Daily Loaf

There were three main races that the nation’s political pundit class were focusing on yesterday as possible referendums on the state of the Obama Administration and the state of the nation.

So, with Republicans winning governors’ races in New Jersey and Virginia, but losing a highly focused Congressional race in upstate New York, what’s it all mean the day after? Read the rest of this entry »

The fabulously rich Democratic incumbent Governor Jon Corzine has been upset by the cheerfully overweight Republican challenger Chris Christie in New Jersey, MSNBC has reported. Maybe the Virginia election wasn’t a referendum on Obama, but New Jersey certainly could be viewed as such.

It’s a little early, however, (Howard Fineman, we’re talking to you) to see Corzine’s defeat as a rebuke of rich guys. Though Fineman was exulting at the closer-than-expected race for mayor in New York City, zillionaire incumbent Michael Bloomberg has been declared the victor in NYC, according to the New York Times.

In addition to tonight’s election for mayor and City Council in St. Pete, there are governors’ races in  New Jersey and Virginia this off-year election, which political analysts invariably call a referendum in part on the leadership in Washington.

I never heard that said as often before this decade, but I’m willing to go for that ride.

In 2001, a year after George W. Bush (barely) took over the White House, voters in Virginia and NJ voted for Democrats for governor, Mark Warner and James McGreevey respectively.  What did that portend for the Congressional elections in 2002?  Absolutely nothing, as it turned out, as the Republicans took more seats in the Congress.

Now it’s true in 2005 that the Dems took both of those states again in governor’s races (Tim Kaine and Jon Corzine, respectively), and then the Dems stunningly took back the House and Senate in 2006.  But I think most of you would agree that there were a few things out there, like the increasingly unpopular Iraq war, excessive government spending on the behalf of Republicans both in Congress and the White House, and what was known as the “culture of corruption” (Jack Abramoff and Mark Foley, come on down!) that played a far greater role in the Democrats’ success.

Read the rest of this entry »