There's colossal joy in Mudville this week as Republicans predict sweeping success in next year's mid-term elections in the wake of Chris Christie's and Bob McDonnell's gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia respectively, and in what they say is a clear repudiation of President Obama and Democrats' "liberal agenda." A newly energized GOP Chairman Michael Steele is calling it all a "Republican renaissance." Talk about premature ejaculation.
But the real picture is anything but rosy for the GOP. The truly bigger race, in upstate New York, handed them a humiliating defeat in the solidly red 23rd Congressional District, where a Democrat hasn't won the House seat in over 100 years. This was a national election based on national issues, and therefore a clear affirmation, not a repudiation, of Obama's performance -- something which Steele, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and all the other propagandists are conveniently ignoring but are shaking in their Uggs over. Christie and McDonnell won on purely local issues. Their victories mean absolutely nothing on the national stage. The real takeaway from Tuesday is that voters still want change; the sort of change that does not bode well for the GOP.
But Democrats should not be complacent or assume the tide is with them. An early warning to the left: be very, very leery of your counterparts across the aisle. They are angry, resentful and desperately want to be back in power. They will do and say anything to achieve that end. And they're pretty good at it. Great at propaganda. Skilled in truth-stretching. Will even lie through their venomous teeth to get what they want. And now they're reinvigorated. Their victories this week have left them with a euphoric, and inflated, sense of self and entitlement. The Republican orgasmatron is in high-gear, with promises of the proverbial happy-ending. The talking-heads are now bragging that most of the country is conservative, anti-big-government, anti-abortion, faith-based, pro-war, tea-baggin' Obama-haters who will kick Democrats to the curb next year. To the contrary though, as Democrat Bill Owens' victory in NY's 23rd indicates, voters continue to be trading in their Republican clunkers for the newer Democratic model.
Sorry - I don't agree - next year will tell the real story for NY23. Hoffman did get a considerable number of votes given the short time he was in the race. I think the outside interference was the real story in NY23 (this year)
Also The Rupublican Party is far from dead and I predict that Liz Cheny will be thier leading candidate in 2012. if we think Palin is dangerous - she is much more dangerous - she has the same belief system but she can hold her own in debates...she is very good on giving speeches while wrapping herself up in the American flag. She delivers a simple, albiet wrong, message and that along her gender and race will get her a considerable number of votes. {I know I'm going to catch flack for this last statement - I would love to see a woman President - as long as it is the right woman}
Gah!
FWIW
The GOP CANNOT come back with the rigid ideology and the rabid far-right base they now have. Their words and actions have alienated blacks, Latinos, the LGBT community, women, environmentalists,et al. They have utterly destroyed their 'fiscal conservative' meme in the last administration, and by now we(or mostly, we) know republican's SOP to 'fiscal conservatism' is to simply cut social programs and infrastructure and nothing else.
We have also seen in the last years have heavily tied the GOP is to corporate interests. They don't even try to hide it anymore. Yeah, the democrats are finally getting in on this, too, but the republicans have turned this parlor trick into high art. Unfortunately, they will still be rewarded by votes if the dems are unable to get their act together and become cohesive in their agenda, but the writing's on the wall for GOP. They will schism and the stronger component will be the frontrunner. These are interesting times to say the least...