Republican Woes Run Far Deeper Than Iraq and Bush

Albert R. Hunt writes in Bloomberg:

American Republicans are in bad shape beyond next year's election for basic reasons, aside from the war in Iraq or the unpopularity of the incumbent; almost every important indicator is negative for them.
Among key constituencies, the most worrisome are young voters, the fastest-growing slice of the U.S. electorate and one where lifetime habits are ingrained early. These voters -- 18 to 29 year olds -- are deserting the Republicans.

"If current trends continue, Republicans are in desperate shape with these critical young voters,'' says Frank Fahrenkopf, the party's national chairman during Ronald Reagan's presidency.

The always important enthusiasm quotient -- crowds, volunteers, polls, fund raising -- is all with the Democrats.