Dems, incumbents get wake-up call

[clayinaustin]

I find it very hard to believe that no one here has commented on yesterday's election results...

Dems, incumbents get wake-up call (http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20091104/pl_politico/29116;_ylt=AkM_3mCuKYKk4xDmBMk962.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJwODZxdXRkBGFzc2V0A3BvbG l0aWNvLzIwMDkxMTA0LzI5MTE2BGNwb3MDMQRwb3MDMgRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX3Rvc F9zdG9yeQRzbGsDcmFjZXNnaXZlZGVt)

Independents took flight from Democrats. They suffered humiliating gubernatorial losses in traditionally Democratic New Jersey, where Obama lent his prestige in a pair of eleventh-hour campaign rallies Sunday, and in Virginia, which had been trending leftward and just last year was held up as an example of how Obama was redrawing the political map in his favor.

Obama now faces a much tougher challenge persuading these mostly moderate Democrats to put themselves further at risk by backing such liberal priorities as expanding government’s role in heath care or limiting greenhouse gases.

Exit polls showed Republican McDonnell won 63 percent of independent voters. Likewise in Democratic-trending Northern Virginia, the Republican carried the three largest suburban counties of Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William — all counties Obama won handily last year.

In New Jersey, likewise, Christie won 58 percent of independents.

Independents are worried about what they see as careless spending by Obama and his Democratic allies in Washington, and he advised Obama to reorganize his White House to rely less on campaign operatives and focus more on governing.

[cigdaze]

Silence speaks louder than words sometimes.
:)

[clayinaustin]

My biggest concern is that moderate Republicans will lose their primarys to ultra-conservative candidates. As the Democrats move more to the left, I fear that Republicans will move more to the right, and someone (like me) will be stuck in the middle with no one to vote for. :(

[cigdaze]

I feel you're right. Sadly, I can't remember an election where it didn't come down to a candidate who represents the lesser of two evils.

[Trim'd Up]

I feel you're right. Sadly, I can't remember an election where it didn't come down to a candidate who represents the lesser of two evils.

That's it exactly. I can't remember being real enthusiastic about any politician I have voted for in the past. It is usually voting against the other guy..:confused:

[Wrinkleface]

lesser of two evils.

:reddevil: or :reddevil::lurk5::lurk5:

[OldSchool]

I find it very hard to believe that no one here has commented on yesterday's election results...



Dangit Clay. I was hoping that nobody would!!!!!!:willy_nilly::sifone::rofl::rofl:

Here's an idea, Let's keep it civil and have a good discussion about it! :)
No name calling
No hitting
No running near the pool
No eye gouging
:USA::USA::USA:

[OldSchool]

Good news for the Dems out there, Nancy Pelosi says that yesterday was a win for the Democrats!!!!! Read the comments on this one. I don't think that many people like her!!:ack2::ack2:

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1109/Pelosi_dismisses_impact_of_New_Jersey_Virginia.html

[cigdaze]

Good news for the Dems out there, Nancy Pelosi says that yesterday was a win for the Democrats!!!!! Read the comments on this one. I don't think that many people like her!!:ack2::ack2:

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1109/Pelosi_dismisses_impact_of_New_Jersey_Virginia.html

That's some great reading! :D


THAT CADAVER'S ON CRACK!!

[Chris]

That's the funny thing about making promises. Occasionally you're called upon to deliver.

[Ted]

Yes Nancy, it was a great win. You just keep doing what you're doing, they still love ya. Push on with your plans, you'll have another "big win" in 2010.

[Wrinkleface]

That's the funny thing about making promises. Occasionally you're called upon to deliver.

yeah, ain't that a b i t c h when that happens!!!:banghead:

[phragle]

here in Toledo since 1957 we have had we have had 9 democrat mayors and 2 republican. with th last one being 10 years ago.. we just elected an independent, go figure...

[DollaBill]

I know it's a hoppy day in NJ today

[Tom A.]

Better times in NJ! I hope! Glad to see Corzine going!

[Wobble]

Not sure how big a win it is, in Texas the Governor's race is about issues and personalities. We are just as likely to elect one parties candidate as another.

The Democrats scored a US House seat.

It seems to me that the results are close to meaningless.

[jayboat]

The Democrats scored a US House seat.

It seems to me that the results are close to meaningless.

correct. these are not federal elections. the virginia election held true to form- they elect the party not in the white house, and the nj thing- corzine was attached to the wall streeters. christie's track record is rather abysmal, tho...

exit polls showed that voters were not voting against the current administration, but I think the dem no-shows were sending a message to washington.

that whole thing in NY-23 was kinda interesting, tho. I'm sure the wingnuts will spin it as some sort of big deal that they booted the moderate repub for a guy who got 95% of his campaign contributions from out-of-state. the gop has some huge problems these days. that district has been red since the 1800's.

[catastrophe]

:lurk5:

Wait for it..................................

[Chris]

What happened is the black voters and the young, idealistic voters Obama got to the polls stayed home. This bodes poorly for the Dems next year when the mid-terms roll around. This administration so far is not delivering much in the way of results and if it continues, expect a hopuse-cleaning next year. Same as what happened when the GOP failed to satisfy voters in '08.

Voters are fickle. We've reduced these campaings to being sound bite fests. Gone is the Great Debate. Now we have "what do I get?" And when you sell them on a promise of tangibles rather than a grand vision of the future, they expect to receive what was promised. and new presidents often find out how difficult it is to deliver domestically. That pesky Congress..

[Ted]

Were I the Dems I would be somewhat concerned with this:


Exit polls showed Republican McDonnell won 63 percent of independent voters.

