Batting .750 Ain’t Bad
- 0 Comments
I must admit, I developed an emotional attachment to the NY-23 congressional race; so it got me right in the kischkes when Democrat Bill Owens topped Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. If it’s any consolation, Hoffman is much better known now than he was just a month ago; which means he may be a formidable candidate in the Republican primary in 2010 — just a few months away — and in the November 2nd general against Owens as well.
That was the one prediction we lost; but we successfully predicted not only that Republican Robert McDonnell would power over Democrat Creigh Deeds in Virginia — everyone got that one right, though the margin, 18%, shocked the nation — but also that Chris Christie (R) would prevail over the most corrupt sitting governor in the United States, Jon Corzine of New Jersey.
Hugh Hewitt is fond of writing books with the title “If it’s not close, they can’t cheat;” pundits (I no longer must write “pundants,” now that GWB has retired) mulled that Christie would have to get at least 3% over Corzine to make up for the “fraud factor.” Since CC won by a resounding 5% (or as near as makes no difference), I think the victory is safe from the Halloween undead rising from their graves to force Corzine back into the governor’s mansion.
While I’m wistful that Hoffman couldn’t quite overcome the anti-GOP bitterness stirred up by DIABLO Dierdre “Dede” Scozzafava, realistically speaking, it’s much more important that we won two governorships. Recall that New Jersey hasn’t elected a Republican since Christie Todd Whitman (is the name similarity just a coincidence?) won reelection a dozen years and five governors ago.
But wait; that only adds up to a batting average of .667. Where does the other .083 come from?
Well, I’m also counting as a signal victory what happened in Maine: Voters rejected a legislatively enacted same-sex marriage (SSM) law in by about 53 to 47. Thus in every election where the people themselves have had the chance to vote on SSM, they have voted it down. And that’s not just once or twice but 31 times out of 31 elections.
Maine is not exactly a conservative state; in fact, the last time Maine voted for a Republican in the presidential race was George H.W. Bush in 1988. And Maine’s two senators, while both technically Republicans, are about as liberal as can be: Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME, 12%) and Susan Collins (R-ME, 20%). (Their ADA ratings are 80% and 75% respectively, as liberal as many Democrats.)
Thus, SSM has now lost among voters in every region of the country and in conservative, moderate, and very liberal states. While we made no prediction in this race, we’ll happily take the results!
All in all, some very, very good news indeed for Republicans and conservatives… and likely a harbinger of what is to come in 2010, despite Paul “Sourpuss” Mirengoff’s best efforts to harsh our mellow…
Not an especially good day to be Barack H. “Oogo” Obama, though. I feel his disdain.
