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November 4, 2009

Democrats, Incumbents Get Wake Up Call

RICHMOND, Va. — Eager to drain the 2009 elections of drama and import, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs claimed Tuesday night that President Barack Obama was “not watching returns.”

You can be sure that he is studying them closely now: The off-year elections were, in two big races, anunmistakable rebuke of Democrats, reshuffling Obama’s political circumstances in ways likely to have severe near-term consequences for his policy agenda and larger governing strategy.

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.

Tuesday night’s trends were emphatically not in Obama’s favor. Among those paying closest attention are dozens of Democrats who won formerly Republican congressional districts in 2006 and 2008 and are up for reelection in 2010. Many of these pickups that powered the Democrats’ recapture of Congress came in Southern and border states, or in the Ohio River Valley, where political conditions are similar to those in Virginia.

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.

More here.

24 comments:

MRMacrum said...

How about the slap in the face of Conservatives everywhere when a long held Republican stronghold in NY fell to a Democrat. Even after all the heavy weights from the GOP backed a new horse over one of their own party and some of their main suck ups, Hannity, Thompson & Thompson spent so much time trying to get a dead CPA elected. I'd say the GOP should not be so cocky. The governor elections were more of politics as usual. The race in NY was anything but. The GOP came off looking damn silly in that one. This election is indicative of nothing. Call it Spring training for both sides.

TS/WS said...

Here Here.
Newt's talk with Sean was a poor excuse of -I didn't mean too!
Calmed he was snookered-shown a voting record of a middle Repub.
There is an old saying:
"The Dems will take Us straight to Hell. The Repubs take the scenic route!

Opus #6 said...

Macrum, I disagree that the governor's races were politics as usual. The elected Republicans spent much less in their races than their Democrat opponents. So money did not win this election for them. Highly unusual. Also, although there is usually a swing toward the party out of executive office in the off year elections, this was a HARD swing, and is worthy of notice, especially to those Dems presiding in red or purple districts. They had best take care of their voting records. The electorate is watching, with an itchy voting finger.

As for NY, that was an odd situation. It did my heart glad to see a 3rd party conservative give the Dems + Repubs a run for their money. Both Dems and Repubs together could barely beat this new guy. Strangely refreshing.

Opus #6 said...

TS/WS, THE SCENIC ROUTE! I love it!

Doom said...

Hopefully it is not only the Dems who take notice. Republicans need to choose or lose. And I think they now know we, the people, are willing to throw them to the wolves and risk loss to get real conservatives in. Might take a bit, but it will happen.

To an extent, I hope Dems ignore and keep their foot on the pedal. It will only help, if at a cost. They aren't mine, so in many ways I don't care about them.

Barking Spider said...

This bodes well for 2010, Opie. People are waking up to them!

Kid said...

Robert Gibbs claimed Tuesday night that President Barack Obama was “not watching returns.”

Could You Possibly get any more adolescent than that ? LOL

How can anyone claim to be a democrat and have any self-respect.

Opus #6 said...

Doom, your point is well taken. The Repubs had better sit up and take notice as well. However, I referred to the Blue-Dog-Type dems specifically because it is THEY who will stop the Obamacare madness. The Repubs can cry into their teacups for another year, but if the Dems refuse to meet with them in committee as they have, the Dems must wake up first and help the country avert disaster NOW.

I hope Obamacare will not pass. If will cause such an upheaval in medicine, with doctors quitting, retiring and changing location, that we will not be able to put Humpty Dumpty together again.

WomanHonorThyself said...

too bad NY is chock fulla libs though...argggggggggg!!! Cheers to NJ!

Opus #6 said...

Spidie, I think this is why I have been in such a good mood today. Took the kids out for ice cream for no reason. ;-)

Opus #6 said...

The Kid, hey, isn't it the same line they used on the morning of the 4/15/09 Tea Parties? "What Tea Parties?" "Obama don't know about no stinkin' Tea Parties!"

Opus #6 said...

WHT, ya, those libs drive me crazy!!!! ;-)

Kid said...

Opus. Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

Anonymous said...

Kid, that's an outstanding point. Obama and his people are an embarrassment on every level.

The Republican leadership needs to take note, as well, and get in step with the rank and file. It looks like they may be doing that. Just today, the NRSC announced it is no longer taking sides (for the moderates) in hotly-contested primaries in FL and CA.

Note that we had 20 point swings from presidential elections in NJ (+15 Obama to +5 Christie) and VA (+5 Obama to +17 McDonnell).

MRM, you are too old to still be smoking that stuff if you don't see what is and what is coming. The last time this happened (in '93), the Republican margins were less.

LL said...

The message is that independent voters decide major elections in America. And there are more and more independent voters as time goes forward. The political landscape is changing in a fundamental way.

Anonymous said...

It's hard for many to realize the potential backlash because a large group of folks still expect things to improve. It's difficult for independents to realize that the POTUS is, for purely political reasons, overseeing the destruction of this nation's economy.

I hope the backlash includes lynchings.

Unknown said...

The question is; where do we go from here? 2010 is coming up fast.

MRMacrum said...

DC- Any light at the end of the tunnel is better than none I guess. If the Republican party continues to draw a tighter rein on it's ideology, I don't see them doing as well as you hope they will. But like I said, this election was like watching pre-season football. 2010 will tell us more of what we might expect in 2012.

And while some on the Right might consider the near miss in NY "refreshing", it might just be a signal the GOP is in trouble. Backing a ringer outside thier ranks is one of the problems that has dogged Democrats for years. Can you say Ralph Nader? Be careful that your movement doesn't splinter into factions. The Republicans strength has always been solidarity. The RNC backing anyone with (C) after their name is sign there might be weakness in the heart of the party.

And now that they have officially decided to not take sides in Florida, another clue to the dysfunction at party central rears it's ugly head.

Opus #6 said...

Macrum, I agree with you that the Repubs, like dems, can't afford to split their votes. The NY outcome is a classic example. But Scuzzyfava's treacherous showing in defeat shows the Sophie's Choice we were presented with. A vote for the dem or repub would yield a vote for Reid/Pelosi. I hope next years elections give us a more "Republican" choice.

Opus #6 said...

DC, I bet that 20 poits swing turned some heads in Washington.

Opus #6 said...

LL, I need to adopt me some independents. I love those guys!

Opus #6 said...

Nickie, I will assume that is a political euphemism.

Opus #6 said...

Trestin, I am glad you asked. Where we go from here is straight to my MAINFO blog, to call the blue dog reps against Pelosicare. They might take a vote this Saturday. http://mainfo.blogspot.com/

SAM said...

One year after being elected president, Barack Obama is still whining and blaming everything on his predecessor. What a loser.
Feel sorry for him? no, me neither.

Well Mr. President, one year later, we Americans went back to the polls, providing you a sneak preview of the 2010 elections. Democratic candidates will continue to lose. And none of us are going to stop until we conservatives send you liberals packing.

One-term president? Oh yes...