Almost two-thirds of Americans think the country is heading in the wrong direction. When you have that type of situation, incumbents are in danger. |
Everybody's targeting Rhode Island and Chafee is a Republican in a Democratic state. The Rhode Island Senate race will be about the most competitive race in the country. |
He definitely aspires to a much grander role for himself, ... a hard, driving ambition. |
He is still learning to cope with the pressures of being a Kennedy. |
He knew who we were. |
He's popular, but he's a Republican representing a Blue State. People are going to have to decide if they want a Republican who often votes with the Democrats, or a real Democrat. |
I think his whole domestic agenda has been submerged by Iraq. |
I think Matt Brown is almost to the point that he's going to be holding bake sales. Donors don't want to give money unless they think you're viable, and if you're on the verge of bankruptcy, you're not going to pass the viability test. |
I think that has made it difficult for him to convert his celebrity appeal to a real national profile. |
It is important to balance the local and national media. They each have different needs and cover things differently. Recently, [Bush] has been less adept and more easily thrown off message. This could be one reason he's gone down in the polls. |
Losing one or both of them would be devastating. |
Matt Brown has bet the farm. It's a classic challenger strategy of spending early and going on TV early, and it has paid off for him. His numbers are up. |
People are aware of the difficulty he has encountered within the state, and that has tarnished his national reputation. |
People in this state often elect Republicans to keep an eye on the Democrats. Democrats are entrenched, and voters want balance. |
Right now, Democrats can do well by letting Republicans drown in their policy problems. However, by this fall, when voters tune into the campaign, the Democratic Party needs to show citizens . . . a positive vision for the future. |