This NY seat has been republican since the Civil War! Winning there means nothing

That it was at *ALL* competitive is *BAAAAAD* news for the nutball wing* of the GOP.  And Owens may *STILL* win.

(*Which currently comprises about 94.2 percent of the party...  As someone noted recently:  "Observe what the Republicans are doing to themselves.  Don't do that.")

The only reason 0bama picked McHugh to be Secretary of the Army was because he thought they could put a Democrat into Congress from this district. The NY 23rd voted for 0bama last fall.  The dummies in charge at the GOP have gotten a wake up call as to how electible candidates that try to imitate liberal Democrats are.  The fact that Scuzzyfava endorsed the Democrat proves the conservatives were right all along. 

Well said, Dril. Indeed the GOP badly miscalculated how the liberal Scuzzyfava would go over with the party's base. Thankfully RNC Chairman Michael Steele had nothing to do with that and he will work to make sure the party doesn't pull anymore stunts like that.

Oh, there's one other issue on tap tomorrow ... the vote to overturn Maine's gay marriage law. It'll be a close one but a leader of the "people's veto" effort is predicting a win: http://www.everydaychristia...

Doesn't this bring back fond memories of Yes on 8?

I think the best thing for the United States would be wins by Hoffman, Christie and McDonnell.

I hope the LGBTQ Community in Maine doesn't have to pay a Prop 8 - like price for this piece of political headlining, but those governor's chairs are a small price to pay for reminding the rest of the country that the madness they voted out last year is still alive and well.

Christie's chances aren't that good, but McDonnell is probable and Hoffman is strong. However, two of the three are strong enough a reminder to moderates and liberals across the country: don't fall asleep at the wheel!!

Perhaps it won't be the wins by McDonnell and Hoffman that will keep the Democrats on their toes. It may instead be the radicals whom Obama is the frontman for who will get his voters to think twice about just what kind of change they're bargaining for the next time they get irrationally ticked off at someone like Bush.

If Americans want a theocracy, and a repudiation of every principle the country was founded on, they should continue to vote for extremists like Hoffman. The dream of theocrats is that words like pluralism and diversity will be as vile as liberalism is today in the coming years. Scapegoat, terrorize and name call all opponents who do not think along the fundamental litmus line. Create an Army of God to force the singular vision on the public. Let America become like every other despotic Middle Eastern nation under religious rule. All the men will have all the guns and all women will be under their thumbs.

If Americans want a theocracy, and a repudiation of every principle the country was founded on

They don't...thank Zeus. 

And "unchurched," including us rational atheist types, is the fastest-growing segment of the population.  The days when a former Nazi in the Vatican can dictate American politics are, thankfully, over.

Just saw some numbers on NY-23:  Democrats haven't polled more than 37 percent there in a congressional race in 30 years.  Look for Owens to break through that in a big way. 

I wonder what the numbers will be like *NEXT* year...especially if we run Scozzafava. 

If you strike us down, we will become more powerful than you can imagine...

The extremists repudiating every principle the country was founded on is in left field, my friends. They're the ones making the moderate Democrats go wobbly on you, as the Creative Minority Report notes:

Threaten The Only Thing They Care About

Why is today important?

Because it might scare the Democrats. That's why.

If Virginia and NY-23 go GOP, Democrat leadership can quell any nervousness among "moderate" Democrats just by saying "there there my wobbly colleague, those two areas simply returned to the way they'd been voting for decades. Those two races just show that Obama's coattails aren't big enough to cover the entire country. But you'll be fine."

But if blue New Jersey goes red a week after Obama visited there, scaredy-cat Democrats might just start wondering if Obama's coattails might be poisonous. Because that means nobody is safe.

And that's what any opponent of Obamacare wants.

The Hill reports:

Centrist Blue Dog Democrats might see their position strengthened if Democrats suffer broader electoral losses, one Blue Dog member suggested Tuesday.

Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) argued that an election night rebuke for Democratic candidates across the nation could lead some in the party to rethink their plans on healthcare reform and other issues.

"It looks as though the anger that has been boiling up the last couple of months is going to lead to a pretty high turnout from Republicans and from people who are concerned about increased spending," Altmire said Monday evening during an appearance on Fox Business Network.

"And I do think that if the results show Republicans have a pretty good night, that probably is going to lead some Democrats to think that, going into next year, we need to take a second look at the way that we've done a lot of bills we've addressed up to this point," the Pennsylvania congressman added.

Altmire himself said he's unsure whether he'll support the healthcare legislation.

