Google Ads


Site Stats

SSP Daily Digest: 3/19

by: Crisitunity

Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 1:53 PM EDT


• NC-Sen: If Richard Burr wants to be re-elected, there's one big problem he's going to have to overcome: his constituents don't seem to have any idea who he is. PPP finds that his approval ratings are only 35%. That sounds dire, but he's actually on the plus-side of the ledger, with 32% disapproval. That leaves 33% who don't know, which is huge considering that he's been in office for more than four years now. They also run a head-to-head for Burr against Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (who seems to have no intention to run); Burr wins 43-35.

• CA-10: The field in California's 10th district to replace Ellen Tauscher in a special election seems to be taking shape. As expected, the district's two heavyweights, state senator Mark DeSaulnier and assemblyman Tom Torlakson (who recently swapped seats because of term limits), are jockeying for position. (Politico suggests several other possible Dems include assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, and Santa Monica city councilor and Kennedy clan member Bobby Shriver, who's interested despite currently being about 400 miles outside the district.) While Obama won the district 65-33, the GOP isn't going down without a fight; their possible candidates include San Ramon mayor Abram Wilson and former 49er Bret Jones.

• CT-Sen: Chris Dodd, who already has enough egg on his face to make a big omelette, got even messier with his admission that he inserted the language that allowed payment of the AIG bonuses. Nevertheless, he told the Hartford Courant today that he's not retiring and is still in the race for 2010.

• OK-05: Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett, a potential contender for the open seat being vacated by gubernatorial candidate Mary Fallin, was making the rounds on Capitol Hill today. Cornett, who lost in the primary to Fallin in 2006, is still officially undecided on the race. The Club for Growth has already endorsed former state rep. Kevin Calvey. Other possible GOPers in the race include Corporation Commissioners Jeff Cloud and Bob Anthony, state senators Todd Lamb and Glenn Coffee, and state rep. Mike Thompson.

• LA-02: The NRCC isn't letting go of this one without at least some token efforts; NRCC leaders Pete Sessions and Mike Rogers, along with Charles Boustany, are hosting a lunchtime fundraiser for Joe Cao today.
Crisitunity :: SSP Daily Digest: 3/19
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , (All Tags)
Print Friendly View Send As Email
SSP Daily Digest: 3/19 | 81 comments
Burr
He really is the epitamy of a backbencher.  Of all the freshmen in the Senate only Mel Martinez even comes close to his Burr's invisibility.

As for LA-02, my guess is they are only putting in a little effort because Cao is an incumbent and they want to be seen helping all of their people, regardless of whether they have any chance of re-election.  Heck, they only have 170 something Congressmen left anyway.

Corker's been pretty invisible too
but then again he got elected in 2006.  Burr has been there since 2004 and done basically nothing.  I want to see a poll pitting him against Cooper.
[ Parent ]
I've Seen Corker Occasionally
And he could end up being quite prominent soon. All that stands between him and the top Republican slot on Senate Foreign Relations is Richard Lugar - and Lugar is 76 years old.
[ Parent ]
How many Republicans are there on the Committee
and how many Democrats?

How is he already second?  He's only been around since 2006!

party: Democratic, ideology: moderate, district: CT-01

[ Parent ]
How long did it take Saxby
to chair the Ag. committee.

http://www.bluearkansasblog.com
[ Parent ]
He had House experience that "counted"
But from the 2008 race it didn't really seem to help him too much although I wish the DSCC or somebody could've hit him on big too big-agro friendly instead of the fair tax crap that backfired...
[ Parent ]
There are
7 currently

In order of seniority, Lugar, Corker, Demint, Isakson, Barrasso, Risch, Wicker and one seat is TBA.

[ Parent ]
Well, Lots of Changes
Among them, Hagel (who'd been #2) retired, Murkowski switched committees to join Appropriations, and Norm Coleman appears to have been defeated (I presume his position is the reason there's still a TBA). And I think Vitter was on it last Congress - and he's now joined Armed Services.
[ Parent ]
Of course...
...even when the guy ahead of you is 76 sometimes you still need to wait.  Look how long Ernest Hollings was the JUNIOR senator from South Carolina.

