson. And with our most beloved Cruz Missile gearing up for another ObamaCare Shutdown fight in a couple of months, who's to say where the House could go in November.

[Peter G]

Worry not. There are things you can get away with in either a primary or general election but keeping your mouth permanently shut is not one of them. And there you have it, the Republicans have Achilles Mouths.

[shsavage]

Seems like every two weeks or so, PM's readers have to talk him in off the ledge...

[shsavage]

There's a very good article in the Chronicle of Higher Education that provides some context to the current contemplations of doom: http://chronicle.com/article/Democracys-Dual-Dangers/142971/