why are people such fucking idiots? this is why the intellectual elite know more than most people, and why the masses are generally foolish. the masses get tossed around by the wind, don't examine the issues in-depth, and are ruled by fear and emotion.

what the fuck do people think will change for the better if they vote for more republican control? it's absolutely and completely inexcusable, one could make an extreme but still reasonable argument for it being a betrayal of true american principles and ideals.

absolute fucking idiots.

That' the real obscenity is that whether the voting machines work or not, the results were tabulated long ago.

The pollsters are all moving into line with Karl Rove's command--er, prediction, so that no one questions whether the elections were rigged when the Republicans "win big" on Tuesday.

It also showed a Republican trend, with Democrats leading amongst likely voters, 51-45. It has been 55-41.

The Pew and Washington Post polls were conducted from November 1-November 4.

A Newsweek poll, conducted the 2nd and 3rd, has Democrats leading 54-38 amongst likely voters.

What's the explanation for the differences?

And Marianna, your conspiracy theory is grounded in absolutely no reality.

If the Republicans retain control of Congress it will be through the stupidity of the American people, plain and simple.

Two prominent Republicans (from both the House and Senate) with approval of the President have a wedsite posted that contains diagrams and formulas for creating nuclear weapons. The website was accessible in September. It was only taken down in November after the NYT exposed it's presence.

John Kerry fumbles an attempt to be glib at George Bush's expense.

Which of these incidents is mentioned in the polls as giving voters concerns about which party to vote for?

If the Republicans retain control then this nation deserves the consequences.

I still think the Democrats will take the House and the GOP will retain the Senate, but that its not an tidal wave in the Democrats favor speaks volumes about the American people.

This really isn't that surprising. Despite virtually everything related to the invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the intense and increasingly hostile divisions here at home, the loss of respect for America among our allies, the childishness and dangerous ineffectiveness of non-diplomacy in our foreign policy, and the complete lack of anything that approaches a vision for the future in key matters both domestic and foreign, polls show that four in ten people would vote for Shrub if he were running on Tuesday. Not only that, they actually approve of the current state of affairs. That means his radical devotees only need to scare up [literally] slightly more than one of the remaining six people to win. Unfortunately, not approving of Shrub's performance right now and voting for someone who opposes his policies are two different matters. The democrats will probably pick up a few seats in both houses, but that's it. Those will come from the races in which the most corrupt and contemptible in the GOP just can't be ignored any longer. I'm guessing the other close races are going majority to the republicans because a certain percentage of people who say they disapprove of the country's direction won't be willing to do something about it when push comes to shove. The republicans are experts at appealing to the fearful and the selfish, and are actively appealing to them right now [democratic victory = a victory for godless terrorists, plus they'll raise your taxes]. And if the republicans succeed in keeping even one house, Shrub will declare a mandate in support of his policies on Iraq and everything else including, once again, social security "reform." If they keep both houses, get ready for what comes next. After all, this is the guy who declared a mandate after losing in 2000, and again after barely winning as an incumbent in 2004. And the GOP will no doubt fall right back in line.

We need licenses to drive, buy guns, hunt, and practice numerous professions. You need one to fish for Christ's sake. But any idiot can go in and vote, thus allowing people like Shrub to assume what is currently the most powerful position in the world. It ought to be that you don't get to vote unless you can demonstrate a basic understanding of our system of government and the reasoning behind its design [like, for example, the balance of power between the three branches of government and why it was so important to the founders that they set it up that way]. It ought to be a test that is administered when you turn 18, and it should be administered separately from high school and under SECULAR conditions. However, high schools ought to revisit civics classes to reinforce the knowledge of our youth on the subject. IF you pass the course with a B or better in high school, then you get to take the voter's test and you have to get a B or better on that. It will also mean any group that wants some influence in their governance will go out of their way to make sure their own learn about the government- and that can only be a good thing. Even the ideologues on the right might be surprised at what they'd learn if they actually studied the hows and whys of American secular democracy. And if when taking the voter's test, you answer that the most important quality in a presidential candidate is that "he is religious," then you ought to banned from voting for life.

Ummm, Iconoclast, that isn't democracy.

[i]Ummm, Iconoclast, that isn't democracy.

[/i]

no, but it makes a hell of a lot more sense.

18 percent of independent voters said "it did raise serious doubts about voting for a Democratic candidate."

Translation: "18 percent of independent voters are braindead."

The images on the the evening news of Bush prancing around the stage with fans hollering and screaming have closed the gap. For two days, or more, we see a smiling Bush and very little of Democrats at campaign events. This kind of thing has a subliminal effect on voters. I watch CBS evening news and dear Katie gave Bush free campaign advertising for two days straignt. It made me wonder if the GOP had paid off the CBS editors!

When the Kerry gaffe and Iraq verdict of Saddam are factored in, we get a Republican upsurge...I am furious with the media for the slighting of Democratic candidates, for not placing them in a more positive light along with Bush. I don't feel confident about winning the House and I certainly don't the Senate.