In his column today, Krauthammer takes a look at the Obama response to Scott Brown's win in Massachusetts...and the fact that he blamed the election on generalized "anger and frustration" due to what's happened "not just because of what's happened in the last year or two years, but what's happened over the last eight years."

About which Krauthammer writes: 

Let's get this straight: The antipathy to George W. Bush is so enduring and powerful that ... it just elected a Republican senator in Massachusetts? Why, the man is omnipotent.

Maybe hatred of Bush will still be so great by November that it will elect a Republican Congress.

Of course there are a lot of polls out there, but PPP (Public Policy Polling) is a liberal outfit.  And now even their numbers show "The One" in negative territory...

For the first time in our monthly national surveys Barack Obama's approval rating has slipped into negative territory. 46% of voters in the country approve of the job he's doing while 47% disapprove.

Obama's approval peaked in our polling last May at 55%. Since then his largest declines in popularity have come with whites (from 48% to 36%), independents (from 55% to 43%), and conservatives (24 to 14%). He's also seen a decent drop with moderates from 69 to 61%. With his core groups of support- Democrats, liberals, and racial minorities- he's seen only minimal change in his standing.

The fact that they mention the racial aspect of his polling is interesting, and reminds me of an by Pat Buchanan yesterday, ("Has Obama lost white America?"), which points out that the white vote is turning into Obama's biggest problem...and is likely to be, by default, a big problem forthe Democrats in general this November.

Buchanan writes:

If Republicans will study the returns from Massachusetts, then review the returns from Virginia and New Jersey, light will fall upon the path to victory over Barack Obama in 2012.
    
Obama defeated John McCain by winning the black vote 24 to one, the Hispanic vote two to one and taking a larger share of the white vote, 44 percent, than did John Kerry or Al Gore. As the white vote was three-fourths of the national turnout, Obama coasted to victory.
    
Now consider Massachusetts. In the 2008 election, no less than 79 percent of the voters were white, and Obama carried them by 20 points, winning the state 62 to 36.

 Here's a look at Karl Rove's latest US Senate race map.  As you can see, there's a lotta' red there.  And, of course, keep in mind that Massachusetts was "solid blue" just two weeks ago.

Larry Sabato also has a list of current projections up on Rasmussen's site.  He's currently showing a 7 seat gain for the GOP, for what it's worth.

Of course all this stuff can change in a heart beat one way or another, (as Scott Brown demonstrated).  And the election is a full 9 months away...which is an eternity in politics.  But given the current environment...and if the GOP puts up the right candidates which stick to a real conservative message, it should be a good November.

 You really have to love it when these people get so worked up (say, about losing "Ted Kennedy's seat") that they step all over their message with quotes like this:

“Why would you hand the keys to the car back to the same guys whose policies drove the economy into the ditch and then walked away from the scene of the accident?”

That’s Chris Van Hollen, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, meaning to help Coakley win Teddy Kennedy’s seat, and running right off the road into a ditch called Chappaquiddick.

(h/t Instapundit)

Here's a snapshot of all the latest polls in the Massachusetts Senate race.  Long story short, it's looking like Scott Brown's decision to turn the race into a virtual referendum on ObamaCare was brilliant.  In deep blue Massachusetts no less.

Exit questions:

1) Does ObamaCare pass?

2) If he actually wins this thing, how many democrats announce they won't be running for re-election by the end of the month?

It's looking more and more possible each day.

Yesterday's Rasmussen poll only had them apart by one point, so anything can happen, depending on turnout.

Can you imagine the political implications (not just to ObamaCare) of a Republican winning "the Kennedy Seat"?

But now ALL conservatives, no matter what state you're in, have a chance to make a difference.

The campaign has set up a "call from home" program and EVERY conservative in America can help.  Are you willing to make 15 or more calls to stop the radical left agenda by the Obama/Reid/Pelosi team?

Another option is that you can make a contribution...but just as importantly, if you can't send any funds...you can make some calls and help the cause.

If you want to make a contribution...just visit the Scott Brown for U.S. Senate Web Page.

