Of course the problem he has now is that he actually has to FIX shit. Running on that platform may get him the big chair, but he will have to have better ideas then the guy he replaced and being a conservative that ain’t likely.
In that case, you’re right.
(I don’t really have anything to add, I just don’t want to look like I’m ignoring it when I’m wrong. 
)
America is a center county, relative to the two parties. Not center-right. Not center-left. Anyone claiming otherwise, e.g. RTFirefly, is engaging in wishful thinking. A lot of partisans engage in wishful thinking though, so his sentiments are no doubt common here. Quite possibly you share them yourself, not realizing the inconsistency of your position. (People who try to prove from Obama’s election that the US is a progressive country are likely not the same people who would prove from GWB’s election that the US is a right-wing country. No, there are all sorts of other reasons for that …)
Practical considerations keep the two parties within about the same distance from center, in their respective directions. It’s an evolutionary law of politics, in a democracy.
It certainly wasn’t a nail biter, but it wasn’t such a broad margin that it proves that the country in general is receptive to progressive campaigns (versus more center/moderate ones) even had Obamam run one - which is RTFirefly’s position - especially in light of other factors that helped him.
Never mind, wrong antecedent for the post.
I’ve attached a few quotes from the debates, just to refresh your memory. Obama did spend a lot of time and effort to paint McCain with the George Bush brush.
Unfortunately, taking the quotes out of the full debate context also removes the non-sequitor-ness of them. He really stretched to get a GWB mention in there on some of those.
They could. They could make it all about class and power, and demonize the superrich and the corporate interests, like it was done to a very limited degree in the New Deal.
Which, apart from having electoral appeal, would actually make sense. But it hasn’t been done since the FDR years and it won’t be; the corporate interests own both parties now, the only difference being that the Dems are not wholly-owned.
It’s no more bullshit than saying that we hate GLBT’s and Mexican laborers.
More’s the pity.
Not enough time to reprint the ballot. The election had Scozzafava as the Republican Candidate.
Now, Hoffman became sponsored by the Republicans, and the one the Republicans wanted to win, but I’m pretty sure that no, Hoffman was not the person getting the votes that were given to the person in the Republican slot in the voting machine.
In fact, I’m pretty sure the result was roughly Owens 49, Hoffman 46, Scozzafava 5. So… I’m pretty sure you have no idea what you’re talking about.
Unless I’m wrong. And I don’t think I am.
Yeah, there’s no way Christie’s gonna be able to pull off his promises. He’s probably going to try to make it look good for a few years, then springboard to the Senate. Then the state crashes and burns.
I’m in northern VA and can attest to this. The biggest 2 issues in VA for this election were taxes (statewide) and traffic (DC area and Hampton Roads area). I was watching CNN and Fox news last night and all of the pundits were all Obama this and Obama that. Nobody mentioned traffic. Now you might think that traffic is a stupid thing to hinge an election on but around here more people discuss traffic than the weather.
The Dems mistake was trying to frame the issues as a referendum on social policy. Deeds kept runing ads about “Thesis! thesis! What about the thesis!” and McDonnell was talking about traffic and taxes. Dems: “Right-wing extremist!” McDonnell: talking to many different ethnic groups and winning them over. My wife is Korean and her whole social group was for McDonnell.
The Washington Post came out with its “bigot” editorial and one of the local Dem Reps. call the GOP slate the “Taliban Ticket.” Perception means a lot and poll after poll showed that people perceived the Dem ticket running a negative campaign and the GOP slate “addressing issues.”
That speaks more to what happened in VA rather than any sort of referendum on Obama.
Touché.
Let me know when the Democrats start putting referendums on state ballots to take rights away from rich people, or start fielding militias to shoot at them.
Hate. Scapegoat.
Potato, potatoe.
-Joe
The simple fact is that historically people have always voted out the party in office (with a few exceptions) when the economy sucks. This is why people voted for Mr Obama. Not because they liked him much. Hillary or any Democratic candidate would’ve won.
The economy drives elections historically. The economy is worse this year than last year, despite what anyone says. The banks and credit cards are still running amok abusing their clients, jobs are picking up, but they are part time jobs and people are still vastly underemployed as well as not working.
This is simply a reaction to the bad economy. All the anylysis of the “new era” with Mr Obama was totally ignoring the historical fact the economy drove the '08 election. Add to this Mr Obama has been in 10 months and hasn’t actually done anything yet, except pass the credit card bill which 'caused more problems for conumers than helped them, at least in the immediate.
You’re remarkably confident the Credit CARD act has been harmful when you stop to consider that it doesn’t even take effect until February.
Let me know, too! 
I don’t much care for this whole “militia” aspect, I think it should be altogether more festive.
So those polls I linked to, that showed the Republicans polling in the single digits and teens everywhere but the South, they were “wishful thinking”?
Whatever.
That’s somewhat different from a law of physics, I hope you realize. People, parties, movements don’t have to heed “practical considerations.” An evolutionary law can be flouted in the short run; it’s just that the result is a dimunition of the species.
There was an off-year election? Correction, since “off-year” implies it being an even number. There was an off-off-year election? :rolleyes: