OkieBrent's Soapbox

Last night both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert announced they would have “competing” rallies on the Mall in Washington, DC on October 30, 2010.  Now these are rallies I would love to attend.

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What will the impact of these rallies be?  Here is what Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic writes:

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“Stewart and Colbert have disclaimed any interest in participating in politics. But the timing, and message, are undeniably political — and not helpful to conservatives. Audiences for both shows tend to be younger and more liberal than the older, conservative independents who watch Fox News… Depending on how the media covers the run-up to these rallies, Stewart and Colbert could generate interest and enthusiasm among the type of voters who have so far been turned off by the independent conservative resurgence.”

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It will be interesting to see how big their turnout is three days before the General Election.  According to the Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart averages 2 million viewers and The Colbert Report averages 1.4 million viewers.  Compare that to Glenn Beck on FOX News who averages 1.7 million viewers.

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To learn more about the rallies, click on the images below.

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For all the anti-Washington rhetoric coming out of Republican candidates in Oklahoma, one would think the last thing they would want are nasty television ads paid for by national Republicans.  But the first TV ad in the General Election for Oklahoma Governor is exactly that – a hit job on Jari Askins paid for by Republicans from out of state.

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I’m not surprised.  We’ve known for more than a year that, no matter who Oklahoma Democrats nominate for any office, the GOP would try to morph them into Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi.

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National Republicans (and too many Oklahoma Republicans) are experts at distortion and dishonesty.  They love to spout their “Christian values” – but are experienced at ignoring the very clear commandment: “you shall not bear false witness.”  It doesn’t matter to them because in too many churches in Oklahoma – the only standard used to judge someone (which we’re also not supposed to do) is whether they have an R or a D after their names.

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I’m certain Jesus is weeping.  But then again, they also ignore WWJD (after all he was a true liberal).

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Jari Askins is as “Oklahoma” as you can get.  She’s not a Washington, DC politico like Mary Fallin.  Oklahomans who know Jari know that Mary Fallin’s Washington, DC friends, who are paying for the nasty 30 second hit job on TV, are being deceitful.   Deceit, I am certain, is neither an Oklahoma value—nor a Christian value.

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I’m not surprised at the nastiness being funded by Republicans.  I am surprised that the GOP is already so desperate in red Oklahoma.

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I hope all Oklahomans who truly care about the future of our state will do what I did – visit Jari’s website and make a financial contribution to fight the out of state deceit airing on Oklahoma TVs.

Labor Day used to be the starting point for political campaigns.  Not so any more.  But even in 2010, the average person has not begun paying close attention to campaigns.  Actually, there are large groups of people who do not make up their minds for whom they will vote until the last two weeks of a campaign.  There is still time to make a difference in who wins in 2010.  But the countdown has begun with the clock quickly ticking.

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For the last year, I’ve had hope that the political climate would improve for Democrats after Labor Day.  My hope is diminishing daily.  With each new poll, November 2, 2010 continues to look better for Republicans.

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Republicans are much more enthusiastic than Democrats about voting in November.  Republicans lead in the generic D vs. R for Congress by a growing margin.  However, polling data also shows that Republicans still have higher unfavorable ratings than Democrats.  Both Republicans and Democrats favorable ratings are in the sewer.  People don’t trust either party, and I’m convinced that if “None of the above” were on ballots – it would win a majority of races.

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The economy has improved over the last two years but most people don’t feel it.  Private sector jobs are being added every month rather than the 700,000 per month being lost two years ago.   America has much better approval ratings around the world today than it did in 2008.  But the improvements being made are too slow and too small for most people.  The national mood is terrible and because Democrats control the White House, the U.S. Senate and House – Democrats get the blame for the disasters they inherited from 8 years of Bush-Cheney and 12 years of a Republican-controlled Congress.

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National Democratic leaders have continually said they remember 1994 and are prepared to prevent a repeat.  If they have a plan for doing so, it does not appear to be working.  Maybe they have a secret plan, waiting for just the right moment to put it into action.  Maybe they have a brilliant “October Surprise” yet to come.

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The DNC, DCCC, DSCC all have financial advantages over their Republican counterparts.  The only national Republican group with a cash advantage is the Republican Governors Association.  The big unknown is how much money will go to support or oppose both parties from outside groups with independent expenditures.

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There are 58 days until the General Election.  Democrats must start now working to inspire doubtful and depressed people and turn them into dedicated voters.   Otherwise, be prepared for a repeat of 1994 with Government shutdowns, congressional witch hunts, and no progress to immediately follow.