Increased Anger At Bush May Hurt GOP At Polls Come November

Source: Washington Post

Many voters that once identified themselves as loyal Republicans or Independents are now showing great disdain for the party in total power and disdain for the climate of corruption and total lack of leadership.

Intense and widespread opposition to President Bush is likely to be a sharp spur driving voters to the polls in this fall's midterm elections, according to strategists in both parties, a phenomenon that could give Democrats a turnout advantage over Republicans for the first time in recent years.

Polls have reflected voter discontent with Bush for many months, but as the election nears, operatives are paying special attention to one subset of the numbers. It is the wide disparity between the number of people who are passionate in their dislike of Bush vs. those who support him with equal fervor.

Shirley Jackson of Woodbury, Minn., said she formerly considered herself an independent voter "and my husband used to be a staunch Republican. But now we're both Democrats."

The main reason, she said, is Bush's handling of the war. "My husband and I think he lied to us, and he won't admit he's lied to us," said Jackson, 69. She said she believes Bush launched the war to avenge Iraq's reported plan to assassinate his father.

In Collierville, Tenn., school bus driver Charlotte Bruce is worried Bush will prove ruinous to GOP candidates this fall.

"He's making such fools out of Republicans that no matter what the Democrats present, that's the one that's going to get in," she said. "And that's frightening," because the country needs bipartisan balance, she said.

Bruce, 54, said she is a moderate Republican and has given money to the party, but now she is exasperated with Bush and his economic policies. She recounted a conversation with neighbors who support Bush because of "moral issues." "I said, 'While he's not killing babies, he's killing you'" with high gasoline prices, a soaring deficit and other problems, Bruce said. "He is going to bankrupt us all."

The storm of change is brewing and is due to hit Washington, D.C., around Nov. 2nd this year.

Tags: [GOP], [Republicans], [GOP is hurting thanks to Bush and the Iraq War], [Republican supporters leaving party in droves thanks to Bush's blunders], [Bush], [Iraq War], [oil], [gas prices killing us]