October 19, 2006 [LINK / comment]
In what could be construed as yet another effort by the mainstream media to discourage GOP turnout, the Washington Post reported today on several former Republican officials in Kansas who are running as Democrats this year. Apparently, the Kansas Republican Party is now under the control of the Religious Right, pushing to halt or restrict teaching of evolution in public schools. Groan... Maybe Margaret Atwood's apocalyptic vision of a future America taken over by hypocritical fundamentalists -- A Handmaid's Tale -- should not be dismissed outright after all...
* For you folks in Rio Linda, that's the name of a book by leftist author Thomas Frank, which I reviewed on Oct. 30, 2004. If that Post article really is an accurate portrayal of Kansas politics, Frank may deserve some credit. (I still think he has a hopelessly jaundiced view of capitalism and freedom, however.) Pay close attention to Sen. Sam Brownback, a possible contender for Higher Office who is treated with particular scorn in that book.
President Bush appeared at a campaign rally with Sen. George Allen in Richmond today, while his predecessor campaigned for James Webb in Northern Virginia. The Senate race here in the Commonwealth is really drawing national attention. This evening's PBS News Hour focused on the Senate race in Ohio, where Republican incumbent Mike DeWine is struggling hard to stay in office.
Try as he might to keep his focus on the real issues such as national security and education reform, Sen. Allen had a hard time with NBC reporter David Gregory at the Manassas Regional Airport yesterday. Gregory, who is tall enough to play in the NBA, kept needling Allen over the "macaca" controversy, showing no interest whatsoever in policy positions. Typical MSM... Steve Kijak was there and has the details. (I was at that airport in August, when they had an exhibition featuring a B-17 Flying Fortress.
Believe it or not, even the most scientifically rigorous public opinion surveys can be inaccurate some times. The Riehl World View blog (via Instapundit) reminds us of some big mistakes made by the Zogby poll just before the 2002 election. Guess which direction they erred? Moral of the story: Don't worry too much about poll numbers, but don't get too complacent, either.