Posted on 11/05/2009 5:09:27 PM PST by neverdem
With independent voters favoring GOP candidates in New Jersey and Virginia, many in Congress wonder whether they'll lose electoral support themselves if they stick with Obama on controversial issues.
Reporting from Washington and Madison, Wis.
Even before voters went to the polls this week, moderate congressional Democrats were anxious. Would the swing voters who coalesced around Barack Obama almost exactly one year ago stay with the Democrats or defect to the Republicans?
The answer came Tuesday night as Republican gubernatorial candidates swept to power in New Jersey and Virginia, with the help of large packs of self-described independents.
Exit polls circulating on the House floor Wednesday were even more unnerving to Democrats. The Republican candidates, the polls indicated, had received the votes of two-thirds of independent voters...
--snip--
"Republicans won independents by 2 to 1. It was overwhelming. It was breathtaking," Ayres said. "That is a huge shift since the last two elections in a very short amount of time."
Ayres said that his polling data indicate a clear shift in the independent vote starting in April. He said that "spending and debt" are the reasons -- "starting with the bailouts, followed up with the stimulus package, the budget with its $1-trillion deficit, healthcare with another trillion."...
--snip--
"It's not all up to the president; I know that," said Galen Milchman, a 19-year-old pizza deliverer who said he had worked for Obama's election a year ago. "But the Democrats are in control of the House and the Senate, and so we were going to get all this change. Where is it? It makes me feel very cynical."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Independents reversed their votes big time from 2006 and 2008. In 2006, almost 60 percent of them voted for the rats.
I couldn't find actual numbers for how independents split in 2008 after checking for a few hours. This will have to do for now.
"This is a huge sea change that is playing itself out in American politics," said Democratic pollster Doug Schoen. "Independents who had become effectively operational Democrats in 2006 and 2008 are now up for grabs and are trending Republican." 7/9/09, Politico, Ben Smith
Well, the 19-year old delivers pizzas. The only “hope and change’ this numbskull knows is that he “hopes” that someone will give him ‘change” after a delivery.
The suburban districts in Western New York had a Republican sweep in the local elections. There were some very popular Democrats who lost their jobs by large margins. If this didn’t send a message to our Congressional Representatives, I don’t know what will.
He's cynical. Good for him, he's at the beginning of a life-long lesson that may bring him rich rewards. We should encourage the fellow.
Stafford County in Virginia now has an all GOP County Council. And in a huge shock to these loons, a bigtime rat on the Albemarle County board of supervisors was ousted by the Pubbie candidate.
Even young Dems have to reconsider their views when Mom & Dad and Grandpa and Grandma are on TV demonstrating in DC.
They (and we) haven’t ever seem something like this in recent history.
This reminds me of a conversation I overheard the other night. A new father who is on welfare said he had to go out and buy a pack of cigarettes. The lady (older) who was with him said he should forego the smokes and buy food for his son. His response almost floored all of us within earshot, “I don’t have to worry about that, the Federal Government feeds my kid”.
Better late than never I guess. I know the type. Many were against the Iraq war, thought they'd stick it to the rich and be progressive by voting for Mr. Obama. Little did they know that Mr. Obama would say thank you by coming after them. I tried telling a few of them, but to no avail...
....Maybe someone will send this line of commentary to the jerk, Mark Davis, who was the host on the Rush Limbaugh show today.
I think it’s great if Obama and the Dems want to tell themselves that this election wasn’t about Obama. Denial is as good as chaos in keeping them off their game and time will tell whether it is, or not.
“And in a huge shock to these loons, a bigtime rat on the Albemarle County board of supervisors was ousted by the Pubbie candidate.”
Please note that Albemarle County is where the city of Charlottesville is located. Charlottesville is Ground Zero for liberal RATS in Virginia.
Absolutely right. This guy is learning young and there is every reason to believe he can become a rock ribbed conservative as he matures.
The irony is that I delivered pizzas in jr college to pay for my tuition. Unlike this kool-aid drinker, I worked hard to get my degree to transfer to university so I WONT have to deliver pizzas when I’m 30. The welfare-Dad in your story doesnt surprise me (I live in a deep-blue city).
Dear Democrats:
Passing the government take-over of health care and the cap and trade bills will utterly destroy your party.
Please pass these two bills.
“Exit polls showed that a fifth of the voters who supported McDonnell had a favorable opinion of Obama. “
And that’s supposed to be a good thing for Obama? Sounds pretty disasterous to me.
You are so right.
That’s some spinning!
With independent voters favoring GOP candidates in New Jersey and Virginia, many in Congress wonder whether they’ll lose electoral support themselves if they stick with Obama on controversial issues.
Simple answer – yes, they will.
“It’s not all up to the president; I know that,” said Galen Milchman, a 19-year-old pizza deliverer who said he had worked for Obama’s election a year ago. “But the Democrats are in control of the House and the Senate, and so we were going to get all this change. Where is it? It makes me feel very cynical.”
Welcome to the real world, pilgrim.
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