I really think that trumps all. We can talk all we want about torture, Iraq, Bin Laden, Katrina etc.,etc, etc., but the bottom line is that when people go into the voting booths on November 7, they will have a choice between an admittedly ugly status quo, yet one which has kept them "safe" and "the great unknown". This is the dems biggest challenge.
I realize there are plenty of reasons why this logic (vote dem and die) is flawed and certainly the fact that we haven't had another attack (yeah I know, Anthrax, but still.....) does not mean that we won't be attacked again (we certainly will), but this is a powerful narrative that will be driven home by the repugs and unless the dems can find a way to play the fear card as effectively, I think control of the house in November is an iffy prospect. Maybe this diary can serve as a discussion of how we can change this narrative. Fear trumps all in my opinion. Like it or not, all the negatives on Bush and the Repug congress will simply be "forgiven" if people are scared enough. Voters somehow need to viscerally feel that voting Republican would endanger their children's lives, because that's the message that will effectively be delivered against the dems, like it or not. And it's not just a matter of explaining it to Kossacks. We need bumper sticker language, so republicans can understand it too. How do we best counter the message: "We haven't been attacked in 5 years, so Bush and the republicans must be doing something right"?