NY-13, Democrat. Blog @ http://infinitefunction.wordpr...
[ Parent ]
Corker
He was hammering away at the U.S. auto industry a few months back on the auto bailout.  Particularly baching unions as expected.  Of course the foreign auto companies making their home in Tennessee were the real motive for his position.  He even lied about wages, claiming Tennessee autoworkers made far less than northern-based union workers.  
[ Parent ]
Wait a minute now, that's not how Dodd's issues are being reported elsewhere...
http://www.openleft.com/showDi...

If Dodd did back down under pressure from the treasury department and the white house, then I think we still owe him our support, or at least much less flak than he's getting.

http://www.bluearkansasblog.com

Would you prefer
"allowed insertion?" Either way, he's already fallen on his sword, and that's hard to undo even if, as always, there are some subtleties there about the nature of the compromise. At any rate, if your hometown newspaper is even asking you whether or not you plan to retire, that should always be considered a red flag.
[ Parent ]
Say what now?
I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time understanding.  If Dodd tried to get the legislation passed and the white house worked to get it out, and it was taken out in a conference committee that Dodd wasn't on, then why is he getting the full wrath for this.  Shouldn't Obama, Geithner, and the members of the conference comm be the one's that get the full blame?

Besides, generally Dodd's been a good guy.  Remember the FISA fight?  And what about Family and Medical Leave?  I just don't get why we're dumping on him when it's apparent that he wasn't the bad guy in all this.  Besides, Connecticut is still a blue state and Dodd's numbers, while not inspiring, are not insurmountable with two years to go.  A few months ago most of us wanted this guy to be the majority leader, are we going to eat those words now or stick by him until we see this through?

http://www.bluearkansasblog.com

[ Parent ]
He took the fall and then took it back
it looks like he's trying to save his ass. I don't know who got the legislation cut and I don't care and quite frankly I don't think anyone else will in a month. Dodd's bigger problems have to do with Countrywide and the fact that he ran for President, moved his family to Iowa and said he wouldn't run in 2010, then when he lost the Presidential race, moved back to Connecticut and told them "Hey, remember when I said I wouldn't run again? On second thought..."

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
You should care about the facts; they're what separate us from Republicans.
And the facts are: http://www.dailykos.com/story/...

Look, you can dismiss this or not, that's your own priority.  But you know what, Dodd ain't goin' anywhere on our side-he ain't retiring, and he's not going to get primaried.  The mortgage and presidential race things will go away with time, but this little lie that he's somehow responsible for the AIG bonuses, that won't if we don't fight it.  And you know what else?  Not too long ago every blog on the net was praising Dodd for his leadership and now it seems like a healthy chunk of us wish he'd just go away and make things easy on us.  Talk about fair weather friends.  Personally, I say we suck it up and get to the trenches-and if you'd take the time to look at the facts you'd probably agree.

http://www.bluearkansasblog.com

[ Parent ]
Oh, and here's another fact:
[ Parent ]
Some of us weren't praising Dodd for anything


Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
And?
I don't care if you like Dodd or not.  I notice you didn't try to dispute those unimportant facts though, and that's what this boils down to.

http://www.bluearkansasblog.com
[ Parent ]
It's hard to defend him
when he came out and said he was responsible and then took it back. Whether he's guilty or not, he made himself look guilty.

and quite honestly if this is going to go away anyway, why worry? This whole thing is such a ridiculous distraction.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens

[ Parent ]
Oy
Like I said, this isn't going away unless we make it go away.  And it's no distraction-a big corporation largely responsible for the economic downturn being on the tax payer's life line and using the people's money to finance executive bonuses when it should be reorganizing itself to compete economically is no distraction.  People have a right to be pissed on this one, and more importantly it speaks volumes to the major problems threatening the economy.

Dodd stood up and took responsibility-he shouldn't have because he tried to do the right thing, but was willing to work with the White House.  If we should be pissed off at anyone in this whole mess, it should be Tim Geithner.

http://www.bluearkansasblog.com

[ Parent ]
It isn't going away
until the media wants it go away

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
So we're gonna be waiting a l-o-o-o-o-o-n-n-n-g-g-g ti-i-i-m-m-m-e...


