Winds of Change Blow Across the South. GOP Feeling the Draft. Thank Your TV?

According to a new polling conducted by conservative columnist Matt Towery, the GOP seems to be losing it’s grip on the Deep South. To quote his own words;

“The final, comprehensive results of the poll weren't yet complete when this column was filed. Over 4,000 interviews have been conducted, however -- enough to render persuasively alarming news for the GOP.”
“For example, in the populous states of Florida and Georgia, more respondents want the Democrats to control Congress next year than they do the Republicans.”
“President George W. Bush won both states in 2004, and yet he now has higher disapproval ratings than approval ratings. In Georgia, his disapproval rate approaches 50 percent. In Florida, it's 55 percent.”
“It gets worse for Republicans. Initial polling results seem to show that the disapproval of Washington Republicans is starting to translate into possible votes against GOP candidates this fall in statewide races back home. Most of these are races in which Republicans would expect to hold obvious upper hands.”
“Not surprisingly given the overall polling results, there is also an emerging trend of erosion of support for President Bush and the GOP Congress by core conservative voters, as well as by independent voters. In the Republicans' strongest region in the nation, it's these independents who usually give the conservative party its victory margins.” (Read the entire article)
Surprisingly enough, aside from the obvious drag exerted by the war in Iraq, Matt Towery blames what he calls “the West Wing effect”. I must admit, over the past week I’ve seen something that I would consider proof that Bush watched last Sunday’s episode.

In case you haven’t seen it, GOP candidate Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda), in an attempt to get past a scandal, comes out of hiding and holds a marathon press conference outside a nuclear power plant. Just weeks before, the plant almost melted down and it was reported that he had pushed for the plant’s construction. After avoiding the press, as his advisors had encouraged, he decided that the only way to stop the press from beating him up at the polls, would be to confront them in an open QandA till the press turned blue in the face. It was a master stroke. His polls stabilized, and the nuclear power plant questions were no more.

Now, of course an argument could be made that life imitates art and vise-a-versa, but to blame a TV show about a fictional President for the diving polls of a real President, well that’s just classic. That’s all him. That is, unless George W. Bush actually thought that he could pull an Arnie Vinick. In that case, all hail the power of the Boob Tube!


Tags:Politics, Bush, Polls, South, Florida, Georgia, Iraq, Elections, West Wing.