tuesday's elections, a referendum on obama?

[TrophyHusband 0]

i don't think so

virginia usually ecects a governor from the opposite party as the president, so for them to elect a republican says nothing.

new jersey is a blue state, but jon corzine isn't a very popular governor. this one is a coin flip, but if christie wins, it won't be by much and it will be a referendum on corzine more so than obama.

and then there's ny district 23. my wife was born and raised there and it is still her home of record. after doing several polls, the republican put forward dede scozzafava as the most popular candidate. doug hoffman was last in the polling. when hoffman failed to get the nomination, he ran as an independant. here is where the conservative faction of the republican party pisses me off. a lot of republicans at the national level put there noses and money where they didn't belong and threw there support to hoffman and attacked scozzafava. as a result, if scozzafava stays in the race, a democrat would win in that district for the first time since the civil war. she dropped out and then threw her support behind the democrat. that seems kind of weird since if she just stuck it out a few more days she could have given him the win. i think her backing of the dem is more of a "fuck you" to hoffman and the conservative republicans.

to rush limbaugh, sarah palin, tim pawlenty, sean hannity, and any others that jumped in there, i say "fuck you!" you guys should have stayed out of it. you've more than likely won this election, but i think hoffman stands a much higher chance of getting beat in the future by a democrat than scozzafava so your victory will be short lived.

as for today, this district will vote for a republican just as it has since the civil war, so you cannot claim that its a referendum on obama.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[rushmc 23]

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i don't think so

virginia usually ecects a governor from the opposite party as the president, so for them to elect a republican says nothing.

new jersey is a blue state, but jon corzine isn't a very popular governor. this one is a coin flip, but if christie wins, it won't be by much and it will be a referendum on corzine more so than obama.

and then there's ny district 23. my wife was born and raised there and it is still her home of record. after doing several polls, the republican put forward dede scozzafava as the most popular candidate. doug hoffman was last in the polling. when hoffman failed to get the nomination, he ran as an independant. here is where the conservative faction of the republican party pisses me off. a lot of republicans at the national level put there noses and money where they didn't belong and threw there support to hoffman and attacked scozzafava. as a result, if scozzafava stays in the race, a democrat would win in that district for the first time since the civil war. she dropped out and then threw her support behind the democrat. that seems kind of weird since if she just stuck it out a few more days she could have given him the win. i think her backing of the dem is more of a "fuck you" to hoffman and the conservative republicans.

to rush limbaugh, sarah palin, tim pawlenty, sean hannity, and any others that jumped in there, i say "fuck you!" you guys should have stayed out of it. you've more than likely won this election, but i think hoffman stands a much higher chance of getting beat in the future by a democrat than scozzafava so your victory will be short lived.

as for today, this district will vote for a republican just as it has since the civil war, so you cannot claim that its a referendum on obama.

Should Obama have stayed the fuck out of it?

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Report: W.H. Engineered NY-23 Endorsement

Monday, November 2, 2009 1:17 PM

By: David A. Patten

The Washington Post reports the Obama White House played a critical, behind-the-scenes role in persuading former GOP District 23 congressional candidate Dede Scozzafava to endorse Democrat Bill Owens over Conservative Doug Hoffman.

If true, the Post report reveals a striking example of the administration's penchant for tinkering in regional politics.

Scozzafava pulled out of the race Saturday after falling to a distant third place in the polls. Initially, national GOP leaders praised her decision as "selfless." They endorsed Hoffman, and apparently assumed Scozzafava would do the same.

On Sunday, however, Scozzafava instead endorsed the Democrat. White House officials and left-leaning pundits cited this as evidence of a schism in the GOP, which they say is becoming a narrow party of ideological conservatives.

Special: Get Sarah Palin’s New Book – Incredible FREE Offer -- Click Here Now.

New York Republicans have warned that Scozzafava's endorsement could throw the race to the Democrat.

According to a report buried in a Post profile of White House political director Patrick Gaspard published on Monday, the White House spent the weekend trying to lure Scozzafava's endorsement away from the GOP.

"Over the last few days," the Post profile reported, "Gaspard has also had a quiet hand in some of the good news to come Democrats' way.