My blog
Twitter
Scribd
28, New Democrat, Female, TX-03 (hometown CA-26)
[ Parent ]
The traditional media is increasingly out of touch and irrelevant.
If you need proof, just look at CNBC.  Time and time again the traditional media is shown not to so much shape public opinion in this day and age but to, increasingly, be at odds with it, hence they're growing irrelevancy.  And hey, if they want to keep it out there, I say they're asking for a fight...

http://www.bluearkansasblog.com
[ Parent ]
My best friend
got turned down for an anchoring position at a local news organization over a girl with large breasts, blonde hair, blue eyes, who thought Long Island was one of the five boroughs.

He left the news outlet after his boss, who looked over him  for the job told him "We need people at the anchor desk viewers want to look at, otherwise they change the channel"

The news industry is a mess.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens

[ Parent ]
I have to agree on Geithner
He's been a complete and total disaster.  I know we're in the biggest financial disaster of my lifetime, but that's no excuse for his aweful performance in every respect.

Weird too because after reading his resume I originally thought this was one of Obama's better cabinet picks.

[ Parent ]
What's funny
is the day after the election, the only two people the media was throwing around as "acceptable" Treasury Secretaries/Economic appointees were Summers and Geithner.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
Corzine
Would kill two birds with one stone. Should've been the original pick. Even openleft would've supported it.
[ Parent ]
Don't forget Paul Volcker.
Personally, I liked Krugman for the job.  But this guy might be someone who needs to be considered:

http://www.truthout.org/031609A

http://www.bluearkansasblog.com

[ Parent ]
Any names on our side for OK-05?
It's the one Oklahoma district that Obama lost the least ground in (or the only one that he made up some ground in) compared to 2004, isn't it?

party: Democratic, ideology: moderate, district: CT-01
Also, semi-hilariously
My friend tells me she's a few miles outside of OK-05, and she lives in OK-04...and is represented by The Tom Cole.

party: Democratic, ideology: moderate, district: CT-01
[ Parent ]
Andrew Rice
For the Democrats?  
[ Parent ]
Today's talking point: Republicans support Wall Street Executive Bonuses
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITI...

The House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday to try to recoup bonuses paid to Wall Street executives with taxpayer money.

The measure passed, 328-93; most Democrats supported the measure, while Republicans were sharply divided.


I'm having a
wtf? moment about the 6 Democrats who voted against the bill: Bean, Kissell, McMahon, Minnick, Mitchell, and Snyder. (On the GOP side, it was a pretty clear fissue between the left (relatively speaking, of course) and right halves of their caucus.)
[ Parent ]
Aren't They All Blue Dogs
Darn those pesky Blue Dogs! Maybe they wanted 95-100% of those bonuses taxed.
[ Parent ]
Yeah
seriously.  I feel like the Blue Dogs make no sense.  What is their platform anyway?  Seems just to be the opposite on some pretty basic stuff for no reason.
[ Parent ]
Fiscal Responsibility
I think is the main plank that I can recall from what passes for their "platform."

Was this bill specifically directed at AIG? Or to all companies who received bailout money and were handing out bonuses? Maybe that's why some didn't vote for it, because it was too narrow and not broad enough in scope.

[ Parent ]
Kissell isn't a Blue Dog


28, Unenrolled, MA-08
[ Parent ]
No, only
Bean and Minnick are listed as Blue Dogs. (Mitchell I think also became one last week when they lifted their membership cap, but he's not listed.) Snyder used to be a New Dem, now he's apparently unaffiliated, and McMahon and Kissell don't seem to have joined anything yet. (I thought Kissell would be a natural for the Populist Caucus, but he's not... and here he is today voting against the ultimate expression of populist anger. Weird.)
[ Parent ]
McMahon
I'm not a tax policy expert.  But if the federal government taxes the bonuses at 90% doesn't that cut down on the amount of money New York gets to tax the executives, thereby hurting the state of New York which is already financially strapped?
[ Parent ]
There should be a Bobby Bright test
If Bright votes with the party on an issue there is no excuse for all other Dems doing so.
[ Parent ]
The Constitutionality of the bill is in question
I'm not sure if I could put my support behind a bill that I'm not even sure is constitutional. (Remember they take an oath to the Constitution). Something tells me this is behind a couple of these Democrats' opposing the bill. I'd like to see Kissell's reasoning.

Chris Bowers is, of course, playing the "I told you so" game with him.

I'm glad that I refused to raise money for this guy in 2008. At the time, it was because I asked him if he supported either the FISA re-write or the Iraq blank check. Turned out that he supported both. Glad to see he is maintaining such a stellar record.


Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
Man's got a point
Considering Kissell centred his campaign on economic ultra-populism, this does seem like a downright moronic position for him to be taking. I could see Shuler taking this stand, but Kissell doing it is just odd.
[ Parent ]
Yeah he has point
Don't raise money for any candidate that doesn't vote on every bill exactly the way Bowers, Sirota and Stoller want them to. Sheesh.
[ Parent ]
Alan Grayson
who I like, is their God now (I can't wait for his questionable vote on something)

However, I have to be honest, I saw Grayson's questioning of Liddy yesterday and I was disgusted. Grayson was just about to cross over the line.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens

[ Parent ]
Disgusted about what?
There is absolutely no limit to the punishment that the leaders of AIG deserve.  I thought Grassley was too kind in suggesting that they should commit suicide.
[ Parent ]
When these peoples' families are at risk
you don't drop their names on live television. Grayson should know that.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
I strongly disagree
the threat of having their names exposed publicly is the only thing that will result in the returning of the bonus.  They should be shamed into oblivion if they refuse to return the bonus.

If they want to stay safe, return the damn money.  Period.  

[ Parent ]
Even if they return the money
that's no guarantee that immediately put their and their families lives out of jeopardy.

The worse thing that could happen is for some guy's name is released, he returns the money, but he and his family get killed anyway by someone who hadn't hurt he had returned the money.

Then the government get sued, gets bad press, and spends MORE money defending themselves in a wrongful death suit.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens

[ Parent ]
The gov't gives them one week to return thr money
After that week, all people who did not return the bonus get their name released.

This is what Cuomo should do now.

[ Parent ]
Baloney
These bloodsuckers are taking OUR federa money to received bonuses.  We have not only the right but the DUTY to know every one of their names.  If they get threats that's too bad.  They deserve to.
[ Parent ]
You may think so
our law says otherwise and if anything was to happen to them, our government would be responsible for negligence and it would cost MORE money to either win a court case or pay judgement.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
Really?
At the publicly traded company I work for the names of our executives and all information relating to their pay, bonuses and perks are PUBLIC RECORD.  I'm pretty sure that's the case with all executives who work for publicly traded companies, if not the law for public discolsure.

Why exactly do you consider pay for executives of publicly traded information to be "top secret info."  If I own shares in a company I have every right to know this information.

[ Parent ]
I might also add
Since the Enron/WorldCom scandals, I have supported adding corporate criminals to the federal death penalty statute.  These guys do more damage, kill more people, and swindle more money than do terrorists.  

The high-level corporate culture has gotten so toxic that you almost have to be a corrupt criminal to get that high.  Those who are honest are either not promoted or get fired.

[ Parent ]
Grassley was 100% right
At least they have some honor in Asian countries and do what he recommends.
[ Parent ]
These guys shouldn't be allowed
to commit suicide.  They should be executed by the government, and I'm not talking lethal injection either.
[ Parent ]
Loved it
He politely wanted to know who cost us $160 nillion and got stiffrf.  Rhose jokers don't ned to have their nests padded any more.
[ Parent ]
Except Bowers said he didn't
so no, he doesn't have a point.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
What exactly are you arguing?
This comment is too short for me to parse it properly.

Are you arguing that Bowers said that Kissell didn't run a populist campaign? If so, you'd be wrong. He said he liked Kissell in 2006 (presumably because of the populist message he had front and centre that year) but avoided him in 2008 because he disliked his stance on FISA and Iraq.

Or are you arguing something else?

[ Parent ]
I'm arguing
Bowers is trying to argue he thought Kissell was a sell out before this vote, but then he wants to pretend to be outraged.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
Is he talking about Kissell or Bright?
Bright I can understand but Kissell? Good grief! From the sublime to the ridiculous. I can't stomach it over there now so thanks for keeping us informed of their ever increasing nonsense.
[ Parent ]
Trust me
He's talking about Kissell.  Silly things like PVI's and district-leanings don't factor into Bowers's decision making anymore.
[ Parent ]
Its SPVI is R+2.0
It's a district Obama won (53-47). It's not a free primary, but it's not a district we're sure to lose.

Not saying I agree that he should be primaried (and Bowers may not - he was careful to parse his words such that he wasn't explicitly calling for a challenge) but I don't see that he's in a red enough district to get a free pass.

