November 05, 2008
Final Thought of the Evening
As I mentioned in the Reichert v. Burner thread, I'm hitting the hay now given the slow pace of vote counting in King & Pierce. See you in the morning on that one.
For now, a preliminary thought on an assortment of post-mortems. Watching results in key states throughout the evening, the biggest shifts from 2004 in major battlegrounds seemed to occur in suburban counties - almost universally. These are areas hardest hit by the housing market going south and most alarmed by sinking 401(k)'s. Simply put, those voters punished the party in the White House for those facts, both in the Presidential race and on down the ballot - fairly or not.
Meaning, national Republicans better come prepared in coming months and years to speak to those voters with vigor on the issues about which those constituencies care. Locally, it created a very bad situation for Dino Rossi and complicated life for most other Republicans in the Puget Sound suburbs.
More later.
Posted by Eric Earling at November 05, 2008
12:18 AM | Email This
1. Eric - huh? Republicans don't exist anymore. It's over. America has become the United Soviet States. Start making your exile plans now.
2. I blame Mike Huckabee for this. Because of him, McCain was the nominee over Romney. Had Romney been the nominee, he would have been better able to address the economic issues. Now it sounds like Huckabee and his huge ego is going to try to start a rift in the party between the free market folks and the social folks.
3. 'Speaking' to people is becoming less effective of late than doing something.
But I'd guess you'd need a clue as to what needs to be done, eh?
Which you MOST obviously do not and never will.
Good night, sweet prince...
4. headless - keep up that smack. Blowback is coming soon and it will be frightening.
5. Crusader: This WAS the blowback.
6. The libs are right about one thing: The GOP needs to get some ideas in play.
Time to be honest: McCain didn't really offer any ideas this go-round. What few he did, he didn't communicate very well. Obama offered some ideas (bad ones, IMO, but ideas nonetheless) and a steadying hand for the electorate.
People respond to symbolic gestures. Obama made them, McCain did not, despite his pleas.
The state GOP is a joke. It's time to stop running on the 3G's and get our (superior) ideas in play. Else we're looking at the 1940's in terms of electoral power all over again.
7. SteveM, what are those Republican ideas? I see one big one -- "my opponent is going to raise your taxes" -- and not much else. McCain and Rossi hit that one pretty hard. But it was like white noise. I don't know if anyone even heard it this time. Other than that, the big idea seems to be that R's are for smaller government. But what's big government? Is it the Medicare prescription drug program or is it warrantless wiretapping? Does DSHS interfere too much or not enough? Light rail is big government but road building is not? Can the low taxes/small government argument be played out?
8. Looks like Reichert just pulled ahead by a hair, after lagging by sixty votes. The unqualifieds may yet fail to sweep us.
9. It never ceases to amaze me how people are easily fooled. The people in the burbs that are blaming republicans believed the lies. Republicans have tried to restrain the D's no no avail.
Welcome to the state of totally screwed.
10. SIR DINO: Classless, my man...simply classless; you really need to face reality and move on from your conspiratorial-bent thought process and reach out to reality. I gave you more credit than that; guess I might have been wrong. Have a good life.
11. How long before George Soros (aka puppetmaster) starts pulling his own personal marionette's strings?
12. Folks -- go where? There is no other "where" --
13. As of 0310 PST, Reichert only has less than a 400 vote lead, well within the ability of king county to manufacture enough votes to make up the difference...
14. Well - I wake up today ecstatic! Most of the races have broken in favor of the left. Finally this country has come to realize (at least temporarily) what a mistake it was to give power to the conservatives.
You conservatives have now been rendered IRRELEVANT.
Hooray!
15. Top priorities for the Obama/Gregoire team:
1. Get a new pro basketball team for Seattle.
2. Do something about the dismal records of our existing pro/college teams.
:)
...Oh, you mean the economy should come first?
