By Anna Martini
What a difference a year makes. Much to the dismay of the Democrats currently occupying the White House, Congress and state houses across the country, a particularly blue state and a purple state returned to Republican control this past Election Day. The double-header sweep of two very important governors’ races this year gave Republicans renewed hope for the growing unpopularity of the Democratic majority. The honeymoon period brought about by President Obama’s historic victory seems to be ending in less than a year’s time.
A not-that-surprising victory was won by Republican Bob McDonnell in Virginia, a state that usually votes red, but in the recent presidential elections went blue for the Democrats. This victory itself was not unexpected, if only because the allegations of wrongdoing against the opponent, Creigh Deeds, put the Democrat at a disadvantage before the ballots were even opened. The surprising margin of victory, however, showed that McDonnell won over more folks than anticipated by using his personal appeal and standing firmly on right wing “kitchen table issues,” such as domestic matter concerning the family.
The big upset of the 2009 elections though was the unseating of Governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey in favor of Republican Attorney General Chris Christie. As a prominent and “safe” blue state, this electoral result was and is a big problem for Obama and his party. Not only did the president endorse Corzine, he showed up numerous times at campaign rallies across the Garden State throughout the campaign season.
I don’t know how many Rambler readers are from my home state of New Jersey or have been following what’s going on there, but I have a hard time believing why anyone would’ve given the outgoing governor another four years in office. New Jersey now ranks 50th in tax and regulatory burden on businesses and almost as low when it comes to taxes on everyone and everything else. At the same time, the budget deficit zoomed to over $8 billion. That’s right, the highest taxes in the nation, and Trenton still spends more than it takes in. No doubt the recent economic downturn didn’t help; clearly, the liberal “tax and spend” policies of Corzine’s failed administration didn’t help either. Governor-elect Christie will still have to deal with Democrats who are firmly in charge of both the state senate and assembly, but the voters of New Jersey have spoken and they all know it.
What these two gubernatorial losses mean for President Obama and the Democratic controlled Congress is considerable. Republican victories in two key states have created fear among Democrats who now realize their hold on power is even weaker than they thought. The ever-important Senate elections next year will be another important measure in determining how Barack Obama is doing with his presidency. These usually don’t go that well for the party in power but now it seems they will have even greater importance.
As Democrats continue on what seems like a downward spiral, key issues including healthcare, economic stimulus, and even the newly controversial climate change crisis will have to be reexamined. The public has seen what’s to offer and many don’t seem to like it. Will the GOP be up to the challenge? If recent election results are any indication, the answer is “yes.” What seemed like doom and gloom just one year ago today, is now an exciting new opportunity for the party of Abraham Lincoln to do right by the people of this great country of ours.
Photo courtesy: http://northshoreexponent.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/chris-christie3.jpg
Nice article, except that really the Republican Party is NOT the "Party of Abraham Lincoln". John Fremont was the Republican Candidate for President in 1856. Lincoln won in 1860 with 39 per cent of the vote only due to a three way split in the Democrat Party. The Lincoln victory in the election of 1864 would not pass the Jimmy Carter "honest elections" test of foreign nations in the world today.
Thomas Jefferson created the original Republican Party. Andrew Jackson morphed it into the Democrat Party. Ronald Reagan restored the Republican Party to its Jeffersonian principles, somewhat.
Bush made the Republican Party like "Democrat-lite", less taxing and spending than Democrats, but barely. The taxpayers got sick of the Tax and Spend RepubliCrats, or is it DemoCans, so voted the RINO (Republican In Name Only) elected servants OUT of elective office, and gave a chance to the DEMOcans, who have done even more taxing and spending than the RINO RepubliCrats.
Posted by: James Renwick Sr. | December 2009 at 11:08 PM