The Republicans are enjoying victory laps around gubernatorial wins in Virgina and New Jersey. And while exit polls in both states clearly indicate voter anxiety over the sluggish economy and its future, many conservative pundits and commentators will surely use the off-year victories as a referendum on President Obama.
Robert McDonnell’s sizable win over Creigh Deeds in Virginia–a state that Obama carried in 2008–was not a shocker. Virginia–a so-called “purple” state leans more red than blue, and has a history of electing the out-of-power party’s candidate to their state’s top spot. Add to that Deeds’ lackluster campaign, and McDonnell cruised to an easy finish line. Still, exit polls found 56% of voters said Obama was not a factor in their choice. 85% said they are “very worried” about the nation’s economic outlook. The bad news for the President? Only 48% of Virginia voters give him a favorable job approval rating.
Though not completely unexpected given recent polls, the New Jersey results were far more stunning. Most pundits expected incumbent Jon Corzine to pull out a meager victory over Republican Chris Christie. The White House certainly gambled a chunk of its political capital on it, sending both President Obama and Vice President Biden to the Garden State for several campaign rallies.
“The win in New Jersey coupled with Virginia is going to give the Republicans –maybe wrongly–a confidence bordering on euphoria,” said Newsweek’s Senior Washington correspondent Howard Fineman during a late edition of Countdown on MSNBC Tuesday night.
Exit polls in New Jersey found 60% of voters discounting Obama as a factor in their decision. Here 89% polled said they were “very worried” about the nation’s economy and their own prospects. Voters looking for a “change” candidate picked Christie 67% and Corzine 26%. But 57% gave Obama a positive job nod.
The usual low-voter turn-out in the off-year election surely played into the results, too. Making a particularly poor showing were young voters. In New Jersey, 18-30 year olds only comprised 9% of the electorate, down from 17% in 2008. In Virginia, the youth vote was 10%, down from an enthusiastic 21% last year.
While these elections may not be a flat-out repudiation of Obama, they certainly underscore the tenor of the times and cast a bit of dust over Obama’s optimistic patina.
“Obama has not been the guy to shake up the power structure,” Fineman said. “He didn’t exactly turn things upside down the way people were hoping during last year’s election.”
The biggest and most immediate stumbling block may be health care reform. With power struggles emerging in both the House and Senate–among both Republicans and Democrats–over just how comprehensive health reform can and should be–you can’t help but wonder how these victories will factor into the negotiations.
Will Blue Dog Democrats like Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu be intimidated? Repubs are already cooing about ushering in sweeping changes in 2010 akin to those in 1994, when 6 out of 10 voters citing economic woes, sent an astonishing Republican majority to the House, giving Newt Gingrich a chance to implement his conservative “Contract with America.”
Landrieu, to her credit, did say Tuesday that “doing nothing is not an option,” indicating that the moderate Democrat who previously called a public option “attractive because it sounds like it’s free,” is becoming more enlightened on the subject, and maybe just how important it is to her uninsured constituents.
While the Senate continues to debate debating the public option, both Repubs and Progressives grouse about the watered down House bill. Last week Dennis Kucinich passionately admonished his colleagues in the House, labeling the proposed bill little more than mandates that benefit the insurance industry. I figured despite Kucinich’s powerful refrain, “Is this the best we can do?” that the Pelosi bill probably was as good as it gets. Especially after single-payer advocates like Howard Dean and Rep. Anthony Weiner were hawking it as a “pretty decent bill.”
Along with these Republican victories House Minority leader.John Boehner unveiled his non-reform reform proposal–which, in case you’re keeping score–would somehow still permit pre-existing conditions as a barrier to insurance, but limit the amount of malpractice claims. Guess Pelosi’s plan isn’t so bad after all. Now, all they have to do is pass it. Oh, yeah, and merge it with whatever crawls out of the Senate.
Did we expect anything else – Obama is always blamed for everything these days. I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes for anything in the world, but folks let’s give the man a fighting chance! Our problems are not going to disappear after the 8 years of the Bush administration in not even a year.
We have to get behind our President no matter what our party affiliation is and help our nation become strong again – if not for us for our children and grandchildren. As far as the Health bill is concerned – how many of our award winning representatives and senators read the entire bill???? Just wondering – hope the Bill isn’t going to have loopholes for the Insurance industry. Let us hope and even more Let us pray!!!!!!!!
If blue dogs want to get reelected they will run from ObamaCare as fast as they can. Unless they dont want to be reellected, if they are willing to walk the plank for obama, more power to them!