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(s)Elections See other (s)Elections Articles Title: Obama, Democrats on track to landslide victory WASHINGTON — Barring a dramatic change in the political landscape over the next three weeks, Democrats appear headed toward a decisive victory on Election Day that would give them broad power over the federal government. The victory would send Barack Obama to the White House and give him larger Democratic majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate — and perhaps a filibuster-proof margin there. That could mark a historic realignment of the country's politics on a scale with 1932 or 1980, when the out party was given power it held for a generation, and used it to transform government's role in American society. Obama, a 47-year-old first-term senator from Illinois , is now well positioned to win the Electoral College . He's comfortably holding most of the "blue" states that went for Democrats Al Gore and John Kerry in past elections, polls show, and he's gaining momentum to take away several "red" states that have voted Republican in recent elections, including Florida , Ohio , Colorado and Virginia . The Democrats are also widely expected to take big gains in House and Senate races. Like Obama, they're reaching deep into once solid Republican territory. Even such stalwarts as North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole and Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell , the Senate Republican leader, could be in jeopardy. Building on the Democrats' sweeping wins two years ago when they seized control of both chambers of Congress , big gains this year would be reminiscent of the Republican gains in 1978 and 1980 that delivered "the Reagan Revolution." Former Reagan political adviser Ed Rollins likened today's landscape to that in 1980, when voters were angry at President Jimmy Carter and the Democrats and turned to Reagan in droves once they felt comfortable with the idea of him as president. "Barack has met the threshold," Rollins said. "Once Reagan met the threshold, people wanted to get rid of Carter and they did in a landslide. This is going to turn into a landslide." Democrats already had a political advantage heading into the fall campaign, with just 9 percent of Americans thinking the country's on the right track, the lowest ever recorded. President Bush 's approval rating this week was only a point higher than Richard Nixon's on the day he was forced to resign from office, reflecting voter anger at Republicans as the party controlling the White House . Add the collapse of stock prices and anxiety about the economy, and polls show public opinion surging in favor of Democrats. "The fundamentals have come together almost perfectly and at just the right moment for the Democrats," said Larry Sabato , director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia . "It could hardly look better for the Democrats." "This election right now is exclusively about economy," said independent analyst Charlie Cook . "Despite the fact that the House and Senate are in Democratic hands, Republicans seem to have total ownership of the problem. Fair or not, it's true." It's also made it much more difficult for Republican John McCain to score with his escalating attacks on Obama for his ties to such controversial figures as William Ayers , a former member of a violent Vietnam -era protest group. "You can't break through with the economy being so overwhelming," Rollins said. "No one cares." Obama's strength is evident on the political map. Confident of holding all the states that went for Kerry in 2004, Obama's playing offense in several Republican states. He has an edge or is competitive in such states as: — Colorado , where he's up by an average of 4 percentage points, according to recent polls there compiled by RealClearPolitics.com. — Florida , where he's up by 3 points. — Nevada , where he's up by 3 points. — Ohio , where he's up by 3 points. — Virginia , where's up by 5 points. Most of those are still close enough to be considered toss-ups. But as of this week, Obama now leads in enough states to secure more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency. He could lose some of those leads, of course. There's still one more presidential debate on Wednesday. And events could change. A terrorist attack, for example, could turn voters back to McCain's political strength: his standing on foreign policy and national security. "But I don't know if even that would work," Cook said. "It's not like people would forget their pocketbooks." Democrats also are expected to expand their majority in the House, which they now control 235-199 with one vacancy, and in the Senate , which they control 51-49 with the support of two independents. Three renowned analysts of congressional races — Cook, Sabato and Stuart Rothenberg — this week all increased their forecasts of Democratic gains. In the House, they expect the Democrats to pick up 15 to 30 seats. In the Senate , they expect the Democrats to pick up six to nine. "I now can't rule out 60 seats for this November," Rothenberg said. That's the magic number a majority needs under Senate rules to break filibusters — and something that no party or president has enjoyed for nearly three decades. All tend to agree that the Democrats are all but certain to pick up Senate seats in New Mexico and Virginia . Other potential gains are in Alaska , Colorado , New Hampshire , Oregon , Minnesota , Mississippi , Kentucky and North Carolina . In North Carolina , Dole trails by an average of 2 points. In Kentucky , McConnell leads by an average of just 7 points — he won by 65 percent to 35 percent in 2002. Even in solidly Republican Georgia , Sen. Saxby Chambliss finds himself in a fight, leading by only 3 points. "When you're paying attention to Georgia and Kentucky , wow," Cook said. "Who would have thought Republicans would be having problems in places like this?" Added Rothenberg: "Republicans appear to be heading into a disastrous election that will usher in a very bleak period for the party. A new generation of party leaders will have to figure out how to pick up the pieces and make their party relevant after November."
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#1. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
will usher in a very bleak period for the country.
Let's hope not. I am hoping for Barack Obama to lead by uniting and by building consensus and he has his work cut out for him. I always have viewed the election as a beginning, not the end so I am going to hope for the best, and always not be surprised when things don't go as I have hoped. I have made a personal judgment that Obama is a decent man with excellent potential to be a great leader. If I prove to be wrong, I am not a crybaby hyena like neocons typically are, I will always eat crow if I prove to be in error. I always appreciate that is a learning experience. But my gut instincts say I won't have to, but we will see; won't we?
This is something we have yet to see. According to rumor, when Obama and McCain went to Washington to discuss the bailout, Obama wasn't interested in working with the opposition, but instead took the time to berate them, something that Pelosi also did on the House floor. Consensus cannot be built on such a non-foundation. But, we'll have to see if the Democrats can show a little humility and realize they aren't the only people in the universe. Over the last several years, they have withdrawn to a childish sandbox and whined rather than worked. I am unimpressed with *either* of the major parties, but even moreso with the Democrats who ran in 2006 on a platform of Change and not only failed to deliver, but admitted they lied about it. Obama has one chance to show he is made of different cloth.
That must be Obama's idea of "change" and McCain's idea of being a "maverick" - voting with Bush and Congressional Democrats on the most important issue of the decade. Either one of them could have shown some leadership by opposing the bailout. Instead, they proved what we knew all along - that they're just the typical party frauds masquerading as agents of reform.
#18. To: Rupert_Pupkin (#15)
The only change will be the face on the TV giving the addresses from the Oval Office. Aside from that, it will be business as usual. A real change would be dismantling the Government and getting it out of people's lives. Business as usual will be growing the Government. Obama will bring no real change.
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