16. Which bureaucracy do I contact to ask for an investigation into the voter fraud? Oh wait, I'll just ask the "civilian policeman" Obama promised when he comes to check on us.
17. Well folks. The fat lady has sung. Not just for Obama, but for America. IMO the vote will never again be relevant and the Republicans will never again hold power. We will, in the future, be told who we will be allowed to vote for, not that it sort of hasn't already been that way; but all pretense will be gone. With the efforts of Acorn paying off in ways beyond just electing Obama, and the left's penchant for using any means to obtain their goals, there will not, at least in the next four years be anything done to ensure that your vote is inviolate. Why should the party in power do anything but make sure that if anything it is even easier to engineer election victories. This is the reality, the communists have defeated us without firing a shot.
18. No Duffie...
State income tax..
Watch for it.
19. "Which bureaucracy do I contact to ask for an investigation into the voter fraud?"
MrsMusicMan - Get a clue will you. The first step to recovery is to admit that you have a problem.
Don't go putting your conspiracy theories out there with no basis in reality.
20. Yeah, any more talk about voting conspiracy herein is akin to pissing directly into the wind. Get TF over it; move along. :)
21. Well for me... I'm going to enjoy the next 2 years.
The dem's want to spend, spend & spend... Tax all the rich you want, but there just isn't enough of them.. So you can kiss off the tax break.
I wonder if were looking at the Clinton years (first two) He promsed it but as the econ went in the hole he never did. It took the REP to take over congress to make the econ take off and yes the tax break!
22. Reichert lead now nearly at 900 according to the SOS web site as of 6:26am (last update).
Vote Vote %
68,746 / 49.68 % - Ditzy Burnout
69,627 / 50.32 % - Dave Reichert
If the turnips in this state didn't choose to dethrone the Queen after 4 years of miserable leadership and ever increasing state fiscal debt, they don't deserve a guy like Rossi that was capable of cleaning it up.
The blue bubble of ignorance continues.
23. Has any one heard whether Nader and/or Barr conceded?...did they get ANY votes...are they holding out for a re-count? :)
24. A very gracious speech just delivered by POTUS Bush. Note to Dino: Take a Lesson!!!
25. Finally...we are free of eight years of bungling incompetence. Finally, we now have an intelligent, articulate president who can lead. A president who won not only in traditional blue states, but in formerly deep red states like Indiana, Virginia, and North Carolina.
We now have a new "Great Communicator".
Conservatives had their chance. They controlled all three branches of government for 6 years, and managed to completely FUBAR the economy, and our world prestige. The American people recognized this, and gave the Democrats a mandate for change.
26. Proteus;
Did you know that the moniker you have chosen is an organism in feces that makes poop smell like poop. Just thought you ought to know.
27. Who won the 'poll' competition?...is it Rasmussen at +6 ?
28. "We now have a new 'Great Communicator'."
...uh, uh, uh, ummm, ummm when not in front of a teleprompter hardly qualifies as a great communicator.
...and Duffman, let it go...you got the Queen back on the throne so quit whining about Dino.
29. #30 Rick, I actually voted for Dino; I just don't understand his lack of class, when the Gov reached out to him last night and graciously thanked him for running and for all that he's done for the State of Washington. His 'head-in-the-sand' demeanor showed total lack of class. He could have at the very least 'provisionally' conceded and/or congratulated the Governor. Someone I voted for disappointed me...I shan't let it go...or ever forget. He's off my Xmas card list! :)
30. Duffie...
What happen to YOUR lady 'BILLARY' LOL
She won't be back in 4 years.
I look FWD to the next 2 years... As I said before, this is Clinton all over again.
remember the saying about who laughs first. (-:
31. Yes AM/V I was a bit off on Hillary...thanks for reminding me - but I was dead-on on the Obama campaign, even predicting the landslide.
