Democrats Sink to Pre–Great Depression Levels in State Legislatures

NRO ^ | November 5, 2014 8:14 AM | John Fund

[GonzoII]

In addition to the GOP gains in the U.S., Senate, House and governorships it was an historic night for the party in state legislatures.

Here is the summary by Tim Storey of the National Conference of State Legislatures:

The Republican wave that swept over the states left Democrats at their weakest point in state legislatures since the 1920s.

Everything went in the direction of the GOP as Republicans seized new majorities in the West Virginia House, Nevada Assembly and Senate, New Hampshire House, Minnesota House and New York Senate, The West Virginia Senate is now tied.

Control of several legislative chambers was still up in the air early Wednesday as counting continued in several tight races that will determine control of the Colorado Senate, New Mexico House and Maine Senate.

The lone bright spot for Democrats was holding majorities in the Iowa Senate and Kentucky House.

The overall number of divided state governments will increase with changes in governor in places such as Massachussets, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Maryland along with the legislatures in West Virginia, Minnesota and New York.

UPDATE: Republicans have taken control of the Colorado senate and the New Mexico house. They also have a chance to win the Colorado house and the Washington house, after mail-in ballots are finally counted. The state legislative chambers now stand at 65 Republican, 23 Democrat, 1 tie, and 4 undecided.

[IYAS9YAS]

I don’t get NM, and I’ve lived here going on nearly 10 years. Martinez (GOP) wins governor race with huge margin. But at the same time, Weh loses to Udall by nearly the same margin (statewide Senate election). But we gain at the local level. WTH happened with Weh? Also, the three Representatives stayed the same. The two dem incumbents won and one pubbie incumbent won. This state is schizophrenic. How did we take the local stuff, and SOS, and Gov, especially the gov by huge margins, but lose with Weh? I understand the CDs, sort of, but when you add up the numbers on all three races, the dems got more votes.

[GonzoII]

You're welcome...good news should be shared!

[BlatherNaut]

A rather mixed message in NH.

An influx of same-day registrants, illegal voting, and Shaheen's dirty dealings with the IRS being concealed until right before the election likely enabled that crook keep her seat.

[moovova]

"Democrats Sink to Pre–Great Depression Levels in State Legislatures"

I hope ALL Dembos are "depressed" today...and for years to come.

[Uncle Miltie]

I expect 0bama to announce an effective blanket Amnesty for Illegal Aliens at his press conference with Republicans today, essentially daring the GOPe to do anything about it.

And the GOPe will bend over and say, “Thank you, may I have another?”

[Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America]

Last night has restored my faith in the American people. The spread should have been far greater, but we'll take it.

First order of business is for a high profile Republican Senator such as Ted Cruz to THREATEN OBAMA WITH IMPEACHMENT IF HE TAKES ANY ACTION REQUIRING CONGRESS' APPROVAL (SUCH AS AMNESTY EO) WITHOUT INPUT FROM CONGRESS.

Second order of business is to review Obama's illegal release of 5 Taliban commanders for a DESERTER.

Time to get serious about the 'Eric Holder problem', and they must NOT allow racist Thomas Perez to take the DOJ AG seat. Lois Lerner needs to serve jail time and the IRS scandal needs further investigation.

[arthurus]

It’s time for that Article 5 convention.

[Slyfox]

I expect 0bama to announce an effective blanket Amnesty for Illegal Aliens at his press conference with Republicans today, essentially daring the GOPe to do anything about it.

Obama will have to deal with the American public and Republican governors if the GOPe does nothing to help us.

Obama has absolutely no capital with which to mount any sort of fight. All he has right now is the ability to bluster and Valerie Jarrett telling him which steps to take.

Whatever happens as far as amnesty is concerned, it will pale in comparison to everything else that will swirl around him.

He is a goner and we will just have to prove it to him.

How many ads can we do that feature children who have been maimed by the enterovirus?

[arthurus]

So long as the 17th is part of the Constitution, everything else is pretty much spinning of wheels. The states must become the States again or, regardless of changes in the makeup of the Congress, the Presidency, and in state governments, the direction is inexorably centralist.

[arthurus]

THE top agenda item should be convening an Article 5 Convention.

[arthurus]

WE ARE BIGGER THAN HIS PEN AND HIS PHONE.

But we are still carrying he onerous and offsetting weight of McConnell and Boehner and McCarthy on our shoulders.

[Carthego delenda est]

“This state is schizophrenic.”

Yep!

Martinez is very popular. Weh, not so much. Despite all his flag waving and baby kissing for the cameras, his true colors bleed through: a bitter, selfish, old man, willing to throw anybody under that big ‘ol Allen Weh bus to get himself into office.

Udall, on the other hand, clearly a Marxist from hell.

Schizophrenic voters? Most certainly so.

[Agamemnon]

In your opinion will Manchin himself switch to (R)?

FReegards!

[Slyfox]

If they are smart they will listen to us.

[arthurus]

And the GOPe will bend over and say, “Thank you, may I have another?”

And when they do the stage will be set for an EO proclaiming citizenship for all those illegals in time for November 2016. And McConnell and Boehner will wring their hands and cry, "Unfair! unfair."

[sphinx]

There are 1001 local issues in these state legislative races, but the significant national question that potentially unifies them is dealing with public sector unions. Too many states are in trouble on this front, with several skirting bankruptcy. The pushback is underway. Reform is fiscally necessary if we are going to have competent government at the local level, and it is a political opportunity for Repulicans given the R/D dynamic at work.

I am not anti-public employee. I appreciate our policemen, firemen, schooteachers, sanitation engineers [sic], and the guy who mows the grass in the park. But the incestuous relationship between the unions and local pols has grown abusive. Public employee benefits need to be fully funded and sustainable. The big missed opportunity was in 1974, when ERISA (its faults notwithstanding) began to require full funding of private pensions. The same thing should have been done for the public sector at all levels. It is time to rectify the oversight.

[arthurus]

If Republicans are smart they will not re-elect these men to leadership positions. If they don’t all of the gains in the Congress will be swept back into the closet.

[Uncle Miltie]

"Obama will have to deal with the American public"

No he won't. 0bama will never be on another ballot, ever. He is permanently not responsible to the American people. He is now a dictator with a pen and a phone, unless the GOPe passes through puberty and grows a pair, an unlikely event.

[Slyfox]

It will be interesting to watch as the near future takes place.

I would like to add - abortion turns out to be a losing issue for the demoncraps.

The GOPe needs to remember that.

[Slyfox]

He has absolutely no political capital left upon which to draw. He is worse than a lame duck. He is a stinking to high heaven ebola-loaded duck.

No matter what he does from this point on he has to deal with a public that knows him to his core. That my friend is the best recipe for his own personal disaster.