Posted on 03/12/2014 5:55:05 AM PDT by Hojczyk
If I'm a Democratic House member in any competitive district in America or a Democratic incumbent senator up for re-election this year in a moderate-to-conservative state like North Carolina, Arkansas, Colorado, Alaska or Louisiana, I'm waking up more than a little anxious about what happened in Pinellas County on Tuesday.
In Alex Sink, Democrats had a better-funded, well-known nominee who ran a strong campaign against a little-known, second- or third-tier Republican who ran an often wobbly race in a district Barack Obama won twice. Outside Republican groups — much more so than the under-funded Jolly campaign — hung the Affordable Care Act and President Obama on Sink.
It worked. A special election always promised to be tough for Democrats. Given the president's approval ratings, November is likely to be challenging, too, but if Sink opts to run again she at least could be assured a stronger Democratic turnout.
On the other hand, Roll Call has a statistic likely to give the former banking executive pause about taking on Jolly a second time: So far this century, 85 percent of congressional special-election winners win at least two subsequent general elections.
Two invisible political players stand out in this race: Obama and Gov. Rick Scott. Both sides wanted them as far away from Pinellas County as possible.
In their stead, Bill Clinton starred in robocalls for Sink, and Jeb Bush starred in TV ads and mailers for Jolly. Maybe that's yet another sign that Clinton and Bush remain the most formidable names in politics.
Let’s hope. Get out the vote is the primary function of elections. We really didn’t win by a ton. Thank God that the Democrats were so lazy yesterday.
It must be really bad... The paper is a democrat rag....
How appropriate.
I don’t think Bush had much to do with Jolly’s win - mostly it was a rejection of obamacare, and the democrats didn’t have an opportunity to “count the votes” ...
Hopefully,seniors will vote Republican in droves nationwide.
The question that every Democrat House or Senate should be forced to openly answer in front of the public and media....”Did you, or did you not vote for Obamacare in 2010?”. Case closed!!!!
It's a district that's been trending blue, so a loss wouldn't have been a loss for the Republicans, but a loss is very definitely a loss for the Democrats.
Bodes well for Republican chances in November -- IF they can get out of their circular firing squad. IF they retake the Senate, Obama is pretty much a lame duck, like Bush 43 was his last 2 years.
Obamacare will be in 2014 for Democrats what Watergate was in 1974 for Republicans. The Democrats not only passed a bad law that seriously disrupted heath care, but showed pompous arrogance when they refused to allow any modifications or changes. The American people usually do not reward bad policy and bad behavior.
I also hear Jolly was outspent 3-1, that’s considerable.
“”Outside Republican groups — much more so than the under-funded Jolly campaign — hung the Affordable Care Act and President Obama on Sink.””
I was a volunteer with one of those NON-Republican groups who made thousands of phone calls to voters in this district. We found that Republicans, Independents, and even Democrats strongly disapproved Obamacare.
It is not correct for the Tampa Bay Times to call these Outside Republican groups. These groups are NON-Republican conservative groups.
“The Democrats not only passed a bad law that seriously disrupted heath care, but showed pompous arrogance when they refused to allow any modifications or changes. The American people usually do not reward bad policy and bad behavior.”
The Dems know they simply need to reduce the impact on 50.1% of likely voters to nullify any reaction. The fact that Obama was re-elected was a screaming wake-up call for Republicans that they really needed to look at how they reached out to voters, and I hope they learned something. They should be able to win on issues, and can’t sit back and hope the Dem media shows them in an honest light.
a loss is very definitely a loss for the Democrats
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As Biden would say, it’s a big F’n deal!
“and the democrats didn’t have an opportunity to “count the votes” ?
Reference Colonel Allen West’s loss as well as Al Frankens win in Minnesota!
FoxNews reports this morning that ‘even some Republican consultants were worried that Jolly could not pull out a win, because he was behind in the polls.’
Additionally, the Republican consultants were worried that Obamacare might not be the issue mid-term candidates should run against.
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[The Republicans NEED to get a new set of consultants. These guys they have been paying in recent years aren’t worth crap.]
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November will be massive voter fraud by RATs. They’re out digging up the dead and illegals 24/7, wanna bet?
That the GOPe has opted for open warfare against the conservative wing of their base suggests to me that the wake-up call is being ignored.
I don’t think this November is going to be anywhere near as rosy for the Republicans as they expect.
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