“Governments don’t control things. A government can’t control the economy without controlling people.” — Ronald Reagan
Today is the day when New York, New Jersey and Virginia can give a tip of the hat to President Ronald Reagan and the vital importance of fiscal conservatism and small, unobtrusive government. Now go out there you guys and win three for the Gipper, that’s all we ask 🙂
As news and related commentary warrant, links will be listed here and feel free to use this as today’s Open Thread on all issues.
UPDATE: 10pm ET. One down two to go. Republican McDonnell takes Va. governorship
UPDATE 6:45p ET: 73Wire is Liveblogging Tonight’s Election Results
UPDATE 6:10p ET: Election 2009 Exit Polls: From Obama to the Economy
Mainers vote on taxes, medical marijuana, schools
Republicans Are Poised for Gains in Key Elections
Intrade Online Bettors Back Christie Over Corzine in New Jersey
Politico: Five things to watch in New Jersey
The Long, dark tea Time of the GOP’s Soul
To Big Media, conservatism comes in only one flavor, social conservatism, namely anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage and a smattering of other issues that would fall flat over canapés and seltzer (liberals don’t seem to drink anymore). That Dede was pro-choice and pro-gay marriage fits the narrative perfectly for the media. End of story.
But, the media, and political leaders would be wise to dig a bit deeper into the story. Yes, Dede was pro-choice and pro-gay marriage, but she was also pro-government spending, pro-taxes and pro-Big Labor, to name just a few other issues. When a Republican candidate regularly seeks out the endorsement of ACORN and wins the endorsement of DailyKos, it isn’t much of a stretch to imagine that large segments of the party might have some misgivings about supporting the candidate. (And they would be right, since she has now endorsed the Democrat in the race.)
Virginia Holds Gubernatorial Election
The First Draft: off-year election day could spell trouble for Obama
Stephen Kruiser: Election Day 2009-What Does It All Mean?
Have we forgotten about CA-10?
http://www.redstate.com/moe_lane/2009/11/02/ca-10-the-last-of-the-four/
I think Conservatives will win in New York and Virginia, and a Republican will win in New Jersey.
And I also believe the Lame Stream Media will say that it doesn’t mean anything. That Americans still love Duh One and back his unholy agenda.
I did my civic duty two hours ago here in Virginia. Voted the straight GOP ticket except in the case of my Democratic representative to the House of Delegates who was running unopposed. I wrote in Keith Richards instead of voting for him. Bob McDonnell should win the gubernatorial race and hopefully the Republicans can pick up Lt. Governor and Attorney General as well. The race that really concerns me is New Jersey. If things were honest up there in the Garden State, Jon Corzine would be history but since the Garden State is a combination of Chicago-style machine politics in the northern part and Dukes of Hazzard-style county bossism in its southern part I worry. Plus there are reports that ACORN is already flooding the state with absentee ballots. The liberals could end up stealing another one.
Turnout at the Lake Monticello poll in VA seems low by accounts from a TAM that went early this morning, one that went mid morning, and I who went early afternoon. I hope the numbers that indicate that McDonnell has a double digit lead does not cause Conservatives to get too comfortable and not vote. We want BIG numbers in this win to show Washington we have had enough. It’s early yet – hopefully this will change before the polls close at 7:00 pm.
FOUR for the Gipper!
http://bit.ly/4E2Fpd
Imagine if the $900,000 wasted on Scozzafava was directed toward Harmer instead. Maybe could have represented the margin of victory.
Garamendi was supposed to walk away with this so even if this is close, this would be huge.
“Conventional wisdom holds that Garamendi is a shoo-in to win on Tuesday. In the Sept. 1 primary, Democrats drew 63 percent of the vote, and they enjoy an 18 percent registration edge over Republicans. Garamendi garnered more votes – 27,580 – than Harmer’s 22,582.”
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/10/28/ED8V1ABB0K.DTL
I’m curious about your thoughts on the Nancy Pelosi cover piece in “New York” magazine this week. While not a flattering piece per se, I thought it tried to give her an intrigue that she frankly doesn’t possess.
Enjoyed your show today Tammy. As always, you are a breath of fresh air. Thanks so much for all you do! Loved the Reagan audio clips today too.
