Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Subject: Cook's Ratings/Kerry   [Rich Lowry]

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Rich,

Is it possible that Cook and a number of other political prognosticators and pundits have gotten so wedded to the "wave election theory" that their projections must be altered to bolster their pet theory?   Cook has been peddling the "wave" idea for some time, but is only now rating this bushel of House races as "toss-ups?"  On what basis has he been making such dire predictions if he is only now shifting the seats necessary to create such a wave into the toss-up column?  And by making them toss-ups, he does two things: 1)  supports his own theory that we will see a Dem "wave" one week from today BUT 2)  by leaving them toss-ups, he can claim to have called them "right" no matter how its goes, as long as they're close—and they probably will be.  I'm not suggesting dishonesty on his part, but researchers often get too close to their own thesis and begin to mold their evidence to fit their conclusions.  Just a thought. 

And for what it's worth, I'd like to tell Sen. Kerry that I earned my PhD while an active-duty captain in the USAF.  Six months after I defended my dissertation (I had to take leave to go to Indiana University to do so), I was in Saudi Arabia.  My experience has been that libs/lefties take it as an article of faith that only warmongers or those with no other option in life (except a life of crime) wear the nation's uniform.  I have had "educated" people, including college professors, call me a fascist and baby-killer ( I was 17 and still in high school when Saigon fell, BTW) while others compared my military service to slavery or expressed sympathy for what they perceived as my "plight"!  Kerry merely let slip what most liberals hold as fact.  We are either war criminals-in-waiting or victims of the military industrial complex.  (CNN Radio News is parroting Kerry's words from his press conference today; a quote from Tony Snow gets a milli-second in the report.  Typical.)

With this nation at war, I hope Cook's projections don't reflect reality, because the people thus empowered, Kerry included, have no clue how to defend this country.

10/31 03:17 PMShare