Brad Smith, a frontpager over at Redstate, is giving rationality a try.
Let's be brutally honest. Barack Obama is going to win the presidential election, and probably by a lot. We'll avoid recriminations and "I told you so"s and second guessing here. Let's just face the reality.
He then goes on to argue vigorously that Republican resources should go into saving the Senate from a filibuster-proof majority.
Needless to say, it doesn't go over well. Follow me over the flip for the response...
UPDATE: Well, it didn't take long for the RS censors to pull Smith's post. In other news, Ludi beat me to it with a diary on this a couple of minutes before mine was posted. I decided to keep this one up since the original post is gone and I have preserved some of the comments.
UPDATE X2: Following Yemtex, I've included Brad Smith's entire post at the end of the diary, now archived for posterity.
UPDATE X3: Rec list--awesome!
UPDATE x4: MLDB found a backdoor to the post--it's still up. The link above has been changed to this backdoor.
UPDATE x5: DIGG link added here
It's gotten pretty quiet over at Redstate over the last four years, but what the comments lack in quantity, they make up for in quality--from a schadenfreude perspective.
Here's a sampling:
I'm not even remotely happy about your blaring headline on RedState, particularly since Rasmussen is a point closer at 50-46 this morning.
Thanks Brad, you have completed my withdrawal from Redstate. This obviously isn't the place for me if they are going to allow defeatists on the front page 19 days before the election.
As for me, I'm commiting to continuing my support of McCain Palin. I'm changing my tactics and altering how I spend my money, but I'm not about to give up.
Lastly, I have commited to spending an hour in prayer each day for this election. I suggest others do the same. We had divine intervention in 2000, we can have it again.
Pox on you. On the front page no less.
Feel free to share your thoughts with the RNC higher ups, but stop suppressing the morale of the rank and file and stop encouraging the trolls.
The next one is my favorite:
Do you have any idea how far this single statement can be carried and how much damage it can now do?
"REDSTATE PROCLAIMS ELECTION LOST FOR MCCAIN!!!" because it will be RedState - and not Brad Smith - that any commentators will mention.
To the extent that we (collectively at RS)have any influence in the political process, you may have just helped increase any margin of defeat even down the ticket.
Demoralizing those who may have been willing to go out and fight by proclaiming the battle lost is...not helpful.
Is this really what we need to see on the front page?
Smith gets a couple of weak acknowledgments, such as the one below, but it's mostly calls of TREASON!
Barring a miracle (and I'll be praying for one along with c17wife) I have to agree with you Brad. We just don't have the candidate to beat The One. I'm still not sure who could beat him this year.
July into early August was the high point of McCain's campaign, with the announcement of Sarah Palin as his running mate being the pinnacle.
I will still be voting for Sarah Palin. I really want her to win. I continue to think that McCain is Bob Dole II.
Another item to add to the list titled "You know it's not going well when":
You have resorted to praying for divine intervention to win the election.
UPDATE: Since it's gone now, Brad Smith's entire post:
Let's be brutally honest. Barack Obama is going to win the presidential election, and probably by a lot. We'll avoid recriminations and "I told you so"s and second guessing here. Let's just face the reality. Obama is trading at 84 on in-trade. Overnight quickie polls show the public overwhelmingly thinks Obama won last night's debate - which probably has less to do with any "objective" scoring and more to do with the fact that folks have simply decided to vote for Obama. Obama has more cash than McCain and independent groups are spending more in his support than they are in favor of McCain. Obama's national lead is in double digits in many polls, and per Real Clear Politics, Obama leads in every - that's EVERY, as in all - battleground states. His leads in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, even Colorado, Virginia, and Florida, are all outside the margin of error.
So Barack Obama is the next president of the United States, and the Democrats will gain seats in the House and the Senate. At this point, it is imperative that the Republicans maintain a filibuster-capable Senate minority. The Democrats now have about a one in three chance of picking up the 60 or more Senate seats they would need to prevent filibusters.
It is not quite right to say that every nickle spent by the Republican National Committee in support of Senator McCain is a waste, because McCain's performance will still help downticket races. But the RNC - and individual donors - need to concentrate remaining resources not on Senator McCain's race for president, but on shoring up endangered Senate Republicans. We need to help Norm Coleman in Minnesota, Elizabeth Dole in North Carolina, Roger Wicker in Mississippi. Even Saxby Chambliss in Georgia and Mitch McConnell in potentially in danger, and Chuck Schumer is pouring money into Kentucky to try to take down the Minority Leader. It may be too late to help John Sununu in New Hampshire, Gordon Smith in Oregon, or Bob Schaeffer in Colorado, but they're all in much better position than the McCain campaign. It's even worth trying to save Ted Stevens in Alaska - we're going to need every vote. 41 Senate seats will be the only meaningful check on Pelosi, Reid, and Obama for the next four years.
I know it's tough for people to give up on the presidential. But there is a point at which you have to seriously look at the evidence, and save what can still be saved. The RNC needs to shift its focus to the Senate, and the McCain campaign should likewise shift its focus to those states where a stronger McCain effort can help some of these endangered Republicans keep their seats.