If you are willing to make some phone calls...sign up here

***

One more vote.  That's all it will take to stop the health care bill in the Senate.

Pitch in and help Scott Brown get that vote for us next Tuesday.

 Why should we as conservatives focus on the grassroots when it comes to politics?  Because that's where the opportunities are. 

Remember Willie Sutton's response to why he robbed banks?  "Because that's where the money is".  It's that same in politics.  The grassroots is where the votes are.

Ask almost anyone what they think of politics and the usual response is: "It's a dirty business. I don't want anything to do with it."

Yes, politics can be a dirty business, but it's only as dirty as the people that are involved in it. 

It gets dirty when far too many good people don't roll up their sleeves and spend the time and effort necessary to clean it up.  Whether you're washing your car, changing a diaper, or doing the dishes, you're doing a job that must be done to keep things from getting too far gone.  It's maintenance.  And it's the same way with politics.

Working a little bit at a time, maintain­ing a democratic political system is easy, but when we ignore it for long periods of time the dirty work of politics piles up.  Then, when we can't stand to look at the mess any longer, it takes a massive effort to clean it up.

Voting, educating yourself and others about the legislative and political process, and getting personally involved in the affairs of your city, state, and nation is maintenance. 

The best way to go about that "maintenance" is with good grassroots organization, for three reasons:  read more »

As with just about everything else, the end of the year is a good time to look back and review things.  In this case, we took a look at the most popular items on the Conservative Outpost for 2009 and listed the Top Ten (according to traffic) below.

Enjoy!

The Outpost Top Ten for 2009:

1. The Outposts' Republican Leadership Survey (who do you think "runs" the party?  Who should?)
2. Say "NO" to Socialized medicine! (The Outpost campaign to stop Obamacare)
3. Can We Decommission the Health Care Bill with Sodium Silicate?
4. What will Obama's public approval rating be on Labor Day, 2010? (poll)
5. The Obamacare flowchart  (see how streamlined it is for yourself!)
6. Lies and more lies! (Obama on health care)
7. Beware conservative "extremists"! (Obama's DHS is on watch!)
8. The Obama Deficits (as far as the eye can see)
9. The ACORN Guide to Do-it-Yourself Pimpin' (or "How to Start a Brothel in Ten Easy Steps!")
10. Democrat says "We're going to let you die" as part of Obamacare (AARP, are you listening?)

   read more »

 Not that this would come as a shock to anyone who pays any attention whatsoever to government, but....

A study by two economists at the University of Michigan demonstrates that banks with better political connections got more bailout money from the TARP program.

Among the more interesting (though unsurprising) findings:

• Just one standard deviation in terms of political contributions equaled an increase of almost 15 million in bailout money.
• A standard deviation in spending on lobbying was associated with an increase of over 10 million.
• And (surprise) banks that had headquarters in districts represented by members of the House Financial Services Committee had a 26% better chance of getting bailout funds at all.

Like they say, it's not what you know, but who you know.

(h/t Heritage)

I've spent a good bit of time in the past few years working to create a type of self-help "how to" resource for those who want to learn the basics of how to be effective when it comes to conservative political grassroots activism.  And now, at long last, it's done.

The "it" in question is "Grassroots 101: Grassroots Training Series".  Grassroots "101", as in the first in a series of resources and ebooks that will focus on "the fundamentals of political success", and "Grassroots Training Series", as in a series of three manuals that take you step by through the basics of political activism for beginners, intermediate and advanced activists.

Grassroots activism works

Conservative grassroots activism can change policy and influence decisions from the local school boards all the way to Washington, DC - but it depends on how diligent you are.  If we are going to be successful, we have to commit to doing what Ronald Reagan called "the hard work of freedom".  And that work includes community, social and political action.  And effective activism begins with knowledge.

The purpose of the Grassroots Training Series is not to be exhaustive, (that's another book!), but to cover the highlights and break down the complexities of the political system and give a basic understanding of some of the more fundamental techniques that can help you achieve success.  read more »