The Los Angeles Times has a story today covering how bad the Democrats look going into the mid-term elections.

Odd, the Czar thought, because the Mainstream Media has been pretty hushed up about this fact. As he read the story, he was interested to see comments like “Both [Sens. Reid and Dodd] would probably lose if elections were held today,” and quoting non-partisan groups calling it already for the GOP.

Then, of course, this: “However, for all Republicans stand to gain, the party still has problems. Polls show that many voters, though unhappy with Democrats, are even less enamored of the GOP.”

True, but only technically. The Czar interprets the polls a little differently, and would say Many but not most voters are not happy with the GOP. Yes, 2010 should be but will likely not be a landslide for the GOP. But phrasing the political reality as so iffy is a bit disingenuous: the GOP is enjoying a massive surge in popularity.

Second, that quote presents a false association. Even if many, many voters hate the GOP, they will still vote for them anyway. Millions of voters were unhappy with the GOP candidates in 2008, but election results showed that President Obama’s historic win was actually a statistical narrow escape. In essence, while the Democrats want to think that people do not like the GOP, they fail to realize that the Democrats are the second party of choice only because there is no real third option.

While the Democrats want to think that people do not like the GOP, they fail to realize that the Democrats are the second party of choice only because there is no real third option.So check out this comment: “Obama was elected with the strongest showing by a Democratic presidential candidate in more than 30 years, thanks largely to a plunging economy and unhappiness with Bush.” Whoa, back up: here’s what’s omitted: that showing was dangerously anemic, and reveals only how badly Clinton did despite managing victories twice. Obama’s victory was strongest only in the sense the Detroit Lions’ performance on September 27, 2009, was easily their strongest showing in 19 previous games.

In the Senate, 36 seats will be up for election. The GOP needs to only win a few of those to guarantee a filibuster for every piece of legislation introduced by the Democrats, effectively hamstringing the President as well as the Senate. Yet, author Mark Z. Barabak writes off the GOP as the ability to gain any real Senatorial ground in 2010.

Let us count the problems with this paragraph:

Democrats are counting on final passage of sweeping healthcare legislation, which appears on track for early this year, a stronger economy and rising employment to boost the party’s prospects. In several Republican primaries—for Texas governor and Senate races in California, Florida, Utah and other states—unstinting conservatives are pitted against more moderate candidates who believe the party must hew closer to the center. A similar fight in November cost the GOP a once-solid New York congressional seat.

Well, first, only about 10% of the country thinks the healthcare legislation is truly sweeping. And one out of ten Americans strongly doubts the economy is stronger and that employment is rising. Barabak is also way off the mark on what happened on the New York Congressional seat.

On the other hand, at least the MSM is beginning to acknowledge the Democrats are teetering. It will be an interesting year to say the least.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.