Liabilities for the GOP in the upcoming election?

[David S]

What is your opinion?

[Nym90]

All of these of course, but right now I think Iraq is the biggest liability for the GOP.

[MODU]

Of that list, I would only say Option 1.  There's been no real cases regarding any infringement of rights on the citizens by the citizens, and the deficit is still marginal and decreasing.

[Boris]

Option 1, easily. Option 1 was the pretty much the only reason why 2004 was so close and will be the primary reason of the upcoming Democrat takeover the of the House of Representatives.

[Colin]

War in Iraq. Average people don't care about civil liberties or a budget deficit, if they even know what those are and how they affect the country.

[Gabu]

War in Iraq.  The degree to which the other two affect your average person is so indirect that they're not going to think twice about it.

[Dr. Cynic]

Option 1, but like Gabu, I doubt that the average citizen doesn't care about the gross infringement of civil liberties, or the rampaging deficit.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It's certainly nowt to do with budgets or liberties.

It's more an interesting combination of everything that's gone wrong over the past few years, finally reaching boiling point.

[Gabu]

Option 1, but like Gabu, I doubt that the average citizen doesn't care about the gross infringement of civil liberties, or the rampaging deficit.

It's not that they don't care about it when it's brought to their attention; it's that it doesn't directly affect them and is not present in front of them, so they don't think about it.  It's kind of like that Zen thing about sound: if someone is tortured in Guantánamo Bay, and it's not brought to anyone's attention, will the people consider the possibility that it's going on?  I doubt it.

Similarly, if there's a rampaging deficit, but a person is not provided with any connection between that and something wrong in his or her own life, will the person make the connection on his or her own?  Not unless they're educated on the effect of a deficit.

[Sam Spade]

Iraq, Iraq, Iraq. 

The second is a positive for the GOP and the third is only a liability among GOP fiscal conservatives, who will probably show up anyway, and once the Democrats try to pass their first tax increase, will be lining back behind the GOP lock stop.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

1 is a huge blow.
second doesn't hurt the GOP among swing voters really, but does motivate the left to turn out more.
three also isn't so big, but might depress turnout a little, and gives the Dems a new issue.

And of course there's a culmination of other events. I think Katrina is still the main source of the GOP's woes now. That made everyone get upset at the government, and since then they have yet to do anything to fix that mindset.

[Smash255]

they all have an impact,  and all hurt the GOP, but Iraq is the biggest

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Actually, I think George Bush is the biggest single liability as he respresents what every anti-GOP voter is angry about. Notice Laura's been around.. but Bush isn't as visible. Remember in '02 and '04 they couldn't get enough of him - even democrats were running ads with his picture on it... now Republicans are advertising their links to Clinton.

[opebo]

Iraq, obviously, but the 'other' that matters is the economic misery of a huge portion of the population.  This was thrown into relief by the high gas prices, but they only exacerbated and underlying decline in the standard of living of working class people.

[David S]

Average people don't care about civil liberties or a budget deficit, if they even know what those are and how they affect the country.

You may be right about that but its a sad comment on democracy. Our government is a "government of the people". Its disturbing to think that they are all a bunch dopes. Although I still have to conclude that despite its flaws its still the best form of government.

[The Duke]

Other.

This election is about Jack Abramoff and Hurrican Katrina.  Incompetence and corruption, not Iraq and budget deficits, have been the Democrats theme for a reason, you know.  Now, when people think about the GOP they think stupid crooks, and its because of Abramoff and Katrina.

[Jake]

This election is about the corruption of the House leadership (Foley, Abramoff, etc.) and the War on Iraq. Sure, you have local issues like Santorum's unpopularity in PA and the general state of meltdown for the Ohio GOP, but pretty much everything can be traced back to those two issues and how candidates have been tied to them. Though, this is much more the case in House races than Senate races, as most Senate races are competitive because the Republican incumbent has effed up in some way.

[nlm]

It's about trust - or in this case lack of it. I don't think any of the issues that are hurting the GOP would be doing so if the people of this country still trusted them.

The GOP has managed to fundamentally paint itself as being dishonest (for the moment).

[Frodo]

The bungled reconstruction and the prosecution of the Iraq War by far is the most fatal blow to the GOP, and dwarfs any of the others mentioned.  Had it not been for this war, we would not be talking about how large a majority Democrats will win in the House and whether they will win the Senate as well.