Bush's numbers may be down now, but I worry about what will happen when

[patricia92243]

he starts really spending that 200m on ads telling how wonderful he is and how terrible Kerry is.

I'm afraid that will put Bush over the top again. No matter what is really happening, people have a tendency to believe what they are told because they don't really know anything about politics.

Please reassure me that I am wrong.

:scared:

[gristy]

1. Bush has spent $126 million so far and has $76 million on hand

He's already "really" started spending.

[BiggJawn]

5. How much of that has gone to Al-Queeda, I wonder...

You know, to ensure that the "October Surprise" is so huge we'll BEG Chimpy to stay and put us all under martial law?

[RoyGBiv]

2. The silver lining

The bright spot right now is that Shrub has spent over 100 million (around 125 I think) so far just to remained effectively tied. An incumbent President shouldn't have to spend that much just to be tied before his opponent is even officially announced. He's having to spend money in non-battleground states to shore up his base, and at the same time officials in his own party are openly defying the "party line" with regard to investigations of various scandals. Historically, this is extremely bad news for Bush.

The reality is that he'll bounce again. He's got some things cooking right now to try to take the heat off him for Iraq: changing his tune on Iraqi sovereignty, some weird stuff with Chalabi, etc. Regardless, he's having to exert effort and resources for damage control, which, again, is a bad sign for him historically.

Whatever starts happening, don't get too worried until July. When Kerry comes out of the convention, we'll have a better idea of where this is going.

OnEdit: I just saw a news scroll mentioning that Bush is campaigning in the deep South. If all were going swimmingly for him, he would not even think of doing this.

[kayell]

16. Bush is campaigning in the deep South!

Oh, I just love that. My fondest wish is that he has to try and keep the votes of people here in SC secure. ROFL I knew those voices of unrest I've been hearing from my neighbors and coworkers were not an isolated aberation.

Some of the hard core repukes in my work place have been very, very subdued lately. Some have kids in Iraq, or kids who are about to be sent there. Some of them are starting to look quite nauseous about the prison revelations. They've heard what Lindsey Graham has said and are just as resentful of the lower ranks being the only ones to take the fall. Almost all have friends or family whose jobs have disappeared overseas. They may not vote for Kerry, but they may not have the spirit to vote at all.

[edhopper]

3. Don't fret

He has already spent about $70 mil, and Kerry is matching him in fund raising. Kerry actually raised more cash in April than W. So the money race will be more even than expected.
Also after $50 mil in negative ads, he is behind or barely even in the polls...Keep the faith!

[RoyGBiv]

6. Well said...

Except he's spent more than that already.

Welcome to DU!!!

[Paradise]

15. welcome ed "hopper" ;) n/t

[newyawker99]

17. Hi edhopper!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Ilsa]

4. It makes me ill to think how much money

is being spent on this crap. I can't understand why it isn't plainly obvious to any person of even less than average intelligence. I wish our school had that money to spend on education.

[Kahuna]

7. Hopefully the media will do their jobs on the Chalabi connection...

If they do. Bush is t-o-a-s-t. Stick a fork in him. No amount of money can help him recover from the embarrassment and incompetence of relying on intelligence from a double agent to launch an invasion of a soveriegn nation.

[bullimiami]

12. Forget the major media doing anything

They will go wherever they think the juicy story is.
IF it becomes "the thing" to start taking Bush apart, they will stick the knives in.
But they will never start anything on their own. Just in case.

[kentuck]

8. He had planned on getting most of it after Kerry was nominated...

But Kerry doesn't want to cooperate... :)

[bullimiami]

9. Bush spending is just pissing in the wind

The money will not be a problem this time.
We do need to beware of what they will do when they get desperate.

[Racenut20]

10. Bush campaigning in base states

It is early, and he is just money collecting to dump it in Ohio, Missouri, Florida, and New Mexico.

[bullimiami]

14. Just ask yourself. Re Florida.

Bush lost Florida last time.
This includes rigging by Jeb and his bitch, mass voter roll scrubbing, massive disenfranchisement, a huge fluke for Buchanan is West Palm, absentee ballot fraud....oh im sure i missed some things.

My point is Bush should have lost Florida by maybe 50,000 votes in 2000 and still had to have the SCOTUS kill the counting.

Does anyone think he has increased his popularity in the last 3 1/2 years?

And now the Dems are mad and the turnout is going to be huge.


Now all we need is to have an election in '04

[Vickers]

11. So far his ads have seemed to drive folks AWAY from Georgie

So I say: SPEND, SPEND, SPEND, little cowboy, yer helping our side!

[JI7]

13. i think the fact that the Kerry campaign is aware of it is good for now

remember the news about kerry's maybe delaying accepting the nomination so it doesn't give repubicans like 5 free weeks to spend extra money while kerry would be forced to hold back ? this shows they are aware of this and are taking steps to deal with it. but i think suggestions by others on how he can deal with it can't hurt. nobody at du ever brought this up but the kerry campaign knew about it. and even with polls showing bush not doing so well they still want to deal with it so it shows the kerry campaign is trying to stay on top of things even if polls may look good for them.