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A referendum on Democrats? Hardly
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Charlottsville.com
When you have been thrown out of all three branches of government and have suffered the most thorough defeat of any political party in recent memory, when every idea and program or policy you have instituted in the last 15 years has been one monumental failure and disaster after another, and when you have nothing to offer except lunatics like Virginia Foxx , and hypocrites like Tea Party conservatives, you grasp for any straw you can to try to find something you can call positive.
And that's what Republicans are doing after winningwon two governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey as if either of them mattered to anyone outside of Virginia and New Jersey.
The New Jersey race was close in spite of the fact that Corzine was unpopular and carrying a 39% approval rating into the election. The Virginia race wasn't close but many felt the Democratic candidate was weak.
But last night meant absolutely nothing in terms of a referendum either on Democrats nationally or on Obama for that matter. It was not a referendum on health care reform or any Democratic initiatives.
Exit polling indicated Democrats stayed home in droves and Republicans came out. Republicans cared about the election, Democrats didn't. The election was a chance for frustrated Republicans to vent. Democrats had nothing to vent.
While Obama has been no bargain as president, something that should have been apparent during the Democratic primaries, and many Democrats are dismayed at his lack of ability, the election was still not about Obama who has been showing he has been anything but ready to be president from day one, something that really shouldn't be a surprise.
But this was not about Obama. It was about two states with problems -- New Jersey with high unemployment and the economy as a whole. The closest thing to a race that had national implications was the House race in upstate New York and the Republicans lost that one.
In that race, conservatives outside the state forced the Republican candidate who was pro choice and pro gay rights to drop out of the race in favor of the conservative candidate. The seat had been held by Republicans for years and the district is heavily Republican. The conservative lost, the Democrat won and that race will have national implications for Republicans as conservatives vow to go into other states and "purge" the party of candidates who dont reflect conservative views.
So while the two victories in New Jersey and Virginia give the down trodden Republicans something to cheer, the loss in New York state gives them something to worry about for a long time to come.
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Elections 2009
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