Free Republic

Democrats working to explain the loss of a ‘safe’ congressional seat in this week’s special election to replace disgraced New York Rep. Anthony Weiner have come up with some startling conclusions. California Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman, a prominent Jewish congressman, explained that some Jews are selecting not to vote for Democrats because “they want to protect their wealth, which is why a lot of well-off voters vote for Republicans.” One of the more common narratives emerging after the election in New York’s 9th Congressional District is that the district’s large Jewish population was alienated by President Obama’s policies on Israel,...

The outcome of any individual election to the United States House, even in a highly partisan era where Congressional elections have a relatively strong correlation with presidential voting and national trends, is going to be determined based on a combination of local and national factors. One congressional district’s outcome may diverge significantly from another’s – even if they seem similar on the surface — based on the quality of the candidates, the demographics of the region and issues highly pertinent to the district but not to the nation at large. Any one race may or may not be representative. There...

What's the message -- if any -- in the NY-9 election result? No message. It's just voters choosing one candidate over another. The message is: Bad news for Obama. It's a clear rejection of the president's policies. Not sure, but it looks like Democrats could be in trouble in November 2012. Other (post your comment).

Republican Bob Turner holds a six-point lead in next week's special election to replace disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., according to a new Siena College poll released early Friday that shows voters in the overwhelmingly Democratic district are poised to deliver a stinging rebuke to President Obama and his party. Turner leads Democratic Assemblyman David Weprin in the poll, 50 percent to 44 percent. Six percent of likely voters in the Sept. 13th election are undecided. Discontent with Washington and the president is at the heart of Turner's shocking upset bid. In a district he won by 11 points...