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On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:07:54 +0100, "Do You Hear Us Now Obama?" <...@obamacites.com
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/03/gop-gains-hurt-obama-
capital-agenda/
WASHINGTON -- Republican wins in the top three spots in
Virginia's state government marked a troubling turn for
President Obama, whose 2008 victory in the state marked an
historic breakthrough for Democrats who hadn't won Virginia's
electoral votes since 1964.
And even with a Democratic win in New Jersey, which was too
close to call shortly after polls closed Tuesday evening, the
fight in the Garden State was more grueling than usually
accompanies Democratic campaigns in the reliably blue state.
The setbacks demonstrate the difficulty of presidential
leadership following an historic campaign built on promises of
unity followed by divisive policies and a relentless campaign
approach toward big legislative issues like the stimulus and
health care bills.
"What this is tonight, this victory here tonight, is a warning
shot, and it says to the moderate Democrats in the House that
they ought to think twice about continuing to pursue the
policies of this White House and (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi,"
said Virginia Republican Rep. Eric Cantor.
In Virginia, Republican Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell roundly
defeated Democrat R. Creigh Deeds while GOP Lt. Gov. Bill
Bolling won a second term and Republican Ken Cuccinelli was
elected attorney general. It was the first time the GOP took the
top three spots since 1997.
"We have really had a run of wins and we got used to winning and
that makes it tough," said Virginia Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine.
"We have to give credit where credit is do they ran a great
campaign."
"You guys are making this tougher than this has to be," a
resigned Deeds told the still chanting audience at his "victory
party."
In New Jersey, early polling showed incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine
trailing Republican Chris Christie. Independent Chris Daggett
was also attracting some of the vote.
And in New York's 23rd Congressional District, an unexpected
turn of events put Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in
direct competition with Democrat Bill Owens for the seat held by
former Republican congressman and current Obama Army Secretary
John McHugh.
As if hoping to avoid the outcome, the White House issued a
statement after the GOP win in Virginia saying the president is
not watching election returns and will not be making any remarks
on the results.
Nonetheless, the outcomes were sure to feed discussion about the
state of the electorate, the status of the diverse coalition
that sent Obama to the White House and the limits of the
president's influence -- on the party's base of support and on
moderate current lawmakers he needs to advance his legislative
priorities.
"I think what this night does is it completely explodes the
mythology of the meaning of the 2008 election," said syndicated
columnist and Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer.
"You will remember after the 2008 election people talked ...
about a new era, about the Republicans becoming a rump party of
the south, even losing parts of the south, how this was the
death of conservatism. ... Here we are a year later and we can
see how ephemeral and one-shot 2008 was," he added.
The president had personally campaigned for Deeds and Corzine,
raising the stakes in low-energy off-year elections. Thus, even
one Democratic loss was a blot on Obama's political standing to
a certain degree and signaled potential problems ahead as he
seeks to achieve his policy goals, protect Democratic majorities
in Congress and expand his party's grip on governors' seats next
fall.
Still, Tuesday's impact on Obama's standing and on the 2010
elections can be overstated easily.
Only two of the 50 U.S. states were holding gubernatorial
elections. Voters often were focused on local issues and local
personalities. Indeed, most people in Virginia and New Jersey
said they were not casting ballots because of their feelings
about Obama.
Yet national issues, such as the economic recession, clearly
were a factor, with voter attitudes shaped to some degree by how
people felt about the state of their nation.
It also was difficult to separate Obama from the outcomes after
he devoted much time working to persuade voters to elect Deeds
and re-elect Corzine. Obama campaigned in person for both and
was featured in their advertisements. He characterized the two
as necessary allies in the White House's effort to advance his
plans.
He also deployed his political campaign arm, Organizing for
America, to try to ensure the swarms of party loyalists and new
voters he attracted in 2008 would turn out.
But according to exit polls, among voters who made up their
minds in the last few days, a majority of them broke for
Corzine. That suggests Obama's aggressive campaigning paid off
in the state.
Exit polls showed that nearly a third of voters in Virginia
Tuesday described themselves as independents, and they preferred
the Republican to the Democrat by almost a 2-1 margin.
The outcome showed that "the Obama movement, the coalition isn't
transferable," said Democratic strategist Kirsten Powers, a Fox
News contributor. "There was a decline in minority voters, a
decline in young voters. You weren't seeing these people who
turned out in huge force for Obama turning out for other
Democrats. And so they're now going to have to step back and
say, 'Wait a minute, I'm going to have to take care of myself."
But the Democratic loss in Virginia -- and possible losses
elsewhere -- could also be a blot on Obama's political standing
to some degree.
Obama needs all the lawmakers he can get to pass his legislative
priorities of health care and climate change. Defeats Tuesday
could make it harder for him to persuade moderate Democrats from
conservative areas to get on board. They have been hearing from
voters worried about his expansion of government at a time of
rising deficits.
As if on cue, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid indicated
Tuesday that Congress may not complete health care legislation
this year, missing Obama's deadline on his signature issue and
pushing debate into a congressional election year.
The vote is "more about the policies of the president more than
the personalities," said Washington Times columnist Tony
Blankely. "The public is getting really scared of his policies
and I think that's what we're seeing in all of these elections.
.. Obama has moved the policy so far to the left that now
you're seeing this big movement back and I think we're only
seeing the beginning of it."
Defeats could also point to future problems for Democrats,
particularly in moderate districts and in swing states like
Ohio, Colorado and Nevada. In 2010, most governors, a third of
the Senate and all members of the House of Representatives will
be on ballots.
Still, Democrats suggest the Tuesday night wins are anything but
helpful to the Republican Party.
"They're in a civil war over the definition of their party,"
said Paul Blank, a Democratic consultant. "And the extremists
have won."
Thank a corrupt Congress and the Pedophile Protection Act tacked
on to a defense spending bill. You're done Obama.
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