Some Clues to '04, However Faint, Are Set to Emerge

Some Clues to '04, However Faint, Are Set to Emerge
By MICHAEL JANOFSKY

Published: November 1, 2003


LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 31 — With a presidential campaign well under way, leaders of both parties are searching for signs, any signs, of favorable trends for November 2004. For the next two weeks, the best place to look is the South, where three states will hold elections for governor.

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Mr. Bush, who won Kentucky in 2000 by 16 percentage points over Al Gore, and Mississippi by 17, remains enormously popular in both states. His two appearances in each on Saturday could go a long way toward drawing undecided voters and a growing number of conservative Democrats to the Republican columns. The appearances could also hold rewards for Mr. Bush's own campaign, especially if the Republican candidates win.

Simon Rosenberg, president of the New Democratic Network, a national organization that supports centrist Democrats, said that if nothing else, a day of campaigning in friendly environs would give the president a brief respite from cantankerous Washington.

"He needs a change of subject now," Mr. Rosenberg said. "The national news has been tough for him. He's gambling that he can pick up a couple of wins and get some good news out of it."

The Dems hold onto Mississippi. What will that show?

P.S. Bush won Louisiana, too. And he is almost certain to lose it.

A presidential visit's benefit for Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Barbour is obvious, at least to them.

"I don't think the election depends on him being here," Mr. Fletcher said, but "if I can get the president to come in, I think that's a good thing."

But so does his opponent. Mr. Chandler places equal blame for a state budget gap of nearly $250 million and the loss of 67,000 jobs in Kentucky since 2001 on the president and Mr. Fletcher, whose voting record strongly mirrors administration positions.

"I'm glad he's coming," Mr. Chandler said of Mr. Bush. "He energizes our people, gets them all juiced up."

The same is true in Mississippi, said Rickey Cole, the Democratic chairman there. "Bush coming here," Mr. Cole said, "is the best tool we have to mobilize people."

California. Remember the Bush Family/Arnold alliance?

good lord- Go ahead, let Bush waste his time campaigning in the state where his energy cartel buddies from ElPaso et al. screwed right into the ground with their rigged electricity market.

Bush didn't win California last time, and he's lost support since then. No one here can stand him. I personally know about three people who voted for him last time and absolutely will not do that again. One of them, a self-described conservative, said, "Shame on him if he even runs."

A California Republican got a call from the party asking about his views on Bush. He answered, "He's a disgrace to the party." The caller agreed!

I feel turnout will be the way to get ahead in these states. If the Democrats have to carry voters piggy-back to get to the polls it will be worth it. I have stopped trying to figure out why some voters go Republican. In another life I was a Repub, but admit that I was clueless. Haley Barbour has a lot of baggage from way back. I don't know how informed MS is about him. I am sure he projects himself as the saviour of the people. We have lost so much in this country since 2000 election. Do they have Diebold voting machines in MS? I feel that is going to be the make or break situation for this country. No paper trail will give the Repubs power over all of us.