"Steeped in New York politics, he played a pivotal role in the effort over the weekend to persuade Republican State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava to endorse the Democratic candidate in the special election in New York's 23rd Congressional District, two senior White House officials said Sunday."

The report continued: "One senior official added that Gaspard was the 'air traffic controller' of multiple parties as events in the district unfolded. Scozzafava, a rare Republican who supports same-sex marriage and abortion rights, endorsed Bill Owens rather than the Conservative Party candidate two days ahead of Election Day, a major victory for Democrats in arguably the most closely watched contest in the country."

It's not the first time Gaspard has served as the White House's point man in its effort to sway state-level contests. In September, Gaspard was dispatched to encourage N.Y. Gov. David Paterson, a Democrat, to give up his race for reelection in 2010.

The New York Times reported that President Obama personally approved the plan to ask Paterson to step aside, adding, "Some Democrats expressed anger at what they saw as heavy-handed tactics by the president's political team."

Paterson subsequently defied the White House and declared that he would stay in the race.

The Post reported Monday that Gaspard declined to be interviewed for its article, and "would not address" e-mail questions about his involvement in New York District 23.

The Post portrayed Gaspard's refusal to cooperate as examples of his humble demeanor, describing him as "the last person to boast about his efforts and the first to bestow credit to larger personalities."

Pollster Frank Luntz told Fox News on Monday that voters don't really care about political endorsements. He predicted that Hoffman would emerge the winner.

A Sienna Research Institute poll released Monday shows Hoffman ahead of Owens by 41 percent to 36 percent, with a very large numbers of undecided voters – 18 percent.

Sienna pollster Steven Greenberg says the many undecided voters make the District 23 outcome unpredictable. He adds that winning the congressional seat "will take a lot more than 41 percent."

A veteran of New York politics, Greenberg tells Newsmax, "This has been the most unconventional congressional race I've seen in New York in a very long time."

President Obama and Democrats have invested substantial amounts of both time and money in tomorrow's contests. Pundits say a series of Democratic loses could be a significant political setback for the president.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[Andy9o8 2]

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Special: Get Sarah Palin’s New Book – Incredible FREE Offer -- Click Here Now.

Hey!! i clicked on it, and nothing happened! WTF are you trying to pull??

[rehmwa 2]

Seems to me that voting on an individual or not voting for his opponent is a 'referendum' on those two people.

I don't believe Obama is running for any positions this Nov....

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Andy9o8 2]

On non-presidential election years, I don't think non-federal offices are much affected by presidential popularity. However, I do think Congressional and Senatorial elections, on any year, are influenced by presidential popularity.

On presidential election years, all candidates' fortunes, even state and local ones, generally tend to swirl with the prevailing vortex of the presidential election.

[TrophyHusband 0]

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On non-presidential election years, I don't think non-federal offices are much affected by presidential popularity. However, I do think Congressional and Senatorial elections, on any year, are influenced by presidential popularity.

On presidential election years, all candidates' fortunes, even state and local ones, generally tend to swirl with the prevailing vortex of the presidential election.

true, but i keep hearing from conservatives that it is a referendum on obama and i was hoping that some of the conservatives in here would speak up and either disagree with the idea or explain why they agree with it.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[kelpdiver 2]

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true, but i keep hearing from conservatives that it is a referendum on obama and i was hoping that some of the conservatives in here would speak up and either disagree with the idea or explain why they agree with it.

If the election sways their way, some will attempt to read the tea leaves and make a conclusion. I don't think there are enough races to make a meaningful conclusion, but spin is rarely about reasonable.

[Andy9o8 2]

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spin is rarely about reasonable.

[rehmwa 2]

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If the election sways their way, some will attempt to read the tea leaves and make a conclusion.

and if the election doesn't sway their way, some will attempt to read the tea leaves and make a conclusion.......

