Do you believe the Republican party will keep its control?

I believe that the Republican Party will lose both houses of Congress and the Presidency by 2008.

The Republicans have failed to successfully present a vision to the American people. This has made them virtually indistinguishable from the Democratic Party.

When neither party has a plan that people believe in, victory goes to the party in opposition.

The Democrats take the House, the Republicans keep the Senate by a slim margin.

Allow me this...

A lot of modern American politics is bullshit designed to energize people who
would otherwise stay home, so that one side or another can stay in or gain
power and do what the lobbyists pay them for.

most Americans don't vote. They don't care enough to bother. Their lives
are pretty good, and they don't feel that any of the stuff going on will make
a difference to them. personally.

So... and here's the libertarian party line, do we need to reexamine the
system?

Elected offices exist to deal with problems in our society. Do we still need
them to do that? Is the government the best vehicle to handle the things
that are wrong at the moment? Are they efficient at it?

Are we getting anywhere with this endless opposition for the sake of opposition?

Are politicians really making your life better? Is the 2 party system really
making your life better?

I'm liberal enough to accept the conservative assertion that people walk
tallest when no one is around to catch them if they stumble.

Maybe by having a government to solve problems we get problems as a
natural byproduct of government, to insure its necessity.

Maybe we need to start moving towards the next stage...

I say nothing changes in either house or senate. We retain both.

Do you work for Diebold?

It's not looking good for republicans at the moment.

Brent, you don't know how much I respect people who acknowledge the
truth.

As a liberal I won't make a prediction until next month. The presidential
election of 2004 still feels like taking a step on a ladder and missing the rung.

I am not a die hard republican. I have my dislikes on both sides. However the Republicans have done themselves in and they don't deserve to retain the house the way they have acted. However on the flip side even with all the problems the Democrats are still struggling to take control of the House.

Why do you think this is the case? If the Democrats can barely squeeze it out with the Republicans on the edge how in the world do the expect to win without the republicans just straight up giving it to them?

The Republicans have been playing the fear factor.
The only difference now is voters are sick of war.

Voters are as worried about Bushs policies as they are the terrorist threat. He really droped the ball for the Republicans. Foley didn't help matters just before the election.

Too much power for either party isn't good. I don't want Democrats to have as much power as the Republicans had. Look how that worked out. Checks and balances.

I think the Independent voters are making a difference this year also.

Liberals act like the Republican party is the next Hitler yet most Americans can not see this thinking that they hold. Why is this? Why are these races so close amid the scandals?

Are you honestly going to believe that all of America is scared? I don't believe so. Look at the actual people that are voting for Republicans still. Why do they vote the way they do? Why did the independents swing in Bush's favor in 04 and why have they not put away the 06 elections for the Democrats?

Does it matter? Your gonna find an excuse for not winning. Just like to two other elects we stole huh?

Bush and the Republicans are losing support because Bush can't scare voters anymore with the terrorist threat.
The threat is still there but everyone realizes Bush is not the man to lead our country on the battlefield. Bush and Rumsfeld have never even seen combat and it shows.

You know more about why Republicans vote the way they do than I do. You tell me.

Independent voters don't vote along party lines like the Democrats or Republicans. If Independent voters would have supported Gore instead of Bush we wouldn't be having this discussion.

I can tell you how I voted in the last election. I voted Democrat in the house and Republican in the Senate. I vote for who I think will be the most effective, even if they were in the Whig party.

Clinton might have had a lot to do with support going to the Republicans just like support is going to the Democrats because of Bush.

Republicans ran on moral issues, but they are just as bad as the Democrats in that department. I think that might be their biggest weakness this year. Major scandles have left a bad taste in voters mouths. It's time for a change of course, something the Republicans don't seem to want to do.

I look for Republicans to try to pull a rabbit out of their hat but the hole seems awful deep right now. We will know in a few days who voters want in charge.

I wish I could say I pick the best person for the job, but usually it is the
lesser of two evils.

I'm a liberal... a self-styled liberal, apparently. Democrats let me down.
I think some of their platform is foolishly too far left and some not far
enough.

There are some Reps I like, but then they throw their lot in with the ones
I can't tolerate (seen McCain's Arizona anti-gay marriage proposition ads?)
...

I believe in smaller government and no gov't interference in people's lives.

I can't stand politicians who aren't honest. So who really does that leave me
with? Kerry wanted to be President too bad to figure out who he wanted to be,
but Bush is a total fraud... he wanted to be President so he became the person
who could win that office, and there's no more depth to him than that.

No matter who gets in the power will go to their heads, and they're
beholden to the corporate interests and lobbyist who make campaign
donations to get them the gig. We can only pay attention and replace them
when they do us no good, anymore.

...and that is very sad.

Who's the guy on CNN who keeps urging everyone to unseat all the
incumbants, regardless of party, to show them they work for us?

This has been the least productive batch in history.

"Are we getting anywhere with this endless opposition for the sake of opposition?"

No , we are not getting anywhere .

Do you mean attitude adjustments ?

I'm not sure what your question means , nor to whom it was directed .

It was in response to "opposition for the sake of opposition" comment.

No, we're not. There are real problems we need to deal with...

Gays getting married, and destroying the sanctity that GOD bestowed upon
a legal contract isn't one of them.

Labs cranking out human clones isn't one them.

Women by the billions carrying babies for 7 months then aborting them
isn't one of them.

Expecting everyone to live up to a "moral" standard that can't be sustained
by the people who lead those who endorse it isn't one of them.

Having an informed nation full of people who make smart choices for
themselves is one of them, though that won't lead to much power centralized
in any one party, will it?

" Women by the billions carrying babies for 7 months then aborting them
... .

Please don't generalize . Billions ?? I don't favor partial-birth abortion either , but billions ?

okay, in reality women aren't having late-term abortions by the hundreds.
It is very rare, but it is the instance that can revile people the most, so it's
the one that is trumpeted.

Banning late-term abortions, with strict exceptions for the life of the mother
being medically threatened, is okay with me, as I suspect it would be with
the majority of people.

In reality, I'm tired of my political views being defined in some way by a
stance on abortion. I don't like the practice, agree on principle it primarily
is an issue for the mother. Why it still needs to happen, in light of the numerous
ways to avoid pregnancy or even stop an accidental one VERY early these
days is beyond me.