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?
You are exactly right.
He put the 'R' after his name because he didn't have the guts to get into the democrat primary.
And the ballot initiatives in Ohio, put there by Moveon.org?????????? Care to discuss that mood?
First Republicans need to stop discounting these rumblings. That's what the dems did. There are cracks in the base.
I know King County was a longshot in theory, but the bottom line is that the polls were even for most of the race, and we lost in a landslide.
We lost virtually every race more then we thought we should lose it by.
That isn't good news. Had we merely LOST all these races, I wouldn't have worried as much. But we lost them more then it appeared we would. EVERY one of them. NJ, VA, King County, etc.
Again, I AM NOT TRYING TO BE A DOOMSAYER, but I think some honest reflection here, not merely shrugging it off, is wise.
I don't mean to be Pollyanna, and it would have been nice to get the governorship back in VA, but I see the glass as half full. What did the democrats gain? One house seat. Big screaming deal. The Republicans, on the other hand, pick up the Lieutenent Governorship. Not bad. New Jersey is a cesspool. What did you expect? Good judgement? And the way I see it, clobbering Ohio's propositions kind of cancels out the clobbering of California's props. Just one take.
Even the local media are not reporting the significance.... but they also reported the Major Hackett loss as a win.
Your willing to sacrifice property rights to get rid of a monorail?
OOKKKKK. If you say so.
Well remember, there's not much for them to get excited about. Any port in the storm.
I am one depressed Virginia Beach citizen.
Sorry the results were STATUS QUO and any other interpertation is so much HYPE.
Why are you trying to spin this into something it isn't?
Outside a few big blue cities and metropolitan areas there is no enthusiasm for the Democrats and their agenda. None.
Hackett lost.
That's a more sane position then most of the people on this board, the only problem is, that California is about to drive over a cliff. Ohio merely has a cold.
If Arnold is lucky, he'll spend the next 5 years vetoing everything while desperately hoping we have a new dot.com like boom to keep the state from falling into the atlantic, economically speaking. What else is he going to do? The D's in Sacramento aren't going to budge, they can't lose, so why should they?
And California is such a huge part of our population, that'll drag the whole country down.
Beating the Democrats simply to put in a Democrat with an R after his name? Nope, don't gove a damn about that.
You're the spinner.
Bullsh!t, we did great.
the left and their government employee buddies had to beg and borrow to come up with 20% of a billion to spend against propositions here in California.
The can NOT sustain this spending in elections and are going to collapse.
We need to put up a bunch of propositions that will cause the left massive brown spots in their shorts and let them bankrupt themselves trying to buy ads that lie the voter.
This is going to destroy the cancer that is the left in California the same way Reagan beat the other evil empire.
Welcome to Free Republic and I do agree with you about ignoring the rumblings. I am afraid the Republican party will split in 2008 like the Dems did in 2004.
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