Democrat blames NY loss on sagging Obama popularity

[Cali_Democrat]

(Reuters) - A New York Democrat candidate blamed President Barack Obama on Thursday for his loss in a special election for a House of Representatives district that had been held by the Democrats for more than 80 years.

The Republican upset on Tuesday in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans three to one has rattled some Democrats ahead of the November 2012 presidential election.

David Weprin, a New York state assemblyman, said his loss in a race to replace disgraced Anthony Weiner, who resigned in a Twitter sex scandal, was an "unfortunate consequence" of a campaign that turned into a "referendum" on Obama's policies.

Republican Bob Turner, a retired media executive, won by six percentage points after urging discontented voters to send Obama a message. It is the first time the Republicans have won the heavily Jewish district since the 1920s.

Read More: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/15/us-usa-congress-weiner-idUSTRE78E7CY20110915

[ProSense]

1. More nonsensical hype

First, what's with the RW reference: "A New York Democrat candidate"?

Second:

<...>

ECONOMY TO BLAME

The special election also underscored Obama's potential weakness with Jewish voters, who will play a crucial role in important swing states such as Florida in 2012. Conservative Jewish voters traditionally back Democrats.

Prominent Democrats such as former New York City Mayor Ed Koch crossed party lines to protest Obama's stance on Israel.

Some critics say Obama has failed to sufficiently support Israel and object to his call for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations to use the Jewish state's pre-1967 borders as a starting point.

Turner's triumph, and a Republican victory in another special House election -- in Nevada -- boosted the Republican majority over Democrats in the House to 242-192.

<...>

Not a single mention of the economy. It appears the MSM tools are going to milk this loss for every drop of opportunity to push the GOP message.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Weprin:

"As much as I tried to make it about David Weprin or Bob Turner, I don't think that resonated to voters. I think that voters looked at it as a referendum on the president,"

[ProSense]

7. Wait

"As much as I tried to make it about David Weprin or Bob Turner, I don't think that resonated to voters. I think that voters looked at it as a referendum on the president,"

...so? Sounds like a failure on Weprin's part. And what were voters concerned about? Hint, it wasn't the economy as the article lamely tried to imply.

ECONOMY TO BLAME

The special election also underscored Obama's potential weakness with Jewish voters, who will play a crucial role in important swing states such as Florida in 2012. Conservative Jewish voters traditionally back Democrats.

Prominent Democrats such as former New York City Mayor Ed Koch crossed party lines to protest Obama's stance on Israel.

Some critics say Obama has failed to sufficiently support Israel and object to his call for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations to use the Jewish state's pre-1967 borders as a starting point.

[Cali_Democrat]

8. Of course it's Weprin's fault

First time the district has gone Republican in about 90 years. What's that, like 45 straight elections?

Everything is just fine. Obama is doing almost nothing wrong. Everything is just hunky dory. No need to panic.

It's all under control...just ignore the poll numbers and election results.

Nothing to see here...move along....

[RBInMaine]

10. Of course poll numbers will struggle in a struggling economy, but your reply is crap and here's why:

Everyone knows full well that people, who are generally low-information and low-thinking, will be angry when an economy is struggling. Do you think ANYONE is actually denying that? NO ONE is denying that anger over the economy was part of this loss. BUT, MUCH was also due to: a shitty Dem candidate, local issues like gay marriage the and the so called "ground zero mosque", and, most importantly, the small 20% turnout made up mostly of OLD, NARROW, SOCIALLY CONSERVATIVE, RELIGIOUS demographics. Younger and minority solid blue voters didn't fucking turn out. Typical.
They just stayed home and bitched. If you asked the average voter who says they don't like Obama's "economic policies" that really means "I'm mad about the economy and Obama is President so it must be his fault." The average low-information voter who thinks like that couldn't articulate what the policies are, don't understand the complexity of the global economy, and couldn't tell you what the Republican alternative plan is. It's all shit.

[Cali_Democrat]

11. So essentially it was because of:

- Low information and low thinking voters
- A shitty Dem candidate
- Local issues like gay marriage and the ground zero mosque
- Young people not turning out

Everything Obama is doing is just dandy. Nothing to see here....move along....

[ProSense]

15. Don't

"Everything Obama is doing is just dandy. Nothing to see here....move along...."

