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Are the November 3rd election returns a referendum on Obama, Democrats?
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Barack Obama and defeated Governor Jon Corzine
salute the crowd at an Oct. 21st rally in Holmden, NJ
This seems to be an important question on both sides of the political aisle, which have given the results of last night's major elections, i.e. Virginia and New Jersey's gubernatorial races and New York's 23rd congressional district special election, their own respective spin. It appears however, upon thoughtful reflection as usual, the truth lay somewhere in between.
Virginia Republican Bob McDonnell (below left) won by a significant margin (58% to 41%) over Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds, ceding power in the Governor's office to the Republican Party for the first time in eight years. This despite Obama, the first Democrat to win the state of Virginia since 1964 - when Lyndon 
Johnson defeated Republican Barry Goldwater in a landslide with over 61% of the popular vote - campaigning on Deeds behalf in Norfolk, VA. as recently as last week.
In a substantially tighter race Republican Chris Christie (right) beat out incumbent Jon Corzine by a margin of 48% to 44%, with independent Christopher Daggett picking up a scant 5% of the vote. Republicans note the import of the outcome as New Jersey has been devoutly Democratic for some time. The last member of the GOP to occupy the governor's mansion there was Christine Todd Whitman 12 years ago. Republicans are quick to note that Obama campaigned even more vigorously in New Jersey on Corzine’s behalf than he did in Virginia for Deeds.
In New York's 23rd district Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman narrowly lost to Democrat Bill Owens thanks mostly to the bungling ineptitude of the district's Republican Party, who nominated .jpg)
massively liberal Dede Scozzafava (left) to run on the GOP ticket. Scozzafava dropped out of the race just days before the election and then endorsed Owens who won the seat by less than 5 percentage points.
Predictably, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs put more emphasis on the N.Y. 23rd race saying "I think there are a host of primaries that will affect 2010 next year that pit moderate Republican candidates and conservative Republican candidates... I think many in the Republican Party hung out a sign ... that moderates need not apply.” While adding "I don't believe that local elections in Virginia and New Jersey portend a lot about legislative success or political success in the future. I just don't."
Gibbs' comments contradict those of V.P. Joe Biden who, while stumping for Jon Corzine at the October AFL-CIO convention in Atlantic City, stated: “It is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT that we re-elect Jon Corzine... one of the most important governorships in the nation... I’m betting on Jon Corzine... to stand 
with Barack and me... years from now... this recession over... we're creating jobs... we are stronger... prepared to be the dominant economy in the world in the 21st century because of what we did.”
Furthermore, CBS 3.com in nearby Philadelphia published a story headlined: "Obama Says NJ Governor Is Key To His Own Agenda." Time Magazine quoted Obama himself as saying: "Jon Corzine didn't run for this office on the promise that change would be easy... This isn't somebody who's here because of some special interest or political machine." However, the same article also cites a poll demonstrating strong dissent to that view in which “77% of NJ state residents said that corruption would either increase or stay the same if Corzine was re-elected.”
Political grandstanding and media pretentiousness aside, Examiner took the time to find out what some folks really think about these issues. Southern Jersey resident Eileen Hart said: "...you cannot believe how happy we are... [with] what Chris [Christie] was up against... SEIU, AFL-CIO, ACORN... [the] corruption because of them... I was shocked when Corzine conceded, I really was bracing myself for a big recount... they are going to own up to their corruption because they were running this state into the ground, ala Corzine."
Fellow New Jerseyan Elizabeth Baker echoed that sentiment and offered: "I'm very pleased that we have finally gotten rid of Corzine, he was one of the worst governors in the State of New Jersey's history. Hopefully, the Republicans can finally turn [things] around."
Elsewhere, Pennsylvania resident Toni Gadola Reno, content with election results in her district which favored the Republican party, commented: "Mainstream America is waking up and realizing what a mistake they made... the novelty of an Obama presidency is wearing off," alluding to the idea that 
the results belie a general disapproval of the President's domestic and foreign policies.
Also, the state of Maine shot down yet another push by the homosexual lobby to legitimize “gay” marriage when voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposed measure, just as 31 other states have done previously. California voters notably said “no” to a similar liberal initiative, Proposition 8, which sought to advance the same agenda.
Perhaps the implications of November 3rd’s elections aren’t so much that the country is anti-Obama, anti-Democrat, or even anti-homosexual; so much as they suggest we are pro-traditional-values, which the majority of Americans continue to embrace.
Until next time...
Leave opinions under comments or send them to delawarewimer@hotmail.com
For more on this see:
Time Magazine - Obama in New Jersey: Trying to rescue Corzine
CBS 3.com Obama Says NJ Governor Is Key To His Own Agenda
Fox News McDonnell and Christie win Governor’s races
Fox News Maine voters reject gay marriage
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