Posted on 06/07/2006 2:40:21 AM PDT by RWR8189
A former Republican congressman narrowly beat his Democratic rival early Wednesday for the right to fill the House seat once held by imprisoned Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a race closely watched as a possible early barometer of next fall's vote.
Republican Brian Bilbray emerged victorious after a costly and contentious race against Democrat Francine Busby, a local school board member who ran against Cunningham in 2004.
With 90 percent of precincts reporting, Bilbray had 56,016 votes or 49.5 percent. Busby trailed with 51,202 votes or 45 percent. "I think that we're going back to Washington," Bilbray told a cheering crowd of supporters.
The race — one of dozens of election contests in eight states — was viewed by Democrats as an opportunity to capture a solidly Republican district and build momentum on their hopes to capture control of the House
And we can never allow ourselves to be in the position of depending upon a jumpinjimjeffords traitor.
That is hilarious. AP writer Robert Tanner's article starts out:
"On the biggest primary night of the election year, a Democrat emerged from a bitter primary to win the right to challenge Gov.Arnold Schwarzenegger"
Amazing! A Democrat won the Democrat primary.
Yep. That's really something for the headlines.
I don't particularly care for the man but compared to Lard Ass as Chairman he is a Solon.
Between patriotic parents and a strong high school civics background, I was raised to believe that I owed something back to my country. I was proud to serve.
he campaigned as a hardliner against illegals that was what the whole hubbub of McCain canceling a fundraiser for the guy was about.
I think his stance pushed him over the top. Other "Republicans" up for re-election might be wise to follow suit.
desired "inevitability" among the general public.
Agreed, and also they are getting a front page story when writing about the poll numbers.
That is news created by them!
The title of this article should be "Anti-Illegal Immigration Stance wins 50th House District."
This is the key! Candidates that wish to win in November need to take that position. Yes, it's divisive, but that is what elections are about...making choices.
Really.. there was zero evidence of that in the 2000 election, the 2002 election or the 2004 election. It is threatened in the 2006 election. And if it was true in the 2006 house election in California it proves that Republicans can win with out conservative support.
What the right accomplishes by sitting on their hands is to tell RINOs they must move to the left to win.
Let me give you an example. Say a race is tied 50/50 for the Republican and Democrat candidates. The right gets ticked and 6 of them don't vote. That makes the race 50/44 doesn't it. Now if the Republican appeals to just 3 DINOs and gets their votes it is now a 47 to 47 tie.
As you can see that every DINO votes won by a Republican is worth 2 Conservative votes on election day.
A Republican is much better off to lose 3 conservatives votes while picking up 3 DINO votes. That has the Republican winning 50 to 47. If just a tiny bit more than half the conservative vote lose is replaced by Dino votes, the Republican wins big time.
Conservatives don't understand that it only takes 500 thousand DINOs to replace one million conservatives. IT is not lost on the RINOs... in any state.
Many conservatives think by withholding their votes they will make RINOs change their stripes. That is not what happens. The RINOs just write off the Conservatives and go all out for the DINO vote.
Conservatives tend to cut off their noses to spite their faces.
If immigration is such a big issue why didn't Bilbray win big. Apparently only 49.5 percent of the voters though enough of Bilbrays position on immigration to vote for him.
If that is a Bilbray mandate then Bill Clinton had a mandate in 1992 and 1996 when he won with less than half the votes.
You can tell by reading FR that to those that care about immigration there is plenty of motivation for them to vote. But only 38 percent of the voters voted in the Bilbray election.
That means there is another 30 percent of the voters who were not motivated by immigration enough to even go vote.
You make the mistake of thinking that your feelings and dedication are the same as those for other voters. They are not.. The returns and turn out prove it.
Congressman Bilbray earth shattering election was a vote of "no confidence" on CIRA and the Presidents stand of immigration.
Congressman Bilbray should be proud of himself.
I respect your pride in having served the country when it called and said it needed you.
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