Conservatives Ease Up On Victory Rhetoric Right Before Election

In an article by Tom Cohen for CNN, Cohen discusses a last minute shift in rhetoric with Republicans seemingly downplaying their possible success at the polls tomorrow while Democrats are expecting better results.

In what are either last-minute head games or reflections on a shifting electorate, Democrats are predicting better-than-expected results for their side while Republicans are downplaying the extent of their expected victory in Tuesday's congressional elections.

With less than 48 hours before polling booths open, the comments on Sunday talk shows stayed true to the anticipated Republican gains in both chambers of Congress but continued to differ widely on exact totals.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele was unwilling to project over-confidence, telling CNN's "State of the Union" program that even coming close to the 39 additional seats needed to win back majority control of the House would equal GOP success.

"If we get 39 seats and take the majority, that's success. If we get 37 seats, that's success," Steele said.

In my opinion, conservatives have been saying for over a year that they are going to retake Congress.  They have spent every moment of every day explaining how they are polling much better then Democrats, so it is no surprise that come the day before the official election date conservatives try to walk back their statements because they will probably not do as well as they thought they would do - they were only overly confident as a method of electioneering.  If you tell enough people you are going to win, they may just start to believe you - a strategy that was most likely intended to discourage Democrats from the polls while simultaneously firing up the base.

I think the tea party has invigorated the right and they will definitely come out and vote, which is bad news for the liberals, but I also think that liberals are not that apathetic as the news would make you believe - just consider the turnout for the Rally to Restore Sanity as proof, and yes I consider Saturday's rally to be liberal - the rallies on the right are the ones that seem less rational...