THE SCHIZOPHRENIC ELECTORATE:

War Talk Shapes Fall Elections: Democrats' Ability to Use the Economy Against GOP Wanes (Dan Balz, David S. Broder and Helen Rumbelow, September 29, 2002, Washington Post)

As they approach the November elections--in which control of both the Senate and House are at stake--voters appear torn by conflicting impulses. By a margin of 46 percent to 39 percent, they said they had more confidence in Republicans than in Democrats to handle the country's biggest problems. But 56 percent said they preferred to see Democrats in charge of the next Congress to act as a check against the president, while just 34 percent said they preferred Republicans in charge to support Bush's agenda.

Bush's approval rating stands at 67 percent, down only slightly over the past month, and the poll found that three in five Americans (61 percent) favored using force to get rid of Hussein. But sentiment shifted significantly when voters were asked whether the United States should launch an attack over the opposition of U.S. allies, with 47 percent opposed and 46 percent in favor. Also, a majority (52 percent) said they were more worried that Bush would move too quickly to challenge Hussein, while 40 percent said they feared he would not move quickly enough.

Given numbers like these, there is no potential result in these mid-terms that would be surprising, from a Democrat landslide to a Republican one. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 29, 2002 12:58 PM