Posted on 09/22/2007 1:26:00 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
Last week, a SurveyUSA/WBZ poll out of Boston caused a minor earthquake in the Massachusetts political universe. The race to replace liberal Congressman Marty Meehan was supposed to be a sleepy affair leading to a walk-in-the-park victory for Democrat Niki Tsongas, the well-known wife of the late Senator Paul Tsongas. So it came as quite a surprise when the poll showed Republican Jim Ogonowski, a farmer and veteran from the Merrimack Valley, within 10 points of Tsongas. Tsongas polled just 51 percent to Ogonowski's 41 percent.
In any political environment, a win by Ogonowski on October 16th would be considered a stunning upset. Massachusetts has not sent a Republican to Congress in more than a decade. And though the district is relatively conservative by Massachusetts standards (if the Bay State ever sends a Republican to Washington, it will happen first here), Ogonowski had not been given much of a shot by the political classes. With the fallout from Iraq and 2006 continuing to take its toll on Washington Republicans, a win or close call by Ogonowski would signal that the political winds are gusting against the 11% approval Democrat-controlled Congress.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
Interesting...
Personally, I think some more Northeast Republicans would be good for the GOP. The Southern version is too focused on social issue and not enough on fiscal. The traditional Northeast pubbie is a fiscal conservative. Don’t know anything about this person though.
Neither do I. Maybe a “serious discomfort” has finally developed with a party deeply sympathetic to terroristic forces.
Good point. Where are all the fiscally-conservative Republicans in this and in the last couple of Congresses?
I could do with less posturing on social issues like gay marriage and more cutting of the ridiculous amounts of money spent in DC.
You may think along those lines until the repubs took over both houses of congress and then spent money like drunk democrats.
That really hurt their ability to walk, talk and act like fiscal conservatives.
YES!!!!! THANK GOD!!!
When I heard a blurb the other day about “Tsongas in Massachusetts,” I thought, “Isn’t he dead?” This explains everything.
Being from MA, Jim Ogonowski would probably be another Specter, Snow or Collins.
You are correct. The mid term election was about the betryal of the contract.
Yeah but with very little time left in his presidency, President Bush is finally threatening to use his VETO pen.
Too little too late.
Maybe he can turn the whole budget over to Ted Kennedy and not just the education budget.
He's got my vote and support though!
...from here in the MA Cong 5th district...
Thanks for the update
I bet if you examined the voting records of Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, etc., you would find a firm committment to larger, more expensive government.
Why does this have the smell of “Send Cheney to Hawaii, it’s gonna be close!” to it?
Republicans are politicians first and foremost and will buy and sell out the nation, literally, to buy the for sale affections of the citizens.
Ted The Swimmer Kennedy is set to make one of his fine oratorical appearances for Nikki (think Rush’s hilarious clip of Teddy’s undecipherable gibberish here), and that will be enough to put another MA liberal in office.
Too bad the founding fathers did not make it possible for states to vote other states off the island.
Fraud will always provide the winning margin in Massachuttes.
I wouldn’t make that assumption (that he is ‘another Specter’. He is a vet AND his brother piloted AA #11 on 9/11. Those two things could change a person a lot.
Taken to a new level by the poverty pimps and other Democrats who skim billions off the top of money provided for "protection". Protection of the poor against supposedly evil capitalists, and protection of the capitalists from riots in the streets.
MA is set to lose a House seat or two after the next census. Maybe the folks who still live there are beginning to connect the dots.
The two usually go hand in hand and the social conservative is also more likely to be the more fiscally conservative.
I believe voters voted for Democrats because they had been convinced it was "cool" to vote for Democrats. We don't help our own cause by this talk.
Agreed but Democrats are worse.
*I could do with less posturing on social issues like gay marriage and more cutting of the ridiculous amounts of money spent in DC.*
I could do with more conservatism on social issues so the economic issues can be dealt with. Immorality will destroy good economy; belive it or not.
Yeah, like Mayor Bloomberg? Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
WooHoo!!!!! I have his sign in my front yard, and see more and more of them every day. The yard signs in my area 7-8 to 1 in his favor. Some of the posts have said he would be just another Rhino, but he is campaigning on an anti illegal immigration platform which is really gutsy in this state. And anything republican would be better than that traitorous b*****d Meehan. Any thing anybody can do to make him win would be appreciated.
Has he ever deployed to a hazardous fire area? It’s tough to tell from his bio. Apparently he’s a great champion of homosexualizing the military as well.
Yes indeed. Stupid is as stupid does and there are consequences for stupid, the GOP is stupid while the marxist dems are smart fascists indeed. Madison was a great founding father indeed.
He may be a vet but it looks as though he spent his career stateside piloting a chair.
Cynic.
;^)
5.56mm
I know may family is voting for him. Met him at the Lowell Folk Festival. People were very receptive to him, which was a little shocking in Lowell! :)
He’s losing by 10 points, and that is supposed to be a political earthquake?
Not here in Jersey, unfortunately. RINOs abound!
I have voted Republican for my whole life because I thought they were the party of lesser govt., Less spending and less intrusion. \
Finally the Republicans get into power and they not just continue to spend but accelerate spending.
I honestly don’t see a whole lot of difference in the parties at this point, both suck.
Amnesty for illegals,
gun control,
extra rights for minorities and women,
bigger govt.
What’s the use?
Potential good news JH2. Thanks for posting. Interesting.
MA-05 ping.
The alternative is far, far worse.
You guys (or gals) realize that I wrote “traditional” right?
Behold, the Massachusetts "Republican."
It would be phenominal if Jim Ogonowski were to win. A 28-year veteran of the Air Force whose brother died in the September 11 attacks, he would bring a much-needed perspective to Congress.
First he has to win, which is difficult even in the state’s most marginal distrcit.
I know they are Grandma,
guess I’m just very tired of RINOs
You could have stopped that easily with just a word or two to Bill Clinton to “stop AlQaida”.
I know. I remember how I felt when I had to vote for Ganske against Harkin. I felt at least we got something out of it by the Harkin win—Ganske is back practicing medicine.
Since when ? That was back in the days when they were Conservative all-around. You cannot be a social liberal and a fiscal Con, because in order to pay for the former, you have to be very liberal with tax $$. You can, however, be a social Con and a fiscal liberal, one reason we lost Congress.
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