Democrats take House. My analysis: Awesome. Good work Nancy Pelosi, Rahm Emmannuel, and many fine candidates across the land.
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Smells Like . . . Victory!
07 Nov 2006 11:08 pm
Comments (17)
And good work Howard Dean.
YEARGHHH! When he said we're going to all 50 states and then the White House, he meant 2 years later, subpoena's in hand...
I think 2004 scarred me. Maryland is freaking me out, man.
It's not clear that these victories vindicate Dean's "50-state" strategy, but they do absolve him of any blame for scattering money around, and they make it more likely that Dems can consolidate gains in the future. Big ups, Mr. Dean!
My state of New Hampshire tossed out both of their incumbent Republican representatives tonight (we only have two congressional districts). The first win would have been unthinkable just a few months ago: Paul Hodes beat incumbent Republican Charlie Bass in the 2nd district. But Hodes had built up a lead in that race in recent weeks and by tonight the win was more or less expected. The second is an absolute miracle: Carole Shea-Porter knocked out incumbent Republican Jeb Bradley in the 1st district. Shea-Porter was a newcomer who was outspent 10 to 1 in the Democratic primary, but won running on a strong anti-Iraq war platform. She was given no shot at all in the general election, and received no discernable support from the national party which judged her district to be a Republican sure thing, even in this year of Democratic resurgence. As of last Friday following a debate, polls showed the race was "tightening" a bit but that Bradley still had a comfortable lead.
The two wins were part of a spectacular, historic showing for Dems across the state. The dems have grabbed at least six state senate seats to turn a 16-8 Republican majority into at least a 14-10 Democratic majority. State house seats are also swinging by the dozens. In addition to the national issues that played a role, credit must go to the huge, long coattails of our extraordinarily popular Democratic governor John Lynch.
Yes, Dean too. Also, fuck Charlie Bass. When I was volunteering in NH in 2002, his supporters unleashed dogs on me.
This is a big first for me. . . for the first time since I've really been following politics (99ish), anybody I've supported has won. It feels . . . weird.
In the morning, it becomes time to start leaning on our newly-minted representatives to dance with them that brung 'em.
The only thing better than being right is having the Democrats win.
We've got a 468-vote squeaker in NC-08. This is the district with the outsider (mill worker, school teacher) Dem running against a guy who was very handy to the DeLay machine. This may be one that the lawyers help resolve.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
I sleep well tonight. See my smile as I snore:
:-)
Several other thoughts:
#1) Re: Ford - shame on Tennessee (I gave them more than the benefit of the doubt, and they have just proved almost every bad thought I have about the south to be more rather than less true)
#2) hooray for Webb (it makes one hopeful that weirdos as opposed to just freaks can win national office)
#3) Rhode Island makes sense after all
I am a proud san francisco liberal democrat. I also gave $50 to the webb campaign.
Perhaps this will be the election that finally destroys Bill Hillsman's inexplicable reputation as a good ad maker.
Hillsman clients in italics.
CT Senate
Lieberman 50%
Lamont 40%
Schlesinger 10%
MA Governor
Patrick 56%
Healy 35%
Mihos 7%
TX Governor
Perry 39%
Bell 30%
Strayhorn 18%
Friedman 12%
CA Prop. 89
No 75%
Yes 25%
Congrats dems. Now you can finally get to the truly important business of reforming the constitution to do away with the Senate and switch to a parliamentary system.
Shame on Tennessee? Maybe so; but I suspect Junior's last name cost him at least as many votes as went into Corker's margin of victory. Despite early pledges to stay away from that particular issue, Corker (very effectively, I think) worked to link Harold Ford, Jr. to his worrisomely corrupt family. The other fairly damning charge, I think, from Corker was the "He's from D.C., not Tennessee" line; I'm not sure it is, or ought to be, a relevant question, but it's hard to argue. Also, essentially inheriting a congressional seat from dear ol' dad at the ripe old age of 26, straight out of law school, doesn't help you any.
I'm also not sure any of the charges that Ford threw at Corker really stuck (implications of shady tax practices [probably untrue], use of illegal immigrant labor in his construction business [probably true - this is the one I'm surprised didn't get more traction], claims that he'll be a Bush rubber stamp [also probably true, but not especially effective against a newcomer]). In some sense, this is, if true, good news for Ford - he got 48% of the vote despite an only marginally effective 'negative' campaign.
In any case, I wouldn't expect this to be the last we hear from Harold Ford, Jr. Some time away from D.C. would do him good, and I suspect the populist strain in the Democratic party is only beginning its ascendancy.
Also - just what, precisely, were these bad thoughts about the South which the results of the Tennessee Senate race confirmed?
Re Ford, it was actually closer than I thought it would end up, so I'm not throwing TN totally under the bus. Also, his concession speech was phenomenal. He's got some serious, serious game, is only 36, and Lamar Alexander might have his work cut out in 2 years. [/Tweety]
Of course, I agree with Matthews across the board on that one, so there...
Comments closed November 21, 2006.
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Heads in the Sand
And good work Howard Dean.
Posted by MNPundit | November 7, 2006 11:16 PM