...give up. You'll find that story someday that turns everyone against the President.

Isn't Google great?

[totodeinhere]

20. Yes, but a lot of those same low information voters will be voting in 2012 as well.

After President Obama loses in 2012 will we be blaming low information voters for that loss too? And how many "Younger and minority solid blue voters (won't) fucking turn out" in 2012 too? That's why I do think that this election loss in NY9 is troubling in spite of how much some people try to sugarcoat it.

[ProSense]

13. I

"First time the district has gone Republican in about 90 years. What's that, like 45 straight elections? "

...see your 90 years, and raise you: Democrat Kathy Hochul Wins Upset In NY-26, Medicare Vote Key To Victory


Oh, and you really shouldn't do that.

[Jakes Progress]

19. Of course. It can't be Obama's. Why that would mean

that everyone wants bad things to happen. Cats living with dogs. Reign of terror.

Of course it's not Obama's fault. Those two words don't ever go together.

So. Don't worry. Don't think about it. Everything is fine. Everyone loves the president because he has been the bestest, most successful, most everything ever.

(Whew. Where do they get the energy?. It is exhausting keeping reality out of my mind even for a few seconds of sarcasm. How do they do it 24/7?)

[Historic NY]

24. Werpin didn't even live in the district.....

“My mother lives in the district, and I’ll be happy to go with her to vote,” said Weprin.

He would not, however, commit to moving into the district should he win the race.

[LiberalFighter]

18. It can't be anyone's fault except Weprin and his campaign staff.

Those conservative Jewish voters probably know something about Weprin too.

[CakeGrrl]

5. With a little help from some of DU, as the OP demonstrates.

:eyes:

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. Ditto!

"It appears the MSM tools are going to milk this loss for every drop of opportunity to push the GOP message."

And it appears they're getting a little help from the usual suspects on the left as well. ;)

[Lost-in-FL]

2. Some people should look in the mirror before making such statements. nt

[HockeyMom]

4. I don't believe in either

and I used to live in this district. It is just a local election. In some ways NY is very skitzo. They can elect a Republican and then turn around and vote Dems. Before he became an "Independent", what was Bloomberg? Does that make NYC, especially MANHATTAN, Republican? Look at LI. There is only ONE (Peter King) Republican who has been voted in for years, yet do they vote for Republicans in General Elections? NO.

NY, and especially NYC, does not fit the mold.

[BeyondGeography]

6. Whatta stand-up guy

[FrenchieCat]

12. Thanks for the positive news!

What would we do without you?
Be positive and shit? But of course, can't have that.
Keep forgetting your mission is to make sure you get to tell us
we are losing 2012 all throughout 2011-2012,
so that you can wag your finger and post many ops
of how you tried to warn us over and over and over and over
and over again, kind of like one of those "if you said enough, it might come true"
wish that you obviously have.

Too bad most facts are left out of that piece,
and we get to take the loser's excuse as to why he lost instead. :eyes:

[totodeinhere]

22. I'm sick and tired of this pervasive theme that anyone who posts anything negative about Obama

"wishes" he would lose. Why are there so many negative comments about Obama? It's because things are not going well and people are afraid. It's not that we wish he would lose. We "fear" he might lose and that is a much different dynamic. Just like James Carville said on CNN tonight, and I'm paraphrasing here, when you see that crowd at the last Republican debate it scares the hell out of you.

[ClarkUSA]

14. "Fundamentalism In NY-9 Wins Republicans Another Seat In Congress"

Read all about it: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x773560

[polichick]

16. Looks to me like it was all about Israel.

[tblue]

17. This seat should never have been open in the first place.

Weiner did a stupid, asinine thing, but it wasn't illegal and no one got hurt. So he should have been censured not run out of town. We don't have one Democratic seat to waste! But the Dem leadership (Obama and Pelosi) put the final nail in his coffin. I do blame them for putting this seat in jeopardy. And now look. Who in their right mind didn't understand this result was a real possibility? Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb!!!

[Generic Brad]

21. All politics are local

I suspect the voters were punishing the local Democratic party over Anthony Weiner more than they were the president.

[BklnDem75]

23. It can't be that he sucked as a candidate

It's obviously the next guy's fault, not his. :eyes:

[YellowCosmicSun]

25. The guy was a terrible candidate. No charisma whatsoever.