The pundits like the idea of "coattails" but I would argue that in this election it's working in reverse.
I'm watching Russ Feingold on C-Span . . . he's awesome.
In key battleground states, Feingold in WI, Salazar in CO, we have magnificent Dem talent fighting incompetant Rep talent.
I think Kerry will win, but I think that the story on election day will in part be that intelligent, honest people are running in the Dem party.
Kerry will then have a debt to the party, and I think he will have to give in on free trade -- respect for workers' rights and for the environment will be written into future trade agreements.
On the flip side, the ReThugs are really messing up the Rep party, from Coors on front range water to De Mint on sales taxes and "most of my children have graduated from college" to the Rep. Gov of WI to -- KY!!!
Dems have a real chance to grab the center that the Reps have vacated, from Hillary to her opposite, our candidate in OK who looks nothing like a NYC Dem (and it won't hurt him when I say that).
The center is: jobs, health care, protect our troops, real national security including protection of ports and hardening of chemical and nuclear plants, freedom of speech, cutting laws that aren't needed, eliminating corporate welfare, cutting unnecessary rules governing small business, ending the mohair subsidy, and so on.
I'm travelling on business next week, so I won't post, but I'm predicting all of this now.