all over the place

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(1)
"Bush seems to be having some success in selling the idea that Kerry's voting record in the Senate is all over the place," says Maurice Carroll, polling director at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.

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I think "all over the place" here meant "in a mess".

(2) "By highlighting the war on terror, they push the economy and other domestic issues that are Democratic strengths into the background," he says.

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issues that are Democratic strengths into the background?
I don't get it, esp. don't get " into the background".

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/polls/2004-03-29-poll_x.htm

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"All over the place" is more like "inconsistent" or "widely varied." It's not necessarily messy -- Phoenix has well-thought-out positions, but her politics are all over the place. She is not clearly a Democrat or a Republican.

For the second quote, forefront or foreground refers to what gets attention, background is what does NOT get attention. The Democrat's strengths are domestic issues such as the economy. (The Republicans are looking bad when it comes to the economy.) But by emphasizing the war on terror, these issues are pushed back. The attention goes to the war on terror, and less attention is paid to domestic issues.

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Thanks sozobe.

Now I've got them clearly. Very Happy

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Oristar, you might also encounter "all over the road" and, much more rarely, "from hither to yon"--both of which mean the same as "all over the place."

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all over the place

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