WORRISOME

Rove may be bluffing to help avoid a landslide for the Dems but I'm still worried.

Rove can cement his fame as a political maestro
By Ken Herman
Cox News Service
Tucson, Arizona Published: 10.29.2006

(Excerpts)

Armed with massive polling data and inside knowledge of how the GOP plans to mobilize its voter base, Rove is characteristically confident about how the day will go for his side.

Q: When Congress reconvenes in January, how many Democrats will be in the House and how many Democrats will be in the Senate?

Rove: A minority in each body. I expect Republican majorities in both houses.

Q: How can you be so sure of that?

Rove: Because I'm looking at it not only at the macro level but at individual races on a race-by-race level. I see the quality of the candidates and the issues on the table. I see the activity they have in place and I see the grassroots activity being generated around the country by the campaigns in conjunction with the Republican National Committee's 72-hour (voter turnout) task force. And I'm being inundated with data from all the individual races. It points strongly to a Republican Senate and to a Republican House.


Rove didn't say anything about gerrymandered House districts.

More on the GOP get out the vote machine:

Bush thinks GOP's voter mobilization will pay off again
By Julie Mason
Houston Chronicle
Tucson, Arizona Published: 10.26.2006

"In a country where in our best elections half the people don't vote, the party that can actually turn out their voters with discipline and effectiveness is going to be a successful party," Richard Gephardt, former Democratic House leader and 2004 presidential candidate, said during a forum this week.

Democrats have been working to match Republican strategies and organization, Gephardt said. "But I still don't believe it's up to par with where the Republicans are."

The GOP developed a program that started three days before the election. It was aimed at identifying Republicans and likely Republican voters and getting them to the polls.

The tactic was fine-tuned in 2004 and will be even more effective this year, Republicans said.