Bush's fall puts Republicans at risk

In case you're wondering why gay marriage, the death penalty and other wingnut causes are on the fall ballot, the Washington Post reports:

Democratic pollster Geoff Garin said GOP House candidates have reason to worry. His surveys find that 82 percent of Americans who say they voted for Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) in 2004 plan to vote for a Democrat for the House this year. But only 65 percent who voted for Bush say they will vote for a Republican House nominee, Garin said. The remaining 35 percent say they are open to voting for a Democrat or staying home.

"We get a large chunk of Bush voters who are not motivated to go out and vote for Republicans this fall," Garin said. "That puts a lot of red districts into play."

Look for lots of photos of Mark Green with George W. Bush, and John Gard with Dick Cheney, this fall -- only you'll see them coming from the Democratic campaigns, not Green and Gard.

Other findings:

The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll showed 47 percent of voters "strongly" disapprove of Bush's job performance, vs. 20 percent who said they "strongly approve."

...Forty percent said they plan to vote for a Republican in this year's House elections, and 55 percent said they will vote for a Democrat.

True, Bush is not on the ballot. But he might as well be. It won't go away.

Of course, if the US is at "war" in Iran come October -- bombing the shit out of Iranians, in other words -- it could unify the country behind the President, as usually happens in wartime. Somehow, I don't think so.