Forget the spin, check out GOP wins (Mark Steyn)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | November 16, 2003 | Mark Steyn

[livesbygrace]

after the midterm elections a year ago, I decided that ''liberal media bias'' was far more harmful to liberals than conservatives.

Just what I had been thinking!!!

[fish hawk]

great post, thanks. Just what we need, strong hope. These Holidays are going to be a lot nicer. (I was going to say Gayer but changed my mind) LOL

[Right_in_Virginia]

Great article!

[Samurai_Jack]

So what are we to make of the Democrats taking over the gubernatorial seat in louisiana?

[military cop]

If you check out CNN, I beleive the question is "Does Blanco's victory signal a turnaround to Democratic fortunes?"

Kinda falls in line with the point of the articles, doesn't it?

...and the answer to the question "Why bother looking at CNN?":

Know Your Enemy.

[chainsaw]

"Florida: Republicans up 6 points." (a 12 point swing)

"Minnesota: Republicans up 8 points." (a 16 point swing)

"Michigan: Republicans up 9 points." (an 18 point swing)

"Iowa: Republicans up 12 points." (a 24 point swing)

"Arkansas (home of the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library): Republicans up 15 points." (a 30 point swing)

The in-sink-erator state (Arknsas) slays me.

Where the republicans increase the democrats decrease a corresponding amount. Ya gotta love the Daschle/Clinton buffoons in Washington. Clinton is ruining the democratic party and they cannot see it because they Hate Bush so much they are blinded to what's going on in America.

[auboy]

Local fluke?:-)

[Right_in_Virginia]

Not much.

[elli1]

I don't make much of it either. Jindal had a lot of negatives as far as "electability" is concerned. Not white, only 32 years old, extreme anti-abortion stance (against abortion even in cases of incest & rape), Roman Catholic... And, I'll even add that his being a Rhodes scholar is something of a negative taken in the context of bubba & clark. My opinion is that his views on abortion were a deciding factor--even some pro-lifers would disagree w/ his position.

[Teacher317]

So what are we to make of the Democrats taking over the gubernatorial seat in louisiana?

1. You can't win 'em all
2. The Dems cheated enough to take it
3. In 18 of the last 21 elections where the incumbent was NOT running, the opposing party won... so this is simply that trend (against the incumbent's party but not the incumbent themselves) continuing. (Saw this on another thread, and it makes the most sense to me, as much as I would enjoy seeing the GOP continue to roll)
4. This race wasn't hyped as a Bush Economy referendum... making it ridiculously apparent (possibly even to Dem strategists!) that theirs has been a failing strategy
5. Louisiana is always a little flaky. ;^)

[ExSoldier]

Okay...but what did the RAT say in her race about the RAT positions on guns? And is the Loooosiana legislature still pro-gun enough so as not to allow any advancement of a gun control agenda?

[gbaker]

Not white, only 32 years old, extreme anti-abortion stance (against abortion even in cases of incest & rape), >>

You make some good points but it doesn't explain the polling. Personally I think the GOP needs to understand the power of negative advertising used in the last week or two before the election. This is why the undecided (read politically ignorant) broke for Gore in the last week, could have sunk Arnold (except for his star power), and did get Jindal. Lessons hopefully to be learned for 2004. Do I advocate negative advertising? Yes, but mainly right a the end before the media can make much of an issue of it.

[billhilly]

And the democrats still believe Bill Clinton is their savior. When they finally wake up to the fact that their demise was hastened by about a decade by those eight Clinton years it will be too late.

[sonsofliberty2000]

Move along. Nothing to see here.

Patriot Paradox

[gitmo]

May all conservatives and no liberals get the message presented here.

[Samurai_Jack]

My opinion is that his views on abortion were a deciding factor--even some pro-lifers would disagree w/ his position.

Oh yeah, I didnt realize that Jindal was running on the extreme anti-abortion stance. Extremism on either side in these times requires a surrender of judgement.

[hobson]

Here is what Zell Miller points out in his book:

In 2004, if we have the exact same popular-vote split between the Democratic and Republican candidates, and if these candidates win the same states, the Electorial College margin for the Republican will get bigger. How much bigger? The Republican candidate would have a majority in the Electoral College not by four electors, as George W. Bush did in 2000, but by eighteen.

His book is great! I highly recommend it.

[Dane]

So what are we to make of the Democrats taking over the gubernatorial seat in louisiana?

That the new governor elect acted like a Republican, especially on the 2nd amendment and abortion.

[Republic If You Can Keep It]

So what are we to make of the Democrats taking over the gubernatorial seat in louisiana?

Not much.

Mary Landreau won while the Dems lost Senate seats overall in 2002.

Now Louisiana has elected a Dem governor while 3 others (Ky., Ms. & Cal.) have just gone the other way.

[Tacis]

The dem win in Louisiana is easily explained. The dems brought in a hired gun. They hired that guy you see on TV who talks to folks "on the other side." those who have passed on to their eternal rewards. He was able to get thousands of them to put down the glories of heaven for a few moments and vote for the dem. The dead vote gives the dems a 2 to 5% cushion, the media (through premature announcement that encourage the lefties and disuade the good guys), another 1 or 2 %.