Obama successfully pushed a Bush bailout bill, and a cap and trade bill, and a stimulus bill. None of those really raised his popularity, because none of them addressed people’s concerns that well- bailing out foolish mostly northern banks, imposing taxes and regulations on businesses, and rescuing state finances and funding green technology weren’t what Obama was voted in for. People know he can do things. They’d prefer if he addressed the huge problem of 10% of the nation out of work. I doubt they have any particular desire to be taxed more for three years.

And I don’t mean the CNN polls weighted toward the liberal kooks.

Will this transformation happen by 2010?

Or until folks have to go into dark, back alleys to get real health care.

So according to Tano, most people buy a house without thinking about whether or not they can pay for it because they’re more interested in buying the house than they are the long-term consequences of not being able to pay for it.

Again, the more you read Tano’s blabbering, the more you realize just how incompetent and dangerous Tano and his fellow liberals are. They honestly do not care about results or consequences — all they care about is “passing a bill”. They have no idea what is going to happen or what the outcomes could be; the only thing that interested them was “passing a bill”.

Again, Tano demonstrates that Obama Party members are fools who hold voters in nothing but contempt. That’s what happens when you have a party based on skin color and where you went to school rather than on results and actual performance.

And Pat, I’d check your 1984/1985 numbers. As I recall, Kean won a landslide reeelction in 1985.

If you had actually tried to read and understand the comment before responding, you would have realized that my point was that these non-ideological independents would base their opinions on results and consequences – when those consequences actually kick in. Which wont be for several years. Till then, they will reward the fact that a big solution has been passed – and they will hope that it works out.

I realize that a bitter hyper-partisan like you cannot understand such an approach, but thats the way most people think about things.

Yes, Dan, but the difference in percent between what Reagan received in Virginia vs. the Republican opponent is comparable to what happened this year in Virginia and New Jersey. Also, Christie is a centrist Republican. Also, in 1985, the Republican candidate for governor received 45% of the vote versus 65% by Reagan in 1984.

This demonstrates two things:

1) How foolish Obama Party members like Tano are

2) The contempt in which Obama Party members hold voters.

According to Tano, voters do not care about results or consequences — all they care about is “passing a bill”. They do not care what’s in the bill, nor do they care about its costs, its long-term requirements, or what it does in the here and now; all they are interested in is “doing something”. What is actually done is irrelevant.

This attitude explains why, though, Tano and his ilk deem their “stimulus” bill a success, even though it has failed spectacularly to reduce unemployment, failed spectacularly in being spent wisely, and has resulted in fabulist accounting on an epic scale from the Obama Party. Their only requirement is that a bill pass, and they don’t care about the consequences or the end outcome.

This is where the Obama administration is proving more than useful for conservatives. It demonstrates starkly the difference between conservativism, where emphasis is placed on results, responsibility, and value, and liberalism, which is concerned only with “doing something” and has nothing of substance to support it.

I think Tano has a valid point that a lot of leftist Democrats/Liberals are unhappy with the bill. They don’t see it as going far enough and they will be especially annoyed with the abortion compromise that happened, which is already being attacked from the left. They will come home however and will vote for those who voted for the bill, since its at least a step in the right direction for them.

Yes Independents are critical for elections but you also need your base to be fired up. They are the ones who donate time, money and bodies to elections. If Democrats come to them before 2010 with nothing to show for it, they will see continue depressed turnout and lose more races than they would have.

Not like House Republicans handle the situation well, they didn’t put out a bill till the last minute. They should have put out something earlier that could have gotten news and brought to surface. I think it was a miss opportunity on their part.

And you watch, Obama’s approval may show a brief uptick due to enthusiasm of gushing liberals, but will continue its gradual descent.

I don’t disagree. He has the support of Dems, and some independents – i.e. the coalition he won with a year ago. Other, somewhat right-leaning independents didn’t vote for him, but expressed support when he took office. This is what honeymoons are made of. He has slipped significantly with those independents, but all presidents lose their honeymoon support.

‘So, if you expect the passage of this big-spending boondoggle to increase his support among Democrats…”

Yes – the anti-Obamacare numbers include a fair number of lefties who dont support the bill because it doesnt go far enough. Once it passes, they will be supportive, albeit disappointed. They certainly will continue to support Obama in all other parts of his agenda.

As well, passing the bill will improve his standing with independents –
those non-ideological types who neither think Obamacare is the salvation of our nation, not its destruction. They largely do not know if it is a good solution, but they do know they want something done – and they hope it will work out for the best. As time goes on, and nothing happens in DC, they increasingly turn against the administration – who they supported with the hope that something would be done. When something does get done, they will be supportive, on that basis alone. Down the road they will be supportive or opposed based on how the reforms actually work, or dont work. But for the next few years, they will reward accomplishment. and this will be a big one.