Our prospects for a Liebermanless majority in '08 are looking better all the time. This week, it's Texas. The DSCC commissioned a poll, and finds:
John Cornyn begins the 2008 re-election cycle with surprisingly low name recognition and a political environment that does not appear to be favorable toward a strategy that hypes a partisan base and message. Texas Republicans can not rely on the simplistic strategy of knee-jerk support for the president – his leadership of the country generally and in Iraq specifically- to ensure election to federal office. The state is open to being introduced to the right kind of Texas Democrat.
And here's just a note to some of the Blue Dogs and other "moderate" Dems who might be considering trying to "cooperate" with Bush, particularly on Iraq:
- Voters in Texas give President George W. Bush a negative job rating (47% positive – 51% negative) and they are split in their opinion as to whether their family would be better off with a Democratic or Republican majority in the United States Senate (41% Democrats – 43% Republicans).
- A strong plurality of voters in Texas believes the country is headed in the wrong direction (34% right direction – 49% wrong direction). Voters give President Bush an even more negative job rating on his handling of Iraq (41% positive – 57% negative).
Wherever you go in this country, the people hate the war and they are increasingly hating this president. Our members of Congress are going to have to start coming up with better reasons than "I have a tough district" to avoid doing their job on Iraq.