Look, the only thing many of these legislators care about is staying in office. That's it. The only threat they respond to is one sizable enough to threaten their job security. Along with the thousands of calls and letter coming into the Capitol, a seismic political shift like a Republican clean sweep would see wobbly Democrats getting wobblier and wobblier on controversial issues such as healthcare.

Djembe/Taoking, since you're so fond of pointing out hypocrisies, I thought I would share this doozy courtesy of Catholic League's Bill Donohue with you. Now who are the theocrats? Enjoy!

KERRY AND KENNEDY FUND RELIGION

November 3, 2009
 

The following quote appears in today’s Los Angeles Times:

“Backed by some of the most powerful members of the Senate, a little-noticed provision in the healthcare overhaul bill would require insurers to consider covering Christian Science prayer treatments as medical expenses. The provision was inserted by Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) with the support of Democratic Sens. John F. Kerry and the late Edward M. Kennedy, both of Massachusetts, home to the headquarters of the Church of Christ, Scientist.”

The following are past quotes from Sen. Kerry:

“There is a separation of church and state in America and we have prided ourselves about that all of my lifetime, all of our history.”

“I believe that I can’t legislate or transfer to another American citizen my article of faith.”

The following are past quotes from the late Sen. Kennedy:

“The separation of church and state can sometimes be frustrating for women and men of deep religious faith. They may be tempted to misuse government in order to impose a value which they cannot persuade others to accept.”

“I do not assume…that my convictions about religion should command any greater respect than any other faith in this pluralistic society.”

Catholic League president Bill Donohue had this to say:

Finally, Kerry and Kennedy found a religion they could publicly endorse and whose beliefs they find worthy of a federal subsidy.

Halloween may be over, but the Democratic zombies have been partying since Bush returned to the ranch for good:  http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Today's elections bring hope that they will wake up a bit and change their radical ways, but this Hope shows that nothing ever changes: http://www.snopes.com/polit...

Gee, Pax, you made them all look like Catholic priests fantasizing about the altar boys.  Can't you tone it down a little?

Pax, you are ......, nothing I can say can describe you and keep me on this blog. How does dj, Tao, et al, get knocked off and you are still here?

BTW, you posted something last week about the Bishop's letter to be read at Mass. I checked it out at the Diocese of Fresno website and as usual, you are completely wrong. It was a very inoccuous piece which was not controversial.

Pax, you are ......, nothing I can say can describe you and keep me on this blog

He's a cult member.  They tell him what positions he can hold.

The police had to be called to handle his chosen candidate's rabid "supporters."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsm...

The Republican party is letting the inmates run the institution.  GOP moderates are afraid of disenfranchising this noisy, emotionally childish group so they placate them. 

Dirty politics in America (Dick Nixon hold the franchise) just got dirtier.  

The Republican party is letting the inmates run the institution. 

And running them for office.  

Tim Pawlenty  (who plays Kenny the intern guy on 30 Rock) couldn't bring himself to claim Olympia Snowe as a fellow Republican the other night.

 GOP moderates are afraid of disenfranchising this noisy, emotionally childish group so they placate are abandoning them. 

Sorry Ray.  I wish that were true, but I'm afraid its not.  In thier fear that they won't be re elected they'll cater to the Limbaughs, Becks, OReillys, and Hannity's.

And the ones who can't stomach catering to that bag of baboons will create a new party.

  they'll cater to the Limbaughs, Becks, OReillys, and Hannity's.

Advantage Obama.

meep meep

I read a report that only 20% of Americans identify themselves as Republicans now.  Right wing wackos make up only 30% of that group.  But they get 100% of the attention. 

In fairness, I have to say that the % of Americans who say they are Democrats has also dropped.

My thinking is that a lot of people are fed up with both party lines.

That's the idea I got from the article I read.   The Independent party is growing. 

Let's form our own party Nancy.  The Salty Old Ladies Party.  or SOL.  (sun worshippers).

Pollster.com was the source of that 20% mark but that was last week. The Dems have actually experienced a mild recovery from a year ago.

http://www.pollster.com/fla...>This week:

I read this AM that only 33% of voters identify with Democrats, all the same, that is better than 20 %. The Republicans will make themselves irrelevant if they continue on this path. There is no such thing today as a moderate Republican like Rockefeller or Ford. 

The Fox survey is missing from the list.  That number would make the republican average 60%.

What is more telling about the GOP is geography. Of those who identify as Republican, over 90% of them live in the traditional Old South, almost indistinguishable from the division of our country during the Civil War.  That's a demographic that is popping up in virtually every measure of political climate, whether it's a measure of social or political issues.

Inside that geographic area Obama's favorability rating is in the low 20s.  Outside?  About 67% favorability.

Obama favorability: http://www.pollster.com/pol...