I would like to see a woman POTUS in my life time, as I am certainly proud to bear witness to this extraordinary historic American achievement. We'll see what happens with this; I'll give BHO the benefit of any doubt I might have at this point. I do believe America has risen in the eyes of the world. :)
32. Well folks, if you believe like I really do, the battle has just begun. It will be more difficult, that is for sure. If you are like me and truly believe the combination of Obama, Reid and Pelosi with huge majorities are bad for the country (after all, that was what we were trying to educate the liberals on), then be cool on the bickering and just focus on the issue at hand.
The worst that anyone can do right now is write the obituary for conservative types or plan on how to get elected and restore the power. The important thing is to go after the prize- maintaining the US of A as the greatest country in the world. It will be tough with these clowns in office, but elections have consequences.
33. I'm not worried. I remember LBJ and the dem's in control and the mess they left us. Then came Carter and the dem control and the BIG mess they left us. Along came Clinton and in two years with dem control our econ was flat, until the rep took over and we came out of the mess.
Obama and the dem's have promised way to much and it won't work...
So I'll sit back, enjoy my glass of wine and enjoy.
But for my REP party. QUIT acting like dem's and don't don't think they are your friends.. (McCain listen up)
34. @ 31 Duffman, I imagine he's still smarting from the below the belt partisan and completely frivolous lawsuit leveled at him by Gregoire surrogates causing him to waste his time and energy testifying to bogus charges so close to the election. Gregoire couldn't run on her dismal record so she just threw everything but the kitchen sink in the kind of gutter politics that American's say they are tired of.
At least acknowledge that his disdain for the Governor is fairly well grounded in political reality. Besides, I would imagine a concession will be forthcoming today and he will likely do just as you are asking for, just not on yours or the Queen's timetable. :)
35. Duff..
I'm looking at the numbers and Obama didn't get huge numbers on the popular vote.
36. Any thing over +300 electoral votes tends to be considered a 'landslide' victory...at least in the eyes of the pudits. :)
37. Duff.... Please!!!
How many times have we heard the dem's crying about the popular vote.
Remember after both the 2000 & 2004 election.
The dem's wanted to vote by popular only!
You noticed how quiet they are now.
DUDE, really stop being dumb on this one. 0-:
38. AM/V ...and +7-Mil votes is nothing to sneeze at (
unless your Sir Dino)... :)
Come on...you KNOW it was a landslide...caught up in the blue wave
39. I believe this election will result in a state income tax. Look for it next year, the Dems have been waiting for a "tax mandate" and I think they will believe they have one. With all the tax measures easily passing, all the pro tax candidates winning, a governor who doesn't have to worry about reelection and an overwhelming majority in both houses, the time is right.
40. Well Medic, I am worried. I told the kids they better enjoy their snowmobiling this year because it may be the last or next to last. Lots and lots of little stuff will come down the pike. Snowmobiling was scheduled for the scrapheap in 2000 but Bush put it all on hold.
Obama is scheduled to look across the aisle for help and is looking at - Lincoln Chafee?
I agree with Obama in that this was a moment- when the losers the past two general elections got their revenge. It was meant to be. We have to be sure we educate the young kids on how bad the policies of the three-headed monster really are.
Channel 13 had an interview on this morning. The young lady said that the election of Obama meant that from now on, the money is going to the college kids and the poor. She is totally oblivious that people like me are going to opt out of her free charity program. I don't know where she and Obama are going to get the money.
I'm ready for the battle. But, I am also ready for the miniscule chance Obama is the real deal and would be in his court. He is such an unknown.
41. ...a quote from the pundits, AM/V...read it and weep. :)
'And Obama scored an Electoral College landslide that redrew America's political dynamics. He won states that reliably voted Republican in presidential elections, such as Indiana and Virginia, which hadn't supported a Democratic candidate in 44 years. Ohio and Florida, key to President Bush's twin victories, also went for Obama, as did Pennsylvania, which McCain had deemed crucial for his election hopes.'
42. Your right Swatter.
Watch for more of our open land to be shut off. I saw it in Calif in the middle of NO-where.