[ Parent ]
Doesn't mean it's a progressive district


Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
It's not
And that's why I don't think it's wise to primary Kissell - North Carolina needs to swing our way a little longer before that becomes a realistic prospect.

Still, it's not a blood red district. I think reacting with hostility to Kissell and being sceptical about contributions towards him are both reasonable approaches. He didn't have to take this position - the smarter move would have been to shut down the populism angle for Republicans.

[ Parent ]
That would've been the cowardly move too
if he really opposed the bill and then voted for it because he was afraid the Republicans would use it against him, that would have been cowardly move.

shutting down the populist angle for Republicans is exactly why stuff like the Patriot Act, the Iraq War, FISA, Guantamano all happened.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens

[ Parent ]
That's a cheap shot
Leaving aside the fact that populist cases for progressive positions can be made (see Paul Wellstone, Russ Feingold, Peter DeFazio and perhaps Alan Grayson,) there's really no comparison between the two.

This isn't starting any wars. This isn't taking away basic civil liberites. One (well, not me, but those with sufficient knowledge and expertise) can argue on the constitutionality of this bill - and if that's the stand Kissell wants to take, I think he needs to get out front and centre on that in the local press - but it's of a fundamentally different character. Pretending otherwise is just disingenuous.

[ Parent ]
I would be willing to bet
my entire checking account that Bowers will cut himself off from Obama in 2012.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
He's probably already talked with Nader
About forming a ticket for 2012.
[ Parent ]
I think he's been fair
The only primaries he recommended were Ron Kind and I think someone else in an Obama-won district in Pennsylvania. And I believe criticism of Kissell is fair in this case. Representatives voting against this, particularly those who campaigned against corporate interests, are asking for trouble if they voted no. If it's constitutionally wrong, then let the courts decide that, but don't let the voters see you voting against taking back these bonuses.
[ Parent ]
Perhaps
But you have to love the Repubs - even when they have a chance to stick it to the Dems half of their caucus can't resist their ideological tendencies.
[ Parent ]
Every Blue Dog
plus Eric Massa, and he's also asking people in NY-20 to boycott Scott Murphy because he says he'd join the Blue Dogs.


Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
Where's he called for a primary of every Blue Dog?
Have you got a link for that? I know he's ramped up the rhetoric against them, but now that we're in power that's not surprising. Somebody trying to represent the maximalist wing of the Democratic Party is bound to want to minimise the influence of the compromising wing when they hold the trifecta. Still, I haven't read every recent OpenLeft post, so if you can find the link I'll admit I was wrong.

As to Massa, I can agree that he made intemperate statements that he can't back up (although he's a good enough operator that I wouldn't rule out entirely his ability to throw a few spanners in the works).

Murphy is a different thing again. We have a rich candidate who can probably self-fund and a situation in which progressive dollars are not needed - the committees and Wall Street can easily do it themselves and organisation is more important than cash in open seat races. It seems to me that Bowers' decision makes sense from the viewpoint of the left of the party - there's no point strengthening the position of the opposite side of the party, especially when the Republicans are weak enough to be ignored.

[ Parent ]
Bowers can do what he wants
he just needs to accept he has made more than a few enemies in the Democratic Party. You can defend him, but he acts like Democrats need to shake in their boots when he comes around, when in reality, he's just another blogger.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
I wouldn't say a few
With his open hatred towards an entire coalition of the party, mixed in his blindness when if comes to certain Dems being electable or not and mix in the fact that be basically wants to primary every single Dem that dosen't pass the OpenLeft litmus test. I would say he's made a ton of enemies with this shit. Your right nafter, Bowers and Stoller will have to accept the fact that in the world of the liberal blogosphere, there bottomfeeders that most pols don't pay attention to (unless your name is Grayson, Alan).

Now Kos and to some extent Atrios people listen to them from us to the Democrats. Kos is a very influental blogger. Him and his writing staff are very knowledgeable when it comes to writing about the party, they critic Obama at times when he's wrong but for the most part they don't have that blind hatred towards him that OpenLeft has. But for the most part DK has been the play for Obama supporters. Kos know politics electoral wise and has support and raised tons of money for Democrats across the political spectrum because unless Bowers and Stoller, he knows what Dems can get elected in certain parts of the country and which cannot. He's well known enough for the Dems to care and that's why almost everyday you see some pol from Bob Wexler to Al Franken posting something overthere.

