When's the last time a sitting pResident was this far behind

this early? Any precendents for overcoming that kind of lead? My general impresion is that whenever somebody was in this much trouble this early, they tended to be forced onto the long defensive trail and to ultimately lose.

in his term, weren't they? I remember that he wasn't very popular all through 1992.

I do remember that Bush I's team kept saying that the numbers meant nothing, that November was a long way away, that Bush would win in a landslide, etc....

Maybe Bush II's advisors are equally in the dark.

This family has a remarkable ability for delusional thinking.

and they've adequately demonstrated they have no learning curve in most matters.

How many times have you heard that GW won't make the same mistakes his daddy did.

Keep you're eyes open and your head down! INCOMING!!!!!

brazen theft and cheating to his arsenal. Poppy liked to create the illusion that he was an affable old doffer, regardless of how black his heart was. I think #2 is more rash and arrogant and that will be his downfall.

Last time, they knew better than to try "regime change" in Iraq.
They've gotten stupider since then.

In fact, he was still ahead of Clinton. Remember, Clinton was a bloody mess coming out of the primaries. Kerry's in infinitely better shape. There's no comparison. I don't believe any incumbent since Gallup began polling has ever been this far behind at this point in the campaign.

and I don't trust anything, particularly the polls, but the Bushies and their abettors (e.g. Fux Noose) seem intent on pumping the numbers, and it just doesn't seem to work anym,ore. One GD thread showed 2 polls that had Kerry leading Bush by 2:1, and one of these polls was in an obscure W. Va. paper.

Of course, I would have bet a lot that Dean would be our nominee, too, so I don't give my own fortunetelling skills much credence either.

Nixon, incidentally, won on a strategy of making hatred of him the dominant theme, and then changing things about himself, which people hated (Vietnam and the draft) and leaving Democrtats with nothing by which to define themselves in the General Election.

I think they're trying to repeat that strategy.

No incumbent who has been trailing at this point has won since Harry Truman.

...until very late in 72 (iirc).

Here

Nixon:

3/03-05/72 Gallup 56 32 12 1513
3/24-27/72 Gallup 53 36 11 1514

you're right on... keep * on the defensive. if kerry falls into the defensive trap he loses, we lose.

Roper Center

*edited cause I'm an idiot today.

This campaign will be impossible to predict-we will have instant Osama soon plus they may cut open strategic oil reserve to cut gas prices this summer plus every corporate welfare junkie will do what it takes to make sure the candy man is recrowned-it is going to be nasty but if Kerry's rapid response team keeps working we may keep the polls this way in Nov. Isn't it scary it is this close after seeing shrub run the usa for 3 years?

• In March 1972, Richard Nixon had an approval rating of 53%. In the general election eight months later, he crushed George McGovern, winning 64% of the vote.

• In May 1984, Ronald Reagan had an approval rating of 52%. That November he went on to win reelection with 58% of the vote, garnering 525 electoral votes.

• In March 1996, Bill Clinton had an approval rating of 52%. In November he easily defeated Bob Dole.

The three incumbent presidents who lost their re-election bids, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and the elder Bush, had lower approval ratings. In March 1976 Mr. Ford's was about 48%, in March 1980 Mr. Carter's was around 39% and in March 1992 Mr. Bush's was about 41%.

http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/3817.html

The entire Repuke party could be left in tatters after this wipe out! A hard rain's a gonna fall here folks! Look for MANY terror alerts in the upcoming months!

Everybody remembers the duct tape.

That color system was the most botched up campaign ever devised. First, nobody really remembered what calor meant what; second, AFAIK none of the colors was associated with any specific recommended or required action. And third, they repeatedly used it as a distraction device with such cynical timing that they turned it into a joke.

Unfortunately for them, this bunch of clowns doesnt't seem funny anymore.