Posted on 11/05/2013 7:33:13 PM PST by randita
Republican Ken Cuccinelli's unexpectedly strong showing in the Virginia governor's race will make it more difficult for moderate members of the GOP to pull the party toward the center, says Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
Polls had shown Cuccinelli down by 7 points to Democrat Terry McAuliffe, but Cuccinelli, a tea party favorite, led vote counts most of the night, with Clinton administration insider McAuliffe pulling out a late victory as bigger cities were counted.
"Whether it's one vote or a million, you're governor for four years," Sabato said. Still, he said, "The conservative Republicans will certainly take heart from the fact that Cuccinelli has done better than expected."
The big story, Sabato said, is Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's huge re-election win in a "deeply blue state." Christie took 59 percent of the vote. He's the first Republican to win statewide with more than 50 percent since George H.W. Bush in 1988.
The United States is so politically polarized that it is remarkable any time a Democrat can win in a heavily red state or a Republican can win in a heavily blue state, Sabato said.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Well, if I remember correctly ‘extremist’ Cuccinelli won independents in Virginia.
First, let me say that I think that Cruz is great. But at this point in time, I don't know if he is electable as a Repub. candidate. I see the main problem as the order of the various state primaries, with liberal states that have open primaries, which allows the demonazis to select our candidates for us. I think that the most loyal Repub. states (based on voting history and open or closed primary rules)) should get the first primaries. That way Republicans nominate our candidate, and that is NOT what happens now. But I really don't know if that is something that is controllable by the party, or the state (the primary date).
Christie's problem is that the guy is unapologetically, unquestionably, 100% New Jersey at his core. His approach is very popular in a state like New Jersey, but he's going to have a very, very hard time translating this into popular appeal anywhere west of the Delaware River.
You never hear a word about a “moderate” Democrat coming from the media. Ever. Because there aren’t any. Not one.
Nor do you hear the world “extremist,” when their whole damned party is full of them, all of them wanting to “fundamentally transform,” what was once a nice nation that actually stood for something.
No more.
Answer: NOTHING.
Cuccinlli was +9 among independents.
If the GOP moves anymore toward the middle they’ll be more leftist than the democrats. If they don’t move to the right they’ll never get another vote from me. I’m so sick of those rinos talking about moving to the center to get elected. Be who the hell you are and if you lose, you lose.
It’s in the book DOUBLE DOWN that Christie told Romney that Newt “is a joke”. Then tonight on TV Newt was talking up Christie and how he’s electable. I’ll never vote for another gopE no matter what. In fact, I can’t wait to not vote for them. Why should I stand up for them when they won’t stand up for themselves?
To me, the most interesting stat of the night from VA was the exit poll “breakout” of the electorate this year. According to one exit poll, the voters were 39% Dim; 31% independent and 30% Republican. If that’s accurate, it was the independents who kept Cuccinelli in the race, and it was the Bolling/spoiled loser/GOP-e faction that gave it to McAuliffe. Enough of the GOP-e’s stayed home (or voted for the Democrat) to keep Cooch from winning the election.
Here’s another question the GOP must answer: who will be the nominee for governor in 2017? Cuccinelli is done; so is McDonnell. Obenshain will likely lose the AG election in a recount, so he would also be at a disadvantage four years down the road. Essentially, the file for 2017 is wide open on the Republican side. Who steps up to run against—and defeat—Dr. “Ralphie Boy” Northam, the newly-elected Lt Gov who will be the Dims candidate four years from now?
-— Cuccinelli is done; -—
His history of opposition to Obamacare will look better in 2017.
Terry friggen’ Mcaullife :) Normally, one would need to attend a convention of asbestos siding salesmen to meet someone of his caliber. If this doesn’t prove we are toast I don’t know what will.
Think about it. A disgruntled chef becomes a whistleblower over a $10,000 wedding gift for the guys daughter and the people of VA are SO incredibly offended over this lapse of ethics that they just flee to McAwful? Sorry, it just doesn’t wash. Please don’t ask me to list McAwful’s pilfering. Lte’s just say he has had at least a hand in everything since Global Crossing and probably before. Face reality. We have to stop calling them low info voters. They know exactly what they are doing. Generations that aren’t even present to defend themselves are being robbed and half the country damn well knows it are are not only OK with it but want a piece of the action.
McAuliffe is sleazy. A lot can happen in four years and it won't surprise me at all to see investigations dog McAuliffe his entire term. Just as McDonnell's donor issues tainted Cooch, McAuliffe's sleaze could rub off on Northam.
Human Events: The inspector general at the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are conducting separate inquiries into actions involving McAuliffe’s GreenTech Automotive company and its use of a federal investor-visa program.
Obenshain wasn’t really as associated with the tea party as the other two, plus his family name really is a staple in the GOP. I’m surprised it was that close for him although the democrats were somewhat successful in using the same lies against him that they used against the others regarding certain votes on abortion issues.
I don’t mind people losing if they lose for their true beliefs, when those beliefs are principled. I hate when we lose for lies.
But I do think the republicans have to think a little more about taking votes on things that will never go anywhere and that the media will be happy to lie about.
I have no idea how a recount will go, but traditionally very few votes change in Virginia “recounts”.
We don’t really “count”. We are mostly electronic, and we are pretty good at it. SO unless there is some big transcription error, the votes may not move much in a recount.
We are also really quick about absentee ballots, with most of them counted ahead of time and added in on election night. The only big block remaining by now would be some military, which I would not expect to be majority democrat.
This is only a big story to those who focus upon the "R" that follows his name, rather than the "D" that reflects his positions and policies. The reality is that in any place other than the Northeast, inside-the-beltway, and California, Christie is a moderate democrat.
Words of wisdom, but will conservatives listen (and act) this time around?
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