Dose of Caffeine

Democrats Plan Post-Convention Ad Blitz

In case you've been feeling a little post-Edwards slump in enthusiasm about the chances for John Kerry in November, here's an article that points out a bunch of reasons why he's got a good shot. First among them: Tons of cash, both in his own coffers and in those of the Democratic National Committee. No one ever expected anything like an even playing field in the money race, but right now it looks a lot better than anyone thought it might.

The article doesn't mention a bunch of other reasons for optimism: fervor among Democrats to oust Bush, generally positive sentiment toward Edwards from independents, electoral maps that show Kerry leading, and, finally, a question more and more journalists are asking: Where are all the voters who voted for Gore in 2000 and plan to vote for Bush in 2004? It's easy to find a fed-up Bush voter who vows to pull the lever for Kerry as an act of penance, but not nearly so easy--some say impossible--to find someone who picked Gore in 2000 and wants another four years of Bush. Since we all know that Gore got more votes last time, how can Bush win if even the folks who voted for him last time out are abandoning him?

I know the answer, but this post is meant to be an upper. Maybe we'll talk about rallying the base with fear tactics tomorrow.