First elections since the dems took it all.

[Ollie]

There are 2 govenors races that will be decided tomorrow.
One is a lock for the republicans.
Another is 50/50 with an independant getting 8% of the vote.

The interesting race is the one in NY.
It's a congressional race. There were 3 condidates.
One dem, one republican and one conservative independant.
The republican dropped out because her numbers plummeted. The independant surged in support. Now comes the fun part.
The republican threw her support behind the democrat.
We have been saying all along that there isn't much difference between the dems and republicans and this just proves it.
When given an actual choice between a liberal and a conservative, people are flocking to the conservative. It will be interesting to see who wins.

It is possible for the republicans to take all 3 races. A lot of repubican big wigs had thrown their support behind the Independant prior to the republican dropping out and his candacy is looked at as a true republican race.
This is the one that scares the dems.

 

[Wolfrun]

Pretty evident that was the problem between McCain and Palin. He wanted to take the party left and she wanted to take it right. If it doesn't turn to the right they can kiss it good bye but I think the people are going to show them how they feel. Neither party is willing to listen right now.

 

[blue fluff]

Wasn't Sco-Fava bean appointed instead of elected? I think I heard that on Fox. I had been wondering how on earth she could end up in the GOP. She's worse than Snowe.

 

[Ollie]

oh the local GOP wanted someone a "little more moderate".
They got someone who was so far left her own party members left in droves.
She only had 8% of the probable vote. that is why she dropped out.
The fact she threw her support behind the democrat just re-inforces the conservative belief that the GOP is lost.

 

[Gainster]

Maybe this will open some eyes in the big city

Stimulus money spent in Michigan doesn't deliver nearly enough bang for the buck
The Detroit News
The Obama administration is attempting to spin the tepid job creation sparked by the $787 billion federal stimulus program into an economic success. But the numbers don't add up to a good return for taxpayers. In fact, the numbers don't add up at all.

The administration will report this week that roughly 650,000 jobs have been created or saved on spending of $160 billion. The White House claims that may be a low-ball estimate and that real job impact may top 1 million.

But it may be far lower. The Associated Press checked the administration's initial jobs claims and found numerous exaggerations, duplicate counts and outright misstatements.

Even using the administration's more generous projection, it's still $160,000 spent for every job created or saved. In Michigan, the job-to-spending ratio is more skewed. The White House Web site, recovery.org, reports that Michigan has received $5.2 billion and has created or saved 22,500 jobs.

That's $231,000 for every job.

Half of the jobs affected have been in education, according to a report issued Monday by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. He says 325,000 teaching jobs have been saved.

Duncan should have waited a few weeks before adding Michigan to the tally. Cuts to the state education budget late last month have not yet shown up in pink slips for teachers, but that's coming unless the money is restored.

The inefficiency of government stimulus spending ought to inform policymakers on how the remaining funds should be used.

President Barack Obama is spending a great deal of taxpayer money to generate or protect 3.5 million jobs -- what the president promised when lobbying for the stimulus package. Now it appears the White House is working overtime to spin a disappointing initial jobs reports in the most positive direction.

Policy should be based on real numbers, not propaganda. Obama owes taxpayers an accurate accounting of the effectiveness of stimulus spending before additional dollars are spent.

 

[Wolfrun]

Should be an interesting day, well i am headed out fishing.

 

[shortstop20]

oh the local GOP wanted someone a "little more moderate".
They got someone who was so far left her own party members left in droves.
She only had 8% of the probable vote. that is why she dropped out.
The fact she threw her support behind the democrat just re-inforces the conservative belief that the GOP is lost.

The GOP has been lost for a while. They're not too liberal on social issues(far from it actually), but they are too liberal when it comes to government involvement in daily life and fiscal responsibility.

The foundation of the GOP is all but lost. Gone are the days when the GOP was about staying out of people's personal lives, small government and fiscal responsibility.

 

[Ollie]

The GOP has been lost for a while. They're not too liberal on social issues(far from it actually), but they are too liberal when it comes to government involvement in daily life and fiscal responsibility.

The foundation of the GOP is all but lost. Gone are the days when the GOP was about staying out of people's personal lives, small government and fiscal responsibility.

I wouldn't say "gone".
I would say that the GOP thought (and rightfully so) that they needed to abandon their core beliefs of smaller government and super fiscal responcibility to get elected. The GOP base wasn't going to the polls to vote. You had to have a liberal streak to get elected.

THe people that were voting were the ones that wanted more government control, more government social programs and higher taxes on the rich.
The GOP base was busy living their lives and not paying attention.
How many people have been interviewed by the press during the Tea Party gatherings and the people answer, "I usually don't get involved in politics, but". It seems to be a pretty common thing, so in essence, we allowed this to happen.

Now the GOP needs to be reminded that being conservative isn't a bad thing. However, they need to watch going overboard or they will lose the moderate/independant voter.

 

[shortstop20]

I wouldn't say "gone".
Now the GOP needs to be reminded that being conservative isn't a bad thing. However, they need to watch going overboard or they will lose the moderate/independant voter.

If they stay out of social issues like they should they will not lose the moderate/independent vote. This is where the GOP is losing votes.

Sorry to say, but abortion will never be illegal in America, it's time to let it go. This is just one area where the GOP is losing votes.

 

[Ollie]

If they stay out of social issues like they should they will not lose the moderate/independent vote. This is where the GOP is losing votes.

Sorry to say, but abortion will never be illegal in America, it's time to let it go. This is just one area where the GOP is losing votes.

I would agree on the abortion aspect except they may make late term abortions illegal.

I think if they actually went after the social network (medicare, medicaid, SS and welfare) in a way that points out the downfalls of those programs they may be able to reform them.
If they come at it from the standpoint of their bad and we will shut them all down, they will lose. If they come at it from the "look at all the waste, fraud and abuse, we will reform the problems and leave the programs in place" they could do it just fine.

It took 50 years of social programming to accept those programs, it will take another 50 to de-program the masses.

 

[shortstop20]

I would agree with all of that.

 

[BigJake]

It looks like republicans won the two governor seats, but a Dem won the house seat in NY.

 

[Ollie]

It looks like republicans won the two governor seats, but a Dem won the house seat in NY.

Virginia isn't a big surprise. It seems to go to whichever party ISN'T in power.
New Jersey was a HUGE surpise to the dems. They went all in to win that one and lost anyway. New Jersey is a HUGE dem state and the fact they lost has to sting.

Now the fun one is New York.
The dems won it, but didn't even get 50% of the vote. They only got 49%.
The guy that took second got 45% of the vote and no one had even heard of the guy in August. He was a nobody that got involved when he saw what the republicans were putting up. Too bad New York doesn't have the 50% law that would require you win by at least 50% or there is a runnoff between the top 2 contenders.

 

[Anti-Hero]

it looks decent so far, maybe people want their "change" back!

 

[Wolfrun]

New Yorkers should stew in their own juice anyway. I know, I left there over 35 years ago and haven't missed it one bit. Too many "progressives".