You have to love the so-called liberal media:
A Republican Party left for dead by many in the wake of recent Democratic landslides sprang back to life Tuesday with wins in hotly contested races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey.
For twenty years, the party that controls the White House has lost the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey; that the pattern is holding steady this year really isn’t anything for Republicans — or the media — to crow about. Of course, Republicans are desperate so it’s not a surprise that they’re trying to spin these wins as “signs” that the GOP is rising from the asses. Er, ashes.
Then you have the following facts that should put a damper on the Republican Party’s victory dance (but won’t, because the media is pro-GOP and the GOP isn't reality-based):
-- Senior citizens always vote in greater numbers on off-year elections than the general populace; turn-out this election — particularly among the young voters who helped Obama win in 2008 — was low (meaning seniors had more influence this year than last year and therefore rendered county baselines moot).
-- New Jersey governor John Corzine was blamed for problems actually caused by the Bush Recession — problems he couldn’t do much to solve, let alone solve within his impatient electorate’s time-frame. His loss is not a repudiation of Obama but a temper tantrum by low-information voters — voters who will also have unrealistic expectations of Chris Christie. Christie — being a Republican — will wreck the joint. If Jersey thought it had it bad now, it ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
-- Bill Owens won NY-23 — beating a right-wing extremist and becoming the first non-right-wing candidate to win the district since 1871. Great job, Michael Steele; you couldn’t even hold a district that has voted for YOUR party for 138 years.
-- Another plus: Owens’ win has damaged Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin, the two most-influential Republicans to endorse Owens’ opponent Doug Hoffman.
-- Despite the GOP’s smear and fear politics, Democrat Tony Merino was re-elected to a record fifth term as Boston’s mayor; Democrat Luke Ravenstahl was re-elected Pittsburgh’s mayor; Democrat Dave Bing was re-elected as Detroit’s mayor; Democrat Anthony Foxx became the first Democrat elected as the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina in three decades. The Democratic Party’s strong performance in these contests more than make up for the GOP’s historically-expected wins in Virginia and New Jersey.
-- The defeat of Maine’s Question 1 (a defeat that repeals Maine's legalization of gay marriage) is in keeping with an unfortunate (but foreseen) nationwide pattern. Again, this isn’t much of a win for the GOP.To sum up: The GOP’s wins are so outstripped by the quantity and quality of their losses, this off-year election is a huge victory for the Democratic Party. And I say this as a member of the Green Party, so it’s not like I’m heavily-biased in the Dems’ favor.
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Boanerges1
LeftOfCenter44
TheObsoleteMan
PIGFOOT
overworkedtiredandnumb
fingerlakeswanderer
Salon.com
Comments
I don't doubt the Christian Right's need for blood and gore. It happens periodically. They are so mentally ill and unstable that they vaccillate in their bloodlust.
Too bad about Maine. Again, progressives don't vote as reliably as right wingers in off-year elections. Shame on us for not doing so.
What NY-23 tells me is that the right wing extremists are in firm control of the Republican Party and that more traditional Republicans won't support someone as extreme as Palin. When the Republicans lose a seat where the last non-Republican was a Whig for goodness sake, I don't see how the media can paint this as a great GOP triumph.
You wouldn't have a clue would you? Come back to the nation and work for it, or are you afraid of taxes? Don't bother with that I pay my taxes tripe either or I'll put the link back up on tax rules and exclusions for U.S. citizens living abroad. Why don't you just become a citizen there in Brazil and leave the U.S. alone?
The most productive thing you could do with your life would be to end it. Please do so immediately so those of us who are human beings will be spared the tedium of your idiocy.
Thanks! :)