Posted on 06/13/2014 3:45:41 PM PDT by BobL
The Spin: Eric Cantor's Loss (Vanity)
The Democrats and the Media (really, are they different?) have been climbing all over themselves to convince us that Amnesty was NOT the reason that Eric Cantor lost to Dave Brat on Tuesday (there are even a few trolls on this site saying the same). They even have a poll showing 72% of the people in the district actually support of Amnesty. They are desperate to get Amnesty through this term, and for good reason - it will be a long time before they ever get another chance for such a country-killing (or transforming, as Obama would call it) bill to pass. But consider the following:
1) Cantor had something like a 40 to 1 spending advantage and (needless to say) Brat was on a shoestring. TV ads alone were 1000 to 65 in favor of Cantor, for example.
2) Cantor had universal name recognition. Brat had virtually no name recognition - well, until Cantor ran negative ads that kept repeating Brat's name (LOL).
3) Cantor, of course, is House Majority Leader. That is a position where you can bring home goodies to your heart's content.
4) No leader of that level has ever been defeated in a Primary. That simply has never happened (and that is why this race was off everyone's radar).
WHAT THEY SAY
1) No, it wasn't immigration, it was that Cantor ignored his district. Name me one leader in Congress that doesn't ignore his or her district. It's impossible to be at that level without running around the country fund raising for others (as Cantor did) - but they still never lose primaries and are never even seriously challenged.
2) No, it wasn't immigration, it was that Cantor was in bed with the big money in DC and Wall Street. Certainly true - but then so is about half of the Senate Republicans and a quarter of the House Republicans. How many of them lose primaries (a few, but very few).
3) No, it wasn't immigration, people in his district wanted Amnesty. The poll done right after the race proved that. Well, then, why didn't Cantor win in a landslide? He was certainly leading the way FOR YEARS on Amnesty and he and the entire House leadership promised to bring it up once the Primaries were over. Seems like he was their man. NO ONE, for a minute, thought Cantor was doing anything but playing politics when he acted like he was against Amnesty towards the end of his campaign.
4) No, it wasn't immigration, it was Democrat crossovers voting against Cantor. First, the Democrat leadership is just as upset that Cantor lost as the Republican leadership - Cantor was ready to once and for all sell out this country (on Amnesty). They had the perfect stooge right where they wanted him. Second, there was no effort to get Dems to vote for Brat, mainly because the race was off everyone's radar, and I mean everyone (with a few exceptions such as Laura Ingrahm and Mark Levin - but not even Rush or Hanity would get near Brat - until he won). Third, Cantor got nearly 10,000 votes less in 2014 than 2012 - it was Cantor's former voters that flipped.
Oh, and back to that poll. First, it was done by a liberal organization and paid for by a liberal organization (Mark Suckerberg, to be exact). Were you suspicious how a poll of that district could come out 3 hours after the results came in? I sure was, considering that it normally takes days or even weeks to set up a scientific poll. Well the poll was by automated telephone - and it took some looking, but I found the key question:
"There is bipartisan immigration reform legislation being debated in Washington. The bill would secure our borders, block employers from hiring undocumented immigrants, and make sure that undocumented immigrants already in the U.S. with no criminal record register for legal status. If a long list of requirements is met over more than a decade, it provides eligibility for a path to citizenship. Would you support or oppose this proposal?"
Very carefully writtent to suit their goal. The question starts out great, then tires you, and then finally gets to Amnesty question (without saying the radioactive word, I wonder why). The real question is how many people pressed "1" before hearing the entire question and how many people realized that Amnesty was the question?
But here's something else - look at the choices: Strongly support..................................... 40% Somewhat support..................................... 32% Somewhat oppose ..................................... 14% Strongly oppose....................................... 9% Not sure ............................................. 4%
Look again. What does "Somewhat Support" mean? I certainly support the first two objectives in the poll question (secure the border and stop employers from hiring Illegals) and I venture that most conservatives do. Does that mean that I "somewhat support" the plan? By my definition - YES! That's how they got to 72%. They are playing us.
One other question from the poll:
Do you approve or disapprove of the job Representative Eric Cantor is doing? Approve ........................................................ 30% Disapprove...................................................... 63% Not sure ........................................................ 7%
Yep, he's not liked. But might Amnesty have something to do with that - maybe a LOT to do with that?
Here is the poll'a internals:
http://www.americansunitedforchange.org/page/-/VA7Results61114.pdf
Nice try Dems...but I go back to the beginning of this piece - Cantor lost, and that simply does not happen to person in his position, unless there was something else that was VERY POWERFUL contributing to his loss. It never happens.
In the end, I do think that Republican Congressmen are not STUPID enough to believe a summary of this poll (i.e., the 72% number) as where the country stands on Amnesty. They know it's like gun control, it is radioactive, and that one issue can doom them. I think the ones that were toying with it this year are through with that idea. It's dead. Thankfully. (but don't let your guard down, at all)
He lost because he is arrogant!
And condescending!
And, out of touch!
“He lost because he is arrogant!
And condescending!
And, out of touch!”
Not the first...Amnesty was the final nail.
Cantor lost because he abandoned his conservative base. He was good when he was here, but he disappointed us when he went bigtime.
TC
He lost because he revealed himself CLEARLY as a slimy, duplicitous piece of human excrement who was willing to sell out America and its citizens for a few pieces of silver.
Now his constituents have banished him, for eternity, from the halls of true power. He can wonder around now, in well deserved obscurity, and try to help folks make connections for a few pennies.
Anything but the truth...
Of course amnesty was a big part of why he lost. They refuse to acknowledge the 800lb gorilla in the room.
Especially with the rush of illegal minors flooding into the country, it was a huge issue. The public can see where it leads...to a Venezuela type kleptocracy.
Their last resort to close the coup is to suspend the constitution and elections due to a national emergency of their creation.
Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) is currently expected to replace Cantor as Majority Whip.
Numbers USA is a Conservative immigration group.
Here's the grade they gave McCarthy for 2013-2014:
F-minus!
We’ll see. He’s got Labrador running against him...may be a contest after all.
I didn't even know he WAS Jewish until I read this accusation.
Yea, that was PATHETIC. I missed that one.
Thanks for the reminder.
Agreed!
Arrogant, condescending and out of touch on Real America!
We love LEGAL immigrants who want to come to America and be Americans!
Immigrants who come here to impose their way of life on America are neither wanted nor welcome!
For whatever reason, the LIEberals and GOPes do not “get it.”
America is for people who want to be Americans!
Got too big for his britches. did he?
My buddy, who lives in Cantor’s district, and had voted for him several times, lost confidence in him after the 2010 election, and campaigned actively against him.
My introduction has not been reassuring.
First, he told people not to criticize Bergdahl’s Father, who has made a number of shocking pro-Taliban comments.
Today, I found out he's a former immigration lawyer.
Since immigration lawyers create 1,700 new Democrat voting citizens each day, I don't care much for his previous career decision.
I’m with you. Apparently he’s Hispanic, or at least partly, and fluent in Spanish.
All that is fine, of course, until something like Amnesty comes up - even the best conservative Hispanics don’t seem to be able to help themselves on Amnesty, with the exception of Cruz. But Rubio, and some others...yuck.
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