Let’s hope we can pull this one off for President Reagan! I’m not in one of those three states…but, I did my duty today here in PA as well and went to the polls!
Doesn’t it speak VOLUMES that it was a national holiday when Reagan’s funeral was on TV? Anyway, I am proud of what my conservative brothers and sisters have accomplished today. Why wasn’t Newt out anywhere talking about it? Perhaps he didn’t want to answer any tough questions, eh? Sarah Palin is our spokesperson and she has a true barometer of the direction we should go. The people who despise her actually are fearful of her deep, calm, true goodness. She is completely without guile. Thank you, God, for the conservatives.
Even if the Republicans were to sweep with 90% of the vote, I think Obama and the current Dem leadership will still pull out every stop to get the framework for single-payer socialized medicine in place. (Obviously not single-payer at this point, but the public option will grow over time.) Obama has shown that he is 100% driven by agenda, and damn the consequences. He wants this power of life and death over Americans more than anything, and he’s not going to let his chance slip away. (This is in contrast to a less dogmatic and more pragmatic man like Bill Clinton. It’s odd how I’m liking Clinton more in retrospect.)
If we’re saved, it won’t be because Obama/Pelosi/Reid have seen the error of their ways, but because they simply were unable to beat Congress into submission. But they’re not done yet. Remember that the leadership can make life hell for those who don’t play ball. You may lose anything from your committee status to your key to the executive washroom.
It might be significant if the House were to select a new speaker who was somewhat more distanced from the White House. It would be significant if Hillary were to leave the Secretary post. Such events would indicate that Obama’s personal power was past its peak. His popularity has obviously declined, but that decline hasn’t yet translated into loss of political potency. That’s why the monstrous health care bill is still looming over us.
Tammy
Thanks so much for playing the Reagan speech from way back when in “64” I was all of 5 years old and don’t really recall much of that election, however, my dad filmed me at the S.F. Airport when JFK landed at SFO, again I don’t recall it, however, I was there. Not ashamed to say that a few tears came to my eye’s hearing that call to action, mandate…whatever. Where have all the leaders Gone????
David Horowitz’s blog post is interesting. Obama got elected by being all things to all people. The left thought he was theirs; the center thought he wouldn’t stray too far from center. His short history and lack of a solid record worked in his favor, combined with media adoration. Of course, the expectations could never be met, since they conflicted with each other. Reality would eventually torpedo the facade, and we’d discover the real Obama. Most of us aren’t surprised to see him exposed as far left. But now it’s too late. Too bad there’s no “truth in advertising” law in elections.
Did conservatives overplay their hand in NY-23? Scozzafava was at least as bad as any Democrat and conservatives were right to object to her. However, I think it might have been a mistake to make the district a symbol of the conservative comeback. The district is traditionally Republican, but not necessarily conservative. Personally, I think I heard Hoffman say about three words and I’m not sure most of us knew very much about him. It really wasn’t about the man himself, it was the symbolism we projected on to him.
I’m interested in hearing the post mortem on NY-23. If Hoffman was shanghaied as a flag bearer, the flag might have accidentally fallen on his head knocking him out. I’m not saying Hoffman lost because he became associated with conservatism and conservatism itself did him in. He was running as a Conservative from the get go and doing well. It’s that the conservative movement looked to use NY-23 in a self-serving manner and that could have been a turn off for the locals. The good old American mind your own business attitude.
Of course, the Rs should have done a better job in picking a candidate in the first place. I hope that’s the lesson they learned. Conservatives have something to learn from this too. A movement can’t try to take over an election on overtly ideological terms. Ideology ultimately comes down to practical matters but election campaigns are not purist debates over how philosophy applies to everyday living. They are about solutions to local concerns generally within an ideological framework.
I’m not advocating that we be deceptive as the Left is about their ideological motives. One of the jobs we have is to reveal Obama and the Democrat hierarchy for the socialist ideologues they are. I’m saying we have to understand that the country is conservative in their gut but wary of ideologues. Our strength will come from presenting ourselves primarily as solvers of practical problems, not soldiers in an ideological battle.
Maynard and Pat – first light – after a heady election day’s end – went looking for some level-headed perspective about it all ~ found it here. DING! ready for another round.
i don’t think it’s of small importance that a third party candidate in an election for a federal congressional seat completely beat out the hand pick republican( really a democrat) and nearly beat the democrat. third party candidates are traditionally spoilers for one side or the other- rarely victorious. he nearly won. he did quite well at least vocalizing/running on conservative principles- that’s significant.
the base of any change is in ideology- we have to show and articulate that it is conservative principles that work, are the most democratic and keep us free and safe and that what is going on in washington today is destructive and the antithesis of a free republic. we have to show that even if we lose but especially if we win we will not betray these principles and sacrifice them as scozzafava and the republicans have for personal power, position or even to enact retribution. republicans or the label republican will not save us – reliance on the constitution, true separation of powers and the rule of law will. what this contest in particular has shown is how far politicians of all ilks have strayed from the founding principles of our chosen form of government.
and who do we think was blowing big sloppy wet kisses to dedekins to turncoat? obamaettes had to have been shoveling the Scoobie snacks at her to be a complete sleaze ball- every republican contributor should demand their money back from that which funded her campaign.( hello, what up ,spin master mickey s-call her out please.) she was a terrible candidate even if she had run as what she really is- a liberal democrat. she had Acorn ties, planned parenthood loves her and she has a union boss husband. what this election shows is how f’d up the GOP is. the Democrats in complete control have evinced nothing but contempt for the People- via nazi pelosi and the like they’ve made it clear that they are not going to listen to us. republicans may have been feeling lately we viewed them as our only hope but it needs to be spelled out that we are not going to take this sort of s*&@ from them either. maybe this race said as much to republicans as anyone about ideology and principles- scozzafava was losing before outsiders started throwing their weight around the district. if there was no hoffman, does anyone think the result would have been any different? if scozzafava had won there would still be a liberal in that congressional seat and maybe the republicans would never wake up, smell the RINO rot and rediscover some winning conservative principles to run on and rule by.
If NY23 was considered ground zero for a Conservative comeback – that would be due to in large meaasure if not in all respects, to the media. I don’t think Conservatives considered it to be the true test; just a petrie dish. I mean it’s possible it was a test indeed for the voters in NY23; but not for me. I imagine the voters in NY23 heard him say more than three words.
I hope the support shown to Hoffman by nationally respected Conservatives for 3 weeks, created an atmosphere for the skeert Conservative NY23 voter to actually pull the lever for him. The fact these local elections are now becoming national stories and and the stories are causing the needle to move is a good thing.
The guy was a regular dude. He had no means financial or otherwise to fight the DNC and Rino machine. They all just expected him to give up. Once Fred Thompson turned on the light things began to change. People like me who don’t even live in the state recognized we could help make a difference in a state where we don’t even live because we now know every one of those damn seats in the Halls of Congress MATTER! (I’ll be personally reminding them of that tomorrow!!)
So, Hoffman didn’t win that race, but I think Conservatives gained – at least in the insight area. Congrats new NY23 Dem Congressman – I wouldn’t decorate your office just yet………..
i believe i saw an interesting spin on hot air. the newly elected ny-23 rep has to vote on deathcare now and be up for reelection in, 2010? (unsure of that date.) in any event, perhaps the people can vote in a conservative after hanging him on his deathcare vote as being fiscally irresponsible. and hoping beyond hope that the RNC will see the errors of their ways and start supporting conservatives instead of rinos.
rick
Although I’m happy about the victories in NJ and VA, I’m totally disappointed that Doug Hoffman didn’t win. Last night on Fox News he still said he was “cautiously optimistic” that he would win. What were those folks thinking who voted for Dede S. even after she supported the democrat? Why waste a vote? You haven’t gone democrat since the Civil War, and a good conservative candidate was defeated because of the wasted votes for Scozafava, which put the democrat over the top. You all who voted for her, and not the true conservative (Republican) have given Obama an extra yes vote on deathcare. Shame on you! By not being a career politician, Hoffman would have watched out for all of you, even the liberal dems in your district. I know the RNC was very much responsible for this debacle, but seriously, that shouldn’t matter, you folks should have voted for Hoffman. Period.
My only hope is that he will run again next year and will have the backing of the RNC. By the way, because of this lousy outcome, I pray the Phillies come back and beat those Yankees tonight and tomorrow night. At least that would make me feel a little bit better. Revenge?!! Go Phillies!!