EDIT:  Another thing you have to understand about Pollster's graphs is how Rasmussen skews the analysis.  Rasmussen polls on "likely voters" and they have a formula that, inexplicably, finds Republicans to be more likely voters.  So, those who report the Pollster tabulations have taken to removing the results reported by Rasmussen to see how things trend and the results are pretty amazingly different. In **all** cases, Obama/Dems trend upward and GOP trends downward.

And then, this . . .from the people, the majority of which don't believe Obama was born in the United States.

 http://theplumline.whorunsg...

CNN Poll: Majority Of Southerners Says Obama Has Done Better Job Than Bush

My thinking is that a lot of people are fed up with both party lines.

Is that why Hoffman ran as a Republican, lost in the causus vote and then ran on the Conservative Party ticket?

Hoffman was content with Republicans until he lost.

Although the district votes Republican, they vote for moderate Republicans. I will be surprised if an extremist like Hoffman wins. And there's the disenfranchised voters who will still vote for Scozzafava (and from reading the comments in the local newspaper online, there's a lot of them), not to mention the absentee ballots with Scozzafava votes.

And as far as your poll goes:

But the newfound allies of Hoffman and the Republican National Committee had best hold off on the champagne purchases. The undecided voters there have doubled to nearly 1 in 5, making the final hours volatile.

Audrey, I'll go for the Salty Old Ladies.I like that.

TSM, if you were talking to me, I didn't post a poll I posted an opinion.  Sory, no links to my brain.  :-)

At least the conservatives don't sell out on their principles and will do something about those who do, as the GOP "moderates" will quickly find out: http://news.yahoo.com/s/pol...

Pogo, I don't know what you're talking about, but I also saw the memo from the bishops and it's clear they want the flock to grab a stake and plunge it into the heart of the foul-smelling beast known as Obamacare (or Pelosicare, for that matter): http://www.calcatholic.com/...

At least the conservatives don't sell out on their

You're assuming, of course, that all conservatives have principals while no liberal does.   

You're opening the door for people on both sides to cut and paste long lists of politicans who'll prove you wrong.

What you'll see is conservative extremists losing primaries in moderate districts and run in the general election as a third party (like Hoffman) splitting the vote, giving the elections to Democrats.

TSM

That's an insightful conclusion.

So be it. The so-called "moderates" will then have to decide whether they want to vote for the radicals on left or the traditionalists on the right if they're unable to get someone like Hillary, McCain or Scozzafava to strike a happy medium.

You guys should try this for a little love and fellowship.  They even talked a llittle politics as one lady said she bought a pineapple upside down cake at a voting bake sale.

 http://chatboards.ebay.com/...

The so-called "moderates" will then have to decide whether they want to vote for the radicals on left or the traditionalists on the right

They'll go to the left, given that choice.

There were two special Congressional elections today.  Republicans lost them both.

Haven't heard anything of the sort about the congressional races, but McDonnell did roll to a big win for the Virginia governorship: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/...

Uh, oh ... that can only mean good news for the party of Reagan, not the party of Nixon or anyone else to the left of him. 

Chickens?  Eggs?  I think you're a bit early on your counting, there, Pax.

Deeds shouldna come out so wishy-washy on the public option, though.  Bad move.

It's *WAY* early, but it looks like you guys can't even count on the bigot vote anymore, judging from Maine.

"As Maine goes..."

Woo hoo! Well done, McDonnell! Congratulations to Christie in New Jersey as well. Obama hasn't done his party any favors; this is a backlash from moderates who loathe his extremist agenda.  

Pax -- No matter what happens, I liked your picture "cubes."  All the subjects are so photogenic. 

Yeah, you can always count on Photoshop to substitute for, you know, actual *THOUGHT*...

Still too early to congratulate Christie.  He pee'd away a large lead thanks to his incompetence.

Christie wins in New Jersey.   0bama came, he campaigned, and he was repudiated at the polls.

Maybe the media can shrug it off to "angry white males" again.  Ha!

Democrats sitting on the fence over the health care debacle will start easing away from the 0bama\Pelosi\Reid extreme.  

Those party affiliation polls don't carry much weight when Gallup shows that twice as many people identify themselves as conservative as those that identify themselves as liberal.

1,  It's Gallup.  Cum grano salis.

2.  Lots of those people self-identifying as "conservative" *ALSO* want environmental regulation, good support for schools, and a public option in health care.

Hoffman may yet win in NY-23...but as of now he's *STILL* behind the Democrat.  Best Democratic showing in the district in thirty years.  Thanks, teabaggers.  Can you do it nationally too, and endanger some *MORE* GOP strongholds?  KTHXBAI.