Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Neocons flip gubernatorial seats in NJ, VA

Liberals capture two House seats, inequality wins in Maine

Charles Douglas, Humboldt Sentinel
11/3/09

Eureka

A spate of off-year elections held today evidently produced mixed results amid low voter turnout amidst an atmosphere of anxiety over the economic crisis and wars overseas.

In New Jersey and Virginia, voters removed neoliberal Democrats from their gubernatorial spots, placed a pair of the same in two empty House seats in New York and California, and barely re-elected a billionaire big city mayor who overrode voter-imposed term limits.

Incumbent Governor Jon Corzine, pilloried for his ties to the “too big to fail” global investment bank Goldman Sachs, went down to defeat, 49% to 45% with most precincts reporting, against a neoconservative Republican and former U.S. Attorney, Chris Christie, with independent Chris Daggett denying him the majority by capturing 6%.

Retiring Dem state executive Tim Kane of Virginia was unable to hand off his seat to State Senator Creigh Deeds, who lost in a landslide to Bob McDonnell, 59% to 41% with almost all votes in. The GOP also looks set to capture the Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General seats in Richmond.

House seats were not the scene of similar successes for the disorganized Republican Party. With 93% of the vote in, the 23rd Congressional District in upstate New York has witnessed an upset, with Bill Owens beating Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman 49% to 46% to become the first Dem to represent the area in over a century. Hoffman drove Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava out of the race, only to have her throw her endorsement to Owens, along with keeping 6% as holdover votes.

California’s 10th Congressional District, representing the northern East Bay area, saw an easy win by former Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi with 56% of the vote, overwhelming the 40% support for Republican nominee David Hammer in early results, with Green, Peace and Freedom, and American Independent candidates rounding out with less than 2% each.

The big ballot initiative of the night, Proposition 1 to repeal marriage equality for gays and lesbians in Maine, appears to be headed for victory, 53% to 47% with most ballots counted. The counter to this trend popped up across the country in Washington State, however, with Referendum 71 -- a voter review of the state legislature’s bill legalizing domestic partnerships -- winning 51% to 49% with all votes in.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I would like to see some coverage of the Republican Obstructionism and Sabotage of Democracy, Justice and American Government!

When the Republicans are in power they whine and cry about getting an "Up or Down Vote" yet they have not only broken the Record for Obstructionsm by way of Filibusters and Holds but they have actualy bragged about their plans to BLOCK EVERYTHING! And this "In a time of war" as they love to announce at every oportunity, but also while America has an Economic Disaster with MILLIONS OF AMERICANS LOOSING THEIR HOMES, GOING BANKRUPT, and nearly 45,000 dieing each year for lack of Health care! That's like 15 9-11s ever year, it's like having a 9-11 type attack every month, twice in April, Aug. and December!

The Death, Destruction and Decay caused by Republican Ideology Through Neglect, Obstructionism, Corporate Welfare, Selective Justice and Sabotage has brought America to it's knees!

America is being destroyed from withing by Radical Zealots, Ideologs, and greedy heartless, soulless, Corporatists and Economic Royalists!

This is NOT about Right v Left, Us v Them, it's about the survival of Democracy, Justice, our Economy and the quality of life in America! With America's wealth being GIVEN AWAY to foreign countries in the form of Millions of jobs every Month it undermines America's Economic Foundation!

American need to act like a FAMILY instead of a pack of wild Animals!