Victories in New Jersey and Virginia Tuesday provided a major shot in the arm for the Republican Party heading into the 2010 elections, but the Democratic losses of these two governorships should not be interpreted as a significant blow to President Obama.
While the economy and jobs were the chief concern for voters in both states, 26 percent of New Jersey residents said property taxes was also a major issue, while another 20 percent mentioned corruption, according to CNN exit polling. In a similar CNN survey taken in Virginia, health care was the most important issue for 24 percent of the voters, while 15 percent named taxes and transportation was mentioned by 7 percent.
High taxes, socialized medicine and job losses. All a reflection of the failed Obama Presidency.
That contrasts with what the New York Times said in 2005 (h/t Don Surber):
It's always dangerous to read national sentiments in local election results, especially when the balloting is as scattered and sparse as it was yesterday. But a few things seem obvious. Negative campaigning lost its punch. And George Bush's political capital turned into a deficit.
The election of Jon Corzine as governor of New Jersey was no surprise, but the size of his victory was impressive, considering the battering Mr. Corzine had taken in a campaign that by the end seemed to revolve around the senator's failed marriage. Either the New Jersey electorate, which has been through way more than its share of sexual drama in recent years, is simply numb, or it was turned off by the negativity of the campaign. And in Virginia, the Republican, Jerry Kilgore, failed to gain traction with ads in which the father of a murder victim claimed that the Democrat, Timothy Kaine, would have opposed the death penalty for Hitler.
President Bush made a much-publicized last-minute campaign stop in Virginia to stump for Mr. Kilgore, but the effort backfired, or at least failed to make a dent. Everyone from political consultants to leaders of nations in the remote corners of Asia and Africa will be reading bad omens for the Republicans in what happened after Mr. Bush left.
The percentage of victory in 2005 for liberal Democrats in New Jersey was 10 points, and 5 points in Virginia. Last night, the margin in New Jersey for the GOP was four percent (not as close as some predicted), in a traditional Democrat state Obama won easily last year. In Virginia, which Obama won last year, the Republican margin of victory was 18 points over the Democrat Creigh "Dirty" Deeds.
That's a pretty significant rebuke to the White House, but the media only notices when the incumbent President is a Republican.
Unfortunately, while Doug Hoffman lost by a close margin, that race should be a warning to the National GOP. "Refrigerator Hips" Dede Scozzafava had more in common with Nancy Pelosi than the winning conservative message of the Republicans last night. When she was forced out, she endorsed the liberal Democrat candidate the next day.
The lesson: lie down with RINOs, you get screwed.
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