One wonders how many of those people there are, and one further wonders how many of them really will stay at home. I suspect hatred of "liberals" will draw them to the voting booths no matter how much they feel betrayed by the current crop of Republicans.

Of course most of them will end up voting for Bush...but they won't be energetically organizing on his behalf.

There is unquestionably major disenchantment with Bush among the more libertarian, small government wing of the Republican Party. And that lack of passion for Bush will hurt him, just as the passion of Dems to get rid of Bush will matter as the year goes on.

Yes, there is still a solid wing of Bush loyalists, but after the recent pork-laden and budget-busting bills, thoses forces are smaller-- a very dangerous sign for the coming year politically for him.

Your vision is certainly sunnier than mine. (The Democrats aren't exactly in harmony on this one.) I hope you're right.

You can spin this any way you want. But in the end this is a huge victory for Bush and a disastrous defeat for the Democrats.

Prdictions for 2004: Bush wins election easily, Repubs go from 51 to 55 or 56 seats in Senate, Repubs gain 8 or 9 more seats in the House.

I think the truth lies in the reaction of the parties. Republicans, in general, are happy. Democrats, in general, are unhappy. While there are some right-wingers who are angry, that anger will abate. The Democratic anger won't, since they've been outmaneuvered by the Republicans once again, and seen several members stab their party in the back. This great piece by E.J. Dionne highlights the last point:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12109-2003Nov24.html

While the bill might end up biting the Republicans in the ass in '06, it is nothing but a benefit for Bush in '04. A benefit I might add handed to Bush by the pathetic Democratic Senate leadership. The other big winner is Dean, because it substantiates everything he's been saying about the beltway Dems.

I'm with Paleo here. The only thing I'd add is that the medical savings accounts are not limited to a few cities or in any other way - so they will help drain healthy more prosperous people from traditional medicare, leaving higher costs behind for everyone else - a real acceleration of the death spiral. Also lots of people will immediately be pushed out of medicaid into a medicare that will provide them less in drug benefits. And these are the least organized ; the Republicans are not very likely to pay much of a price for huring this particular group.

And if the Democrats ever control both houses and the Presidency, they will have to get any real reform past a Republican filibuster. And Republicans are much better than Democrats at enforcing party discipline.

Those people announcing that they're not going to support Bush in '04 remind me of the people who say they're going to move to Canada thanks to Bush's latest outrage (whatever it happens to be that day). Right on, guys. I'll believe it when I see it.

Also, I'm kind of disappointed that you didn't take the chance to use the old gag line "The Freepers are revolting".

The Libertarians already have a party mechanism. Let's hope they have a revolt of at least the magnitude of the Greens in 2000.

Rush is having a fit. This may throw him off the wagon.
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_112503/content/truth_detector_1.guest.html

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