In New Jersey, likewise, Christie won 58 percent of independents.

This has been their strong suit that they have done all the Bush Bashing for. If they lose the indy's in those kind of numbers they will lose a lot of seats. It may also cement the idea that 2006 and 2008 were strong votes against the R's but not for the D's. They will continue to fall in the polls if they continue to push through their completely partisan objectives that go against the mainstream of the country.

[Chris]

That's a funny word, independent. Sure is a bunch of them these days. Is that a euphemism for a conservative not aligned with a religious group/issue?

[Wobble]

That's a funny word, independent. Sure is a bunch of them these days. Is that a euphamism for a conservative not aligned with a religious group/issue?

Moderate Republican

[Tommy Gun]

That's a funny word, independent. Sure is a bunch of them these days. Is that a euphamism for a conservative not aligned with a religious group/issue?

I'd say...

And there was this readers comment...

Posted By: Kurt | November 04, 2009 at 01:08 PMReport Abuse .Nancy "Police-State" Pelosi is a collectivist. Individualists do not want her in government. America is all about Individualism. The sleeping giant of American Conservatism is rankled and will purge the Commies now that they have revealed themselves in their subterfuge. . Watch and see.

[LaughingCat]

That's a funny word, independent. Sure is a bunch of them these days. Is that a euphemism for a conservative not aligned with a religious group/issue?

I am really starting to like the way you think. May I add the following:


a conservative not aligned with a religious group/issue and who longs for fiscally-responsible governance and now feels they cannot get it from either major political party?

[Ted]

Moderate Republican



Moderate Democrat too.

[jayboat]

Here's a good synopsis from today's NYT about what happened in NY23:

In Republican District, National Party Takes a Hit

By CARL HULSE
Published: November 7, 2009

It is not often that a political party puts more than $750,000 behind a candidate in a high-profile Congressional race, only to see the intended beneficiary endorse the opposition.

But that is exactly what happened in the race for New York’s 23rd District, a convoluted contest that turned into an Election Day disaster for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

The initial backing of Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava in a solidly Republican district cost the House Republicans’ campaign arm a significant amount of cash, considering that she bowed out of the race under conservative pressure just days before the election. Then Ms. Scozzafava publicly threw her support behind Bill Owens, the eventual winner, who was sworn in Friday as the 258th Democrat in the House and will be a crucial vote in the health care debate.

While the traditional view among Congressional campaign veterans is that special House elections like the one in New York last Tuesday are given political significance beyond their true import, this one had some notable fallout.

Besides tapping the group’s treasury on behalf of a defector, it also raised questions about the capabilities of the Republican organization, which had already lost a special election in a Republican-leaning New York district earlier this year. It has now been beaten by Democrats in five consecutive contested special elections — the political version of going one on one.

Democrats and others contend that leaders of the Republican group badly misread the landscape in upstate New York and were slow to recognize the threat posed by an aggressive challenger, Douglas Hoffman, who entered as a third-party conservative.

Officials at the organization dispute that and say they quickly realized they had a problem when Ms. Scozzafava balked at signing a no-tax-increase pledge that is a staple of House Republican campaigns. And they pointed out that most of the money for advertising went toward commercials to weaken Mr. Owens.

They saw few options, citing a New York law that allows special election nominees to be selected by county party leaders rather than through a primary. They say a primary would have spared them the fight between Ms. Scozzafava, a decidedly moderate Republican, and Mr. Hoffman, who became a cause célèbre for national conservatives.

Representative Pete Sessions of Texas, chairman of the Republican campaign group, said New York’s “candidate selection process lacks openness and transparency, and should be changed to a primary system so voters can have a say in who their respective parties nominate.”

In the aftermath of the election, the House Republican leadership says it sees no reason to shake up the campaign committee as they head into an election season they see as promising.

“Staff over there did a good job given the hand they were dealt,” said Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the Republican leader. “What it does show is that New York has a flawed process.”

The loss in New York had a significant psychological impact. It prevented an off-year Republican triumph that would have sent Democrats into a tailspin after a summer of angry town-hall-style meetings and boiling “tea party” demonstrations.

Instead, Democrats saw the only two national seats up for grabs — the New York seat and a second House seat in the Bay Area of California — end up in their hands. Losses for governor in New Jersey and Virginia became causes for concern rather than full-blown panic.

The race also illustrated again that Democrats built a formidable House campaign organization during the 2006 and 2008 election cycles, one that was able to win tough special elections in Louisiana, Mississippi and the Illinois district of the former Republican House speaker.

While Republicans may have been victims of odd developments in upstate New York, the race was no accident. Democrats planned to make mischief in the district from the moment Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, approached John M. McHugh, who held the seat, about becoming Army secretary. Democrats smelled opportunity.

They put in place an extensive field operation that has become a hallmark of the House Democrats. Operatives say the party, which spent $1.1 million on the race, had workers knock on more than 101,000 district doors and make more than 108,000 phone calls. The White House dispatched Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to help in the campaign.

When Ms. Scozzafava dropped out of the race just days before the election, Democrats moved to secure her endorsement for their candidate. They then pressed for the endorsement of the Watertown newspaper, winning a crucial stamp of approval in a central part of the sprawling district. The twin endorsements provided momentum in the closing days of the campaign and allowed Democrats to pull out a victory.

“This was just good blocking and tackling, basic campaigning,” said Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “We got out our vote and also won the independent vote.”

Republicans say they hope to reclaim the House in 2010 with a sweep that would return the lost New York district to their column. But this month’s results show that political plans can quickly go awry and that House Democrats are not about to surrender any territory.