Posted on 11/09/2005 4:50:09 PM PST by zbigreddogz
Let's just be honest about it: 2005 was a disaster for Republicans and conservatives.
No, we never really had a chance in Jersey, even though it looked like it, but we got beaten even worse then we should have.
Kilgore blew the Virginia race. Yes, Warner's popularity was big, and yes, it's an off year election, and no, Bush isn't at the height of his popularity, but this race was mainly Kilgore's fault. Why did this happen though? What made him think he could run Hitler ads and piss off the NRA and get away with it?
California was almost a complete disaster. We lost every initiative. Sure, we made the Unions blow their wad to beat it, but they got what they paied for.
Washington State was a disaster too. I-912, repealing the outrageously expensive gas tax hike to fund undefined, unaccountable transportation projects appears to have lost, and King County Executive Ron Sims, who essentially fixed the last Governor's race for Christine Gregoire (D), was re-elected as well.
Sure, there were bright spots. Bloomberg coasted to re-election (yes, I know he's a RINO on a lot of issues, but he's still FAR better then NY D's.), we won the Mayor's race in San Diego, which isn't a small matter, and the Manchester, NH mayor's race is very interesting too, seeming as how Kerry, Biden and such campaigned for the D.
But all said and done, it seems to me that this was a much worse year for us then 2001. This is like 2003 was for the Dems. Sure, they got a few neat things (Lousiana Governor's mansion, although I think they regret that now, and Philadelphia Mayor's race), but overall, it was a good year for us going into a very important year. It seems to me, we need to think of the implications of this year, and figure out what do to from here.
I don't think I'm being overly pessimistic, I'm not. I don't think the Dems are going to get either house back next year, but to make sure they don't, I think we need to reflect a little. These aren't simple 'Drive the RINO's out!' questions, or 'Run more moderates' or any such BS. Top down, what do we need to do differently?
A. You are simply wrong about Virginia. Kilgore lead throught the entire summer. We were not suppose to lose that. It was a tossup at worst, and a state we should have won at best.
B. You don't call 53%-43% in NJ a blowout? Forrester getting 4% less then Bush did in 2004? Especially with all the ethical clouds that haunted the D's? I'd sure like to know your definition of what a blowout is if that isn't a blowout.
It might not be a huge landslide, but it's certainly a very convincing win.
Apparently, Denial is just a river in Egypt to most freepers.
I didn't say panic, for the 19,000 time!
I said we need to think about this and do some serious reflection. If you think we had a good night, your dreaming.
Kilgore blew the lead with the debates after Labor day. Still, we elected an Lt. Governor and a Attorney General, holding 2 of 3 top positions when we just had one before the election.
The reason '86 IS relevant is that it was the mid-term election of Reagan's second term. '06 will be the mid-term election of Bush's second term. At that point in any Administration, the ever-fickle public looks elsewhere unless things are going their way. A lot of things today are not going the way an awful lot of people want. Bush and the GOP have a year to get their act together. They could start by showing the public their successes, the value of our troops' being in Iraq. They have to start tooting their own horn, cause they sure as hell aren't gonna get any help from the MSM.
The more he appeared in public, the worse it got for him.
I have met Kilgore, and I must say, his manner of speaking evokes......well.....he seemed a bit....effeminate to me. I know that he is a married man with kids, not a chance this guy is homosexual, he just has this strange way of speaking. His southwest Virginia accent must seem strange to the great majority of Virginians also.
Kilgore's attack ads also turned off a number of friends of mine who I know to be conservative Republicans. Republicans should learn from this one that we lose when we get down in the gutter with the dems. We have won many times without attacking the other side in a personal way, it's just something that the dems can do and get away with, and we can't.
Kaine ran as Warner II, and Warner actually governed quite conservatively. If we can take any solace from this defeat, it should be that we have brought the Virginia version of the Democratic party more toward the middle of the road.
I'm not sure we got whacked in 05. It looks like we're going to succeed in nominating two conservative justices to the SC. To me.... that's a lot more important than who the governor of New Jersey is. :)
That's all local stuff my friend. And Hackett had to run as a conservative to even get close to Schmidt, not the left wing jerk he is. Additionally, Jean Schmidt had offended a lot of people and was not a popular personality. The point is, these state and local races turn on local issues, local events and the personalities and campaign successes or failures of the candidates much more than anything that's going on at the national level. Sure you have some of the usual mental case suspects who will turn out to vote against anything Republican because they're consummed with their deranged Bush hate, but it's not as if those people would vote Republican anyway.
I'd answer you, had you not been a sarcastic jerk about it.
Of course there's work to be done. This is different from writing off 2006 entirely, which is what some people here seem to be doing.
When you have a choice between Dim and Dim light, Dim is going to win every time.
The choice is to put in a STRONG Conservative candidate and make the Dims look as foolish and communistic as they are.
Anything else will result in a loss for the GOP.
How is that being a sarcastic jerk?
If you don't think the resturant smoking ban is a violation of property rights...I don't know what to tell you.
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