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Southern_Man 0]

Virginia's races are about Virginia issues. I don't think it has much to do w/ Obama at all.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[mnealtx 0]

Hoffman got the nod over Scozzafava because he is fiscally conservative. There *IS* a message being sent.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[TrophyHusband 0]

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Hoffman got the nod over Scozzafava because he is fiscally conservative. There *IS* a message being sent.

hoffman didn't get "the nod", scozzafava did. she is much more representative of the people of that area. michael steel tried to explain that to hannity and said that the republicans need to have a larger tent. the far more conservative power hitters in the republican party got involved when they shouldn't have. the message that is being sent is by the right side of the republican party and that message is to the moderate republicans and it is this, "we don't have room in our tent for the likes of you". this will cost them in the long run.

i also disagree that this is about fiscal conservatism. i believe that it has much much more to do with her stance on abortion and gay marriage, mostly abortion. i don't think this was as much about supporting hoffman as it was about defeating a pro-choice republican.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[Amazon 7]

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i also disagree that this is about fiscal conservatism. i believe that it has much much more to do with her stance on abortion and gay marriage, mostly abortion. i don't think this was as much about supporting hoffman as it was about defeating a pro-choice republican.

They are becoming more entrenched as the American Taliban.... Is there a Biblical version of Sharia Law we will need bow to if they come to power again??

[mnealtx 0]

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Hoffman got the nod over Scozzafava because he is fiscally conservative. There *IS* a message being sent.

hoffman didn't get "the nod", scozzafava did. she is much more representative of the people of that area. michael steel tried to explain that to hannity and said that the republicans need to have a larger tent. the far more conservative power hitters in the republican party got involved when they shouldn't have. the message that is being sent is by the right side of the republican party and that message is to the moderate republicans and it is this, "we don't have room in our tent for the likes of you". this will cost them in the long run.

i also disagree that this is about fiscal conservatism. i believe that it has much much more to do with her stance on abortion and gay marriage, mostly abortion. i don't think this was as much about supporting hoffman as it was about defeating a pro-choice republican.

After 8+ years of trying to 'out-Dem' the Dems, the Republican party NEEDS to move back toward fiscal conservatism. Trying to be the "Dem Lite" party isn't working so well.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[kallend 2,150]

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Hoffman got the nod over Scozzafava because he is fiscally conservative. There *IS* a message being sent.

hoffman didn't get "the nod", scozzafava did. she is much more representative of the people of that area. michael steel tried to explain that to hannity and said that the republicans need to have a larger tent. the far more conservative power hitters in the republican party got involved when they shouldn't have. the message that is being sent is by the right side of the republican party and that message is to the moderate republicans and it is this, "we don't have room in our tent for the likes of you". this will cost them in the long run.

Newt G. said the same thing.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Amazon 7]

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If the election sways their way, some will attempt to read the tea leaves and make a conclusion.

and if the election doesn't sway their way, some will attempt to read the tea leaves and make a conclusion.......

Uh there are no tea leaves available to read. They have all been ground into powder and stuffed into the teabags that are being worn in copious amounts on hats, belts, and around the necks by those in the Party of NO.

[billvon 3,120]

>I don't think it has much to do w/ Obama at all.

===========================
From MyDD:

* Per CNN, voters in Virginia did not see their state's gubernatorial race as an opportunity to voice opposition to Barack Obama. A 55 percent majority of voters said that the President was not a factor in their vote, and an additional 18 percent indicated their vote in Virginia was one of support in the President. Just 24 percent of voters indicated that their vote was one of opposition to President Obama. The numbers out of New Jersey are not terribly different, with 60 percent saying that Barack Obama played no role in their gubernatorial vote, 19 percent saying that their vote was one in support of the President, and 20 percent saying that their vote was in opposition to President Obama.

Concludes CNN, this is not a referendum on Barack Obama.

* Chuck Todd reports that Barack Obama's approval rating among Virginia voters stands at 51 percent (just under the 52.6 percent of the vote he received in the state last November) and 57 percent in New Jersey (almost exactly the same as the 57.1 percent of the vote he earned in that state last November). In other words, exit polling indicates President Obama has not really lost supporters over the past year.
================================

[TrophyHusband 0]

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After 8+ years of trying to 'out-Dem' the Dems, the Republican party NEEDS to move back toward fiscal conservatism. Trying to be the "Dem Lite" party isn't working so well.

backing candidates that represent the republican party as opposed to candidates that represent their districts isn't going to work so well either.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[TrophyHusband 0]

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Hoffman got the nod over Scozzafava because he is fiscally conservative. There *IS* a message being sent.

hoffman didn't get "the nod", scozzafava did. she is much more representative of the people of that area. michael steel tried to explain that to hannity and said that the republicans need to have a larger tent. the far more conservative power hitters in the republican party got involved when they shouldn't have. the message that is being sent is by the right side of the republican party and that message is to the moderate republicans and it is this, "we don't have room in our tent for the likes of you". this will cost them in the long run.

Newt G. said the same thing.

good. hopefully more republicans will speak out.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[TrophyHusband 0]

i have to admit that i am surprised by the outcomes.

I expected the new jersey race to be much tighter than it was.

I did not expect owens to win ny 23. a whole lot more people voted for scozzafava than i expected. i honestly thought hoffman would win with 51% or 52%. now the district is represented by a someone that 51% of the voters did not vote for. it will be interesting to see what happens next year.

i still believe that if the right side of the republican party had stayed out of it, the republican would have won, but instead nancy pelosi has one more democrat to work with. way to go guys, keep it up.

that said, i also believe that the right side of the party would rather a democrat get elected than have a pro-choice republican in their ranks.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[mnealtx 0]

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i still believe that if the right side of the republican party had stayed out of it, the republican would have won, but instead nancy pelosi has one more democrat to work with. way to go guys, keep it up.

The only Republican in that race was Hoffman. Scozzafava was endorsed by DKOS, FFS.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Andy9o8 2]

In addition to the 55% in VA who said Obama didn't influence their vote, I heard another exit poll on TV today that said the same figure applicable to NJ was 60%.

Moderates tend to vote for Republican governors even when they vote Democratic for President and Congress. They probably trust Republicans to be more capable administrators of nuts-and-bolts business, while they look to the Democrats in terms of philosophical vision and principles. Witness, for example, the fact that Connecticut previously voted in Lowell Weicker, and Massachusetts previously voted in Mitt Romney.

And then there's the NY 23rd, where the Republicans totally cannibalized themselves.

So is this year a referendum on Obama? For the most part, probably not.
Will next year's Congressional elections be a referendum on Obama? Probably so.

[TrophyHusband 0]

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The only Republican in that race was Hoffman. Scozzafava was endorsed by DKOS, FFS.

even so, scozzafava is more representative of the people of that area than hoffman. if the unofficial "leaders" of the republican party continue to say "we don't care who you guys want to represent you, we're going to back the person who best represents the republican party", they are going to piss a lot of people of.

as far as i'm concerned, the republican party can split in two. either the moderates can become libertatians or the far right can become conservatives.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[mnealtx 0]

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The only Republican in that race was Hoffman. Scozzafava was endorsed by DKOS, FFS.

even so, scozzafava is more representative of the people of that area than hoffman.

Really? Then why did she only get 6%? If the folks there loved her SO much, I would have expected more votes than that.

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if the unofficial "leaders" of the republican party continue to say "we don't care who you guys want to represent you, we're going to back the person who best represents the republican party", they are going to piss a lot of people of.

The local leaders of NY23 picked scozzafava and the RNC backed them (and her). Remind me again who she endorsed when she dropped out of the race? Sure wasn't the other Republican, now was it?

Don't worry, they'll get another chance to elect another RINO next year when the seat comes up again in normal elections.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[TrophyHusband 0]

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The only Republican in that race was Hoffman. Scozzafava was endorsed by DKOS, FFS.

even so, scozzafava is more representative of the people of that area than hoffman.

Really? Then why did she only get 6%? If the folks there loved her SO much, I would have expected more votes than that.

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if the unofficial "leaders" of the republican party continue to say "we don't care who you guys want to represent you, we're going to back the person who best represents the republican party", they are going to piss a lot of people of.

The local leaders of NY23 picked scozzafava and the RNC backed them (and her). Remind me again who she endorsed when she dropped out of the race? Sure wasn't the other Republican, now was it?

Don't worry, they'll get another chance to elect another RINO next year when the seat comes up again in normal elections.

she dropped out of the race and still got 6 %.

who do you think she's going to endorse? if i were her i certainly wouldn't have backed hoffman. if she really wanted ensure and owens victory, she would have stayed in the race. her endorsement was a statement.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com