Yep Jerome Armstrong of myDD got it right when he refered to Kos as the "Blogfather" because that's exactly what he is.

[ Parent ]
Why?
Bowers has been consistent in regards to Obama. He always saw him as a centrist and someone who was, at best, a reluctant ally of progressives. His expectations of Obama were never high enough to be disappointed, let alone disillusioned. I fail to see why he would  "cut himself off" from Obama when his views on Obama haven't changed at all.
[ Parent ]
Yet he seems to be always disappointed
and his site is full of purist morons parading around lies about Obama...every other comment is Jacob Freeze or amberglow or the other dingbats.  

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens
[ Parent ]
There are certainly purist morons there
though I wouldn't say the site is "full of them". But while Bowers criticizes Obama a lot, he criticized Obama a lot during the election as well. That didn't preclude his support then and I don't see it doing so in the future.
[ Parent ]
Freeze is very nearly a troll
I don't think you can say Jacob Freeze is representative of the community. Even Paul Rosenberg said he considers him a borderline troll, and Paul is a fair way to the left of Chris.

As to the lies, I'd be interested to hear specifics. I've heard a lot of disappointment and a lot of despondent statements that Obama is now clearly no use, but if you mean actual factual inaccuracies rather than the inevitable frustration of a blog representing the noisy left fraction of the blogosphere, you're going to be need to provide specifics.

OpenLeft has more or less always had a confrontational attitude towards party leaders. It never really embraced Obama, rather than just accepting the fait accompli of his victory. One of its dominant voices from the beginning was Matt Stoller, and he's been replaced by David Sirota, whereas Mike Lux was always a much quieter presence. It's never been a mainstream site, it's always had an antagonistic relationship towards the Blue Dogs in particular and moderates in general and I don't really see why you're surprised that this trend is only becoming more pronounced.

[ Parent ]
Burr should be the favorite at this point
I don't think folks understand North Carolina or what happened here in 2008.  First of all, the "fundamentals" behind Dole were weak from the start.  The two things we threw at her, her effectiveness and her visits to the state are something that Burr has no problem with.  He was in the Senate two years less than her yet ranked 24 spots higher in the same rankings.  Beyond that, he is much more visible, personable and humble than she was.  

I think we can definitely pull it off, but it will take alot more effort than in 2008.  We won alot of races simply because of straight ticket voting - check the SBOE website and you can see the breakdowns.  I'm not convinced those numbers will be there for us in 2010.

28, male, NC-13 formerly NC-01, 04, 05, 07, 11

Hmm I'm not so sure
I really think there is still an element that votes Democratic there that was not friendly to our presidential candidate as usual that could be coaxed into voting for a more "acceptable" Democrat according to their rural, Blue Dog sympathies like Richard Moore who although seems progressive yet appeals to this crucial demographic in mid-term elections. Most Southern states recognized this phenomenon long ago and detached gubernatorial elections from presidential year elections after Nixon demolished us in 1972 and then further in 1984 under similar circumstances. Although the black and college student vote will be down in 2010 I think a candidate like Moore could prevail if he facilitates a good connection with these North Carolina voters.
[ Parent ]
I'd say it leans to Burr but only barely
And pretty much the opposite has been true - Dems have been able to win statewide constantly in midterms but not in presidential years because of the blowout at the top of the ticket.
[ Parent ]
SSP Daily Digest: 3/19 | 81 comments

Copyright 2003-2010 Swing State Project LLC

Primary Sponsor

You're not running for second place. Is your website? See why Campaign Engine is ranked #1 in software and support among Progressive-only Internet firms. http://www.mediamezcla.com/

Menu

Make a New Account

Username:

Password:



Forget your username or password?

About the Site

Publisher: DavidNYC

Senior Editor: James L.

Senior Editor: Crisitunity

Contributing Editor: Jeffmd

Search the SSP archives:

Sign up to receive a daily e-mail whenever the SSP is updated:

SSP Resources

Presidential Vote by CD

SSP Document Collection

Race Tracker Wiki

Dave's Redistricting App

Blogroll

Daily Kos Elections
DemConWatch
Five Thirty Eight
Governing
Hotline On Call
Political Wire
Pollster.com
Prop*50
Public Policy Polling
The Thicket
Powered by: SoapBlox