An internet diary
Published on January 23, 2008 By IanTyger In US Domestic

I'm rifffing on Megan again - but she has an interesting comment about the Democratic debates today.

"I look at that debate and it seems to me that Democrats think they can't lose in November--that the only important battle is the one for the nomination."

I find that interesting, because I know for a fact this is true of New York City (It's the reason Mayor Bloomberg ran as a Republican), and suspect it's true of much of Illinois. In areas that are heavily dominated by one party, as both urban New York state and urban Illinois are(and just so you don't think I'm picking on one party, there are plenty of places where the Republicans have the general election sewn up), the nomination battle is the important battle.


Comments
on Jan 24, 2008

You are right.  It is not that they "cannot lose", but it is theirs to lose.  They need go back only to 1988 to see where the party in power was in disfavor at this point - yet won in November.

(I use 1988, as there was no incumbent. As in 2000 - yet in 2000, the party in power did lose - so either is possible - and is why I say it is theirs to lose).