Comments on: Last Night’s Results: Lesson Lost

By: DLS

DLS — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:10:52 +0000

“This was too small an election to extrapolate a greater trend.”

In more ways than one. Yes, the Upstate district was too small to indicate anything (it was odd, in fact). But more importantly, the hard-core Dem voters are apparently as fractured and “stalled” now as the Dems are in Washington. Their turnout was poor this week. That can't be expected a year from now.

By: DLS

DLS — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:09:07 +0000

What has been happening is primarily left-wing hype about the New York race, as some kind of “referendum on Palin and Limbaugh,” which is nonsense. (That a GOP Lite-interchangeable-with-Dem still got many votes indicates a protest, and an outsider protest is almost the certain explanation here, that it was by outsiders, not their politics. New York has had a Conservative Party because many in the GOP there are “Rockefeller Republicans,” which are in fact interchangeable with Democrats; the term is a pejorative.)

Elsewhere, the noteworthy races, won by the GOP, were dismissed dishonestly by lefties as insignificant or “about local results, only” even though all the elections involved nation-wide issue questions (#1, the economy and jobs; #2, health care) and an expression of dissatisfaction with how the Dems are currently behaving.

By: adelinesdad

adelinesdad — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:45:43 +0000

Ah yes:

Two solid governor race victories in battle-ground states? Insignificant because they don't vote in congress.

One Democratic victory in an upstate New York house district after a freak series of events unique to that district? A stunning message sent to the GOP.

Right.

By: kathykattenburg

kathykattenburg — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:09:17 +0000

Pete, I think this is very well put. I think it's particularly stunning that Bill Owens won the congressional seat in New York, given as you say the fact it's a traditionally Republican seat and also given the money, and (I will say though you don't!) the hateful and extremist rhetoric from the GOP on this race.

I hope Dede Scozzafava can take some satisfaction from this result, given how badly she was treated.

By: GeorgeSorwell

GeorgeSorwell — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:53:20 +0000

The NY district would have stayed Republican if not for the interference of national organizations.

By: Jules Crittenden » O No!

Jules Crittenden » O No! — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:57:31 +0000

[...] to find someone who can explain how O losing the two big races was a win. Meanwhile, here’s Moderate Voice: Governors don’t matter. It’s all about Congress and he won there … yeah, like he [...]

By: dduck12

dduck12 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:50:28 +0000

I agree with the general thrust of your congratulations. My fear is that the GOP will give this too much credit. This was too small an election to extrapolate a greater trend. As you pointed out, they ran good campaigns, and they need to keep up a balanced attack with less ultra-right rhetoric. Maybe even try harder to work with the Dems.

By: DaGoat

DaGoat — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:40:49 +0000

I think Democrats should be worried, because the GOP made some gains despite their being completely inept and undeserving, at least at the national level.

By: TheMagicalSkyFather

TheMagicalSkyFather — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:34:08 +0000

First I would like to congratulate the GOP and its moderate members since last night was a HUGE win in my opinion. Yes Corzine was very unpopular and yes Virginia polls were saying that the voters wanted a change but I think it is very good news that the GOP is again considered a valid option when they run to fit their areas values. In moderate areas or big elections run as a moderate and in extreme areas you can run extreme I mean. The main reason I think it was such a big win is of course NY23 which I think can now put the more extreme elements of the party in the proper context and in the end I think this will hurt the Dems in 2010 since the GOP is much more likely to run moderates in moderate areas. I really doubt that Dems will primary anyone in 2010 and if the Netroots try i think they will fail short of someone torpedoing health care reform which I think everyone knows would get them primaried and possibly successfully. Either way congrats GOP you ran good campaigns and you are no longer in the leper colony, and thank you for pulling us back from what I fear was the brink of one party rule for any extended time. They may not take back congress in 2010 but it should at least be a pretty even split by 2012.

By: Janjanjan

Janjanjan — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:14:54 +0000

Not as widely loved, but much of the not-love comes from the left which is dissatisfied with the speed with which he is achieving change. It's hard to see that segment of the population voting Republican next year. It seems more likely there will be more radical left wingers challenging the moderate Democrats. And if that means that we have a legislature filled with radicals on both sides of the aisle, we will simply move further from the center. The question is how we moderates can capture our frustration and use it to ensure centrists capture more seats on both sides.