Surge leaves GOP at a loss

[ribrepin]

Source: Everett Herald

For months, the storyline of the 2010 election focused on the enthusiasm of Republicans.

Turns out, Democrats in Western Washington were pretty enthusiastic, too.

Their late surge to the polls surprised GOP strategists and may buffer the Democratic Party against significant political damage from the Republican wave that washed over the nation this election.

Republicans will capture one congressional seat and add a few faces to the Legislature, for certain. More gains were expected in a year when the issues and the mood of voters seemed perfectly aligned for them.



Read more: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20101107/NEWS01/711079871

---

I am proud of western Washington. We bucked the trend and I won't have to be represented by a repub.

[Ian David]

1. Massachusetts won every single race against the GOP this year.

Every candidate endorsed by Senator Treasure-Trail lost.

[ribrepin]

5. The big wave didn't hit everywhere

The democrats in our state really put a lot into gotv. Love the idea of the repubs scratching their heads on this one. They were really confident, otherwise why put up Rossi again!

[savalez]

16. The only waves here in CA were from the Pacific Ocean.

[Arugula Latte]

23. Same with Oregon

The only thing that happened was the Rethugs won a couple of state assembly seats.

[Arugula Latte]

24. Similar story for your neighbor to the South. This was on the front page of the Oregonian today:

( We evil libruls in Portland dashed the hopes of the poor Republicans, boo hoo ... :nopity: )

After the election, Oregon Republicans are at a loss, their dreams dashed in Multnomah County

"For the third time in the past decade, Oregon Republicans went to bed on election night thinking they might have finally ended Democratic dominance of statewide races.

But like a recurring bad dream, they awoke Wednesday to see the ballots from heavily Democratic Multnomah County seal a close victory for Democrat John Kitzhaber over Republican Chris Dudley in the governor's race.

"No matter who the Republican is, there is going to be a huge spread there," Bob Repp, a West Linn attorney and Republican volunteer, said with a sigh. "There just seems to be a real rigid dogmatism that has set in in Multnomah County."

Repp's disappointment was shared widely among Republican activists who thought Dudley, a former Portland Trail Blazer with a moderate tone on many issues, could change the political dynamic in Oregon's most populous county...."

* * *


http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/11/republicans_see_dreams_dashed.html

[Xipe Totec]

7. Scott Brown is next. nt

[polmaven]

12. Dayum right!

Brown was an embarrassing hiccup for our DCC state chairman, and I doubt he will let that happen again. He has said the party took the election too much for granted and the lesson has been learned.

[Fearless]

13. K&R!

[thereismore]

29. Poor Scott Brown voted for the jobs bill (or the lending bill? IDK) He was foolishly assuming

that his job is actually to help people. Heh. Heh.

[hughee99]

30. Yes, even the auditor who was double dipping on her tax breaks won.

I was very surprised by that.

[Ian David]

31. Because she a) wasn't Republican and b) wasn't stealing from kids with cancer. n/t

[hughee99]

33. I suspect mostly it was "a".

I didn't hear anything about Bump's opponent (Mary Z. something) stealing from kids with cancer?

[Ian David]

34. The Jimmy Fund license plates. Instead of auctioning the low numbers to raise money...

... for kids with cancer, she was giving them to political donors.

[polmaven]

36. And when she was with the Lottery

commission, some of her bookkeeping was - um - somewhat different from usual standards.

[hughee99]

37. I think you're thinking of Karen Polito, who lost in the Treasurer race.

http://www.thedailyshrewsbury.com/Articles-c-2010-10-27-72009.113122-Polito-takes-heat-over-Jimmy-Fund-license-plates--whats-your-take.html

[Ian David]

38. Oh, yes! I stand corrected. Thanks! n/t

[classof56]

2. As your neighbor to the south, I'm proud of ya, too!

Also mighty proud of Oregon!

:fistbump:

[Brother Buzz]

3. As your neighbor to the south, I'm proud of the entire Left Coast

[Plucketeer]

4. As a Californian

- in spite of my ass-hat congressdunce, Devin Nunes, running unopposed, the state did admirably. Thank god for Jerry and Barbara!

[proud patriot]

9. Me too !

:-)

[jaybeat]

14. That's right!!

We kept every Federal and State-wide race in the (D) column that already was (which was all of them except Greg Baby-Boehner Walden). That despite buckets of cash to try to get a former NBA non-star GOP-talking point tape recorder elected Governor, and a dicey 1st term incumbent in an historically swing-district (Go Kurt!).

Worst for us was the State House is in a 30/30 split between Pukes and Dems, and the Senate's still too close to call, I think, but likely we'll squeak by with a one-seat advantage.

Overall the West Coast (and MA!) led the nation. We can be proud. I know the GOTV was un-freaking believable, and the results speak for themselves!

Three cheers for the Left Coast!

:patriot:

[Aristus]

6. Northwesterners holding the line against repuke pirates!

:bounce:

If the republicants gain any more power, we may have to declare the Republic of Cascadia after all.

If an American schism were to happen again along North-South lines, I'd stand fast with the North. But if a schism happens along Blue-Red lines, as I imagine it probably would, I'm checking out of the failed American experiment and proclaiming myself a Cascadian.

[ribrepin]

10. Maybe the time has come for Cascadia

I am so tired of the bat-shit garbage that comes out of the southern republicans mouth...no health insurance, do away with social security and more wars.

[ribrepin]

11. scatch "bat shit" make that "barking mad"

I loved this quote "I’m a little disappointed not to capitalize,” said Rep. Mike Hope, R-Lake Stevens, who easily won re-election. “I thought we’d pick up the majority in one of the (Legislature’s) chambers. If we can’t get a majority now or if we can’t win a statewide race in a year like this, when is it ever going to happen?”

[pscot]

15. Umm. That would be never, Mike

[Viva_La_Revolution]

21. The Cascadian Independence Project

http://cascadianow.org/

The Cascadian Independence Project is a grass-roots political movement dedicated to building awareness and support for local democracy, global community and the freedom and eventual independence of Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. Cascadia is the unique coastal-mountain bioregion between San Francisco and the Alaskan panhandle in which the dominant culture is one of respect and honor for the environment and a strong tradition of democracy and social justice.

[martymar64]

35. Hail Cascadia! I'd move back there in a heartbeat if it was a reality.

It'll be a good place to be once the US economy's wheels finally fall off.

[stevedeshazer]

8. Thanks and congratulations.

We did pretty well in western Oregon. too.

[4lbs]

17. Except for the Prop 19 result, I'm proud of my state of California.

The elections in CA went 90% the way I wanted.

[bindelh]

18. Maybe the folks in Washington State weren't as fooled by the GOP as others in the nation

This is not the time to sit back and lament our losses.

One good thing that happened in the Midterm Elections was the defeat of a majority of the Blue Dog Democrats who continually voted with the Republicans.


Devin Wagner/Argus Leader/AP

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin gets choked up during her concession speech Tuesday in Sioux Falls, S.D. Herseth Sandlin
was a leader of the Blue Dog Coalition in the House, which suffered big losses in Tuesday's elections.

Congress shifted to the right with the election of several Tea Party Republicans this week — but the rightward trend wasn't enough to save a number of conservative and centrist Democrats, who were defeated in the House in large numbers.

Especially hard-hit was the Blue Dog Coalition — only 23 of its 54 members were re-elected, and it lost two of its leaders, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota and Baron Hill of Indiana.

"It's a caucus now that doesn't have the clout that it once had."

The defeat of many Blue Dogs leaves white Southern Democrats without much of a voice — but the Progressive Caucus, which retained nearly all its members, will likely gain clout.

Battered Blue Dogs

The Blue Dog Coalition in the House was reduced by about half during Tuesday's elections. Of the 54 Democrats, 23 were re-elected, with three races still to be called as of Friday afternoon. The Republicans made 28 pickups — by defeating incumbents and, in a few cases, winning races in which the incumbent didn't seek re-election.

Northeast: 3 Re-elected / 5 GOP Pickups

Altmire, Jason (PA-04) Re-elected
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24) Defeated
Carney, Christopher (PA-10) Defeated
Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03) Defeated
Holden, Tim (PA-17) Re-elected
Michaud, Mike (ME-02) Re-elected
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08) Defeated
Murphy, Scott (NY-20) Defeated

Midwest: 3 Re-elected / 7 GOP Pickups

Boswell, Leonard (IA-03) Re-elected
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02) Re-elected
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08) Ran for Senate (seat won by GOP)
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (SD-AL) Defeated
Hill, Baron (IN-09) Defeated
Moore, Dennis (KS-03) Retiring (seat won by GOP)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07) Re-elected
Pomeroy, Earl (ND-AL) Defeated
Space, Zack (OH-18) Defeated
Wilson, Charles (OH-06) Defeated

West:

—Mountain: 1 Re-elected / 3 GOP Pickups

Markey, Betsy (CO-04) Defeated
Matheson, Jim (UT-02) Re-elected
Minnick, Walt (ID-01) Defeated
Salazar, John (CO-03) Defeated

—Pacific: 7 Re-elected / 1 Outstanding

Baca, Joe (CA-43) Re-elected
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18) Re-elected
Costa, Jim (CA-20) Too close to call
Harman, Jane (CA-36) Re-elected
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47) Re-elected
Schiff, Adam (CA-29) Re-elected
Schrader, Kurt (OR-05) Re-elected
Thompson, Mike (CA-01) Re-elected

—Southwest: 1 GOP Pickup / 1 Outstanding

Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08) Too close to call
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05) Defeated

South: 9 Re-elected / 12 GOP Pickups/ 1 Outstanding

Barrow, John (GA-12) Re-elected
Berry, Marion (AR-01) Retiring (seat won by GOP)
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02) Re-elected
Boren, Dan (OK-02) Re-elected
Boyd, Allen (FL-02) Defeated
Bright, Bobby (AL-02) Defeated
Chandler, Ben (KY-06) Too close to call
Childers, Travis (MS-01) Defeated
Cooper, Jim (TN-05) Re-elected
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28) Re-elected
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04) Defeated
Gordon, Bart (TN-06) Retiring (seat won by GOP)
Kratovil, Jr., Frank (MD-01) Defeated
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07) Re-elected
Marshall, Jim (GA-08) Defeated
Melancon, Charlie (LA-03) Ran for Senate (seat won by GOP)
Nye, Glenn (VA-02) Defeated
Ross, Mike (AR-04) Re-elected
Scott, David (GA-13) Re-elected
Shuler, Heath (NC-11) Re-elected
Tanner, John (TN-08) Retiring (seat won by GOP)
Taylor, Gene (MS-04) Defeated

Now is the time to start our campaigns to replace the Republicans and Tea Party members and the remaining Blue Dog Democrats with Progressive Democrats in 2012 and regain our control of the House of Representatives and maintain control of the Senate.

The #1 priority is John Boehner soon to be the Speaker of the House and 2nd in line for succession to the Presidency.

beatboehner2012 blog

[bindelh]

20. Of the 39 House Dems Who Voted Against Health Care

Only 12 Won Nov 2nd

Of the 39 Democrats who voted against health care reform,

20 lost their re-election bids

12 won

6 didn't seek re-election

and one, Parker Griffith, switched parties and still lost.

[liberalhistorian]

22. Look, while I agree that the Blue Dogs deserve to go down,

the loss of Stephanie for our state will be devastating, considering the wingnut dipshit tea-party know-nothing clueless hypocritical hateful vindictive take-us-back-forty-years bitch who defeated her. Stephanie has really pissed us Dems here off this past year, but she's still light-years better than the unbearable dolt who's replaced her. This state is really going to suffer as a result.

The only good thing is that the repub bitch is likely to do such a bad job, including totally ignoring the entire eastern half of the state in favor of the western half who carried her over to victory, that she'll hopefully be out in two years. And another good thing is that she barely squeaked by just barely two percent and a lot of people are pissed that she won, so she by no means has any kind of a mandate and if she tries to act like she does, she'll be smacked down.

[bindelh]

27. Yeah and in 2 years

that is what we need you to do but replace this Tea Bagette with a Non-Blue Dog Democrat or impress upon Steph that she needs to do the peoples bidding not Wall Street's or John Boehner's.

[liberalhistorian]

28. The problem is, in this state, she WAS doing

"the people's bidding." There is NO way a progressive Dem would ever win the lone congressional seat in this state. NO. WAY. We aren't New York or Massachusetts, or even Minnesota. We're South Dakota. Which means that those of us who are progressive Dems are up shit creek most of the time. She had a very fine, tight line to walk representing the entire state, which is one of the top five most conservative in the country. Even both houses of our state legislature are in the very tight, iron grip of republicans, there are few Dems and those few Dems have very little clout or power and they're mostly from the Indian reservations or the eastern, more "liberal" (or what passes for liberal in this state) part of the state.

If we had more than one congressional rep for the entire state, then it might be different. But we don't, we only have one. It did not matter that Stephanie was a Blue Dog who voted against much of Pelosi's agenda. She was still painted as an evil tax-and-spend liberal in the pocket of Pelosi. And that image won out in the end. No progressive Dem will ever win the lone congressional seat in this state, at least not for the next few decades. Even when things are really bad in this state, caused solely by repubs ('cause that's who's in power), it doesn't matter. People in this state are pavlovian when it comes to pubs, all you need is an R after your name.

[Canuckistanian]

32. I was glad to see Sandlin go

Not that I was happy to see a Repub take her place.

But she was elected with promises to be a progressive - and she raised a lot of money online with her ads on DKos and other progressive sites. I still remember them.

For her to become a 'Blue Dog leader' was galling to me.

[UrbScotty]

19. My brother and his girlfriend just moved there!

Two votes for Murray and - by my advice - two votes against Prop 1082! Winning votes!

I wish I could say the same for Michigan :-( - but we have nowhere to go but up!

[idahoblue]

25. As your neighbor to the east

I am envious. Idaho moved another notch to the right.:shrug:

[ribrepin]

26. I'm really glad to live in Washington

It looked like my representive was going to go down, but that's turned around now.