White House Gears Up for Disappointing Election Day

[Purveyor]

With Democrats poised to lose the governor's race in Virginia, and to possibly lose the governor's race in New Jersey and a special election for a House seat in New York, the White House has started insisting any pending losses will not have any significance.

"Whatever the results are I don't think they portend a lot in dealing with the future," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters on Friday, pointing to the fact that Democrats won the Virginia and New Jersey governors' races in 2001 despite a very popular President Bush, with Republicans picking up seats in Congress in 2002.

"I think we continue to take the long view on what's going on in Washington and throughout the country," Gibbs said.

In Virginia, Democrat Creigh Deeds trailed Republican Bob McDonnell, 44% to 55%, in the latest Washington Post poll through October 25. Since the early 1970s, the party not in power in the White House has won the Virginia governor's race, and even Democratic supporters of Deeds' have been saying he certainly played a role in this tradition likely being continued on Tuesday.

President Obama will appear at campaign rallies in New Jersey Sunday to help the struggling and unpopular incumbent governor, Jon Corzine, who polls show is in a statistical dead heat with the Republican nominee, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.

MORE...

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/10/white-house-gears-up-for-disappointing-election-day.html

[TheWraith]

1. ABC's famously right-leaning political blog strikes again.

Notice how a one point R lead in Virginia means Dems are "poised to lose," but a one point Dem lead in NY-23 is STILL "Dems are poised to lose"?

[Kdillard]

18. I know right. I also thought John Corzine was leading in NJ. The

recent poll I saw had him solidifyiing that lead. Plus anything can happen in the NY 23 race I am hoping the Dem is able to pull it out despite the withdrawal of Dede. As for the Virginia race Deeds has run a bad campaign. The only people who have been playing games with the elections so far have been the Republicans who if I remeber correctly have tried to make every single race a referendum on Obama and then had to do a reversal once they lose.

[cali]

27. one point lead? Not hardly. The repuke is welll ahead of Deeds in almost all polls.

NY-23 will almost certainly go to Hoffman after Scozzafaza dropped out and Corzine and Christie are neck and neck.

[Stardust]

2. No shit...they'd better gear up for worse in 2010 (and probably 2012 and beyond.)

Maybe I spend too much time on DU and therefore have a pessimistic outlook, but I don't envision Dems picking up much for the foreseeable future. We're discouraged while the RW "base" is pumped.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. Not sure I agree with that analysis

The RW "base" may be pumped but the GOP is still leaderless, rudderless, and much more unpopular than President Obama and the Democrats. The party out of power is naturally more energized (to get back in power) than the party in power but that doesn't mean that we are necessarily in any kind of serious trouble next year or in 2012 absent any unforeseeable tragic circumstances for President Obama and/or the Democrats. People may have some questions about some of President Obama's policies, mostly egged on by lies from the GOP, Fox News, and the rest of the "liberal media", but they still don't view President Obama as being responsible for the state of the country right now nor do they seem to be as receptive to the same old stale anti-tax, anti-government rhetoric being spewed by the Republicans. All we need to do is point the fiscal irresponsibility of Bushco and its congressional enablers for the last 8 years if they want to try claiming that Republicans are a party of fiscal disciplinarians and that President Obama is somehow responsible for the current deficit/economy.
As for the races next week, Virginia may well go Republican but Virginia is more of a "purple" state that tends to go back and forth between the parties. No big referendum on President Obama there IMHO. NY-23 has been GOP territory for a long time but with the official GOP candidate backing out, the moderates who supported her may throw their support behind the Democratic candidate. Even if we lose there, there is no referendum on President Obama there as well IMHO. New Jersey seems poised to remain Democratic, so, obviously, no referendum on President Obama there IMHO.

[TheWraith]

4. I disagree wildly and vociferously. Don't mistake DU for the base.

DU is the place where the 9% of Democrats who are unhappy with Obama come to congregate.

[jonnyblitz]

9. you mean the base is even more personality cultsh than DU?. nt

[ClarkUSA]

19. The base is not a bunch of bitter sore losers who thought a black man would never win. nt

[Number23]

24. Oooooo DAYYUUUUMMM!!!!

:rofl: :thumbsup: :rofl:

[firedupdem]

25. You just spoke the truth!!! n/t

[vaberella]

26. Dude you know you're preaching from the Bible of