Wednesday, March 8, 2006
GOP Hurting, Democrats Worse
Plunging poll numbers for President Bush, lobbying scandals, the furor over the U.S. ports deal and even Dick Cheney’s hunting accident could all hurt Republicans in the 2006 elections.
But the GOP has one thing in its favor, according to political pundit Michael Barone: The sorry state of the Democrats.
"The standing of the Republican Party is not in great shape,” the Fox News Channel contributor told an audience in Charlotte, N.C. "Perhaps the only thing going for it is [that] the standing of the Democratic Party is not in great shape either.”
Republicans have tended to win a slightly higher percentage of the popular vote in recent elections, said Barone, who believes the key to GOP victory this year will be voter turnout.
And Republicans have been better at using informal volunteer networks to get the vote out, the Charlotte Observer reports.
For example, John Kerry’s popular vote in 2004 was 16 percent higher than Al Gore’s in 2000, but George Bush registered a 23 percent increase over his 2000 vote.
"This huge increase in turnout,” said Barone, "is sort of a silent advantage Republicans have.”
Plunging poll numbers for President Bush, lobbying scandals, the furor over the U.S. ports deal and even Dick Cheney’s hunting accident could all hurt Republicans in the 2006 elections.
But the GOP has one thing in its favor, according to political pundit Michael Barone: The sorry state of the Democrats.
"The standing of the Republican Party is not in great shape,” the Fox News Channel contributor told an audience in Charlotte, N.C. "Perhaps the only thing going for it is [that] the standing of the Democratic Party is not in great shape either.”
Republicans have tended to win a slightly higher percentage of the popular vote in recent elections, said Barone, who believes the key to GOP victory this year will be voter turnout.
And Republicans have been better at using informal volunteer networks to get the vote out, the Charlotte Observer reports.
For example, John Kerry’s popular vote in 2004 was 16 percent higher than Al Gore’s in 2000, but George Bush registered a 23 percent increase over his 2000 vote.
"This huge increase in turnout,” said Barone, "is sort of a silent advantage Republicans have.”
