Tag: mccain

When Barack Obama was running for president in 2008 as the anti-Iraq-war candidate, it all seemed so easy. He'd wind down the war, pull out the troops and leave Iraqis to sort out their own country, with the help of American "advisers" - whatever that word means.

The latest early-vote tallies (pdf) released this afternoon by the Colorado secretary of state show Republican holding onto a steady lead. The Halloween release reported that registered Republicans have cast 38.2 percent of 1,150,698 votes collected so far in the state. Democrats have cast 35.2 percent and unaffiliated voters 25.6 percent. Today's total percentages are roughly unchanged from Tuesday's but, with less than a week to Election Day, less-partisan unaffiliated voters-- the largest voting bloc in the state-- seem to be beginning to turn out in greater numbers.

Low turnout among youth voters for the Republican Super Tuesday primary contests suggests the GOP is making a major strategy misstep this year, analysts told the Colorado Independent. They said that Republican campaign messages to young people are mostly absent, weak or a turn-off and they called youth outreach efforts uninspired. They said the party looks to be continuing a disastrous trend sure to be exploited in the general election by President Obama, the man whose candidacy drew out young people as voters and volunteers in record numbers in 2008.

Josh "unannounced candidate for governor" Penry threw down the gauntlet Wednesday to fellow GOP officials, calling for an end to "flim-flam, mealy-mouthed Republicans." We must provide a "contrast" and not merely be an "echo chamber" for the Democrats if we're going to win in 2010, he said. What a speech! Except, aren't we now witnessing the humiliating fallout of the stridently partisan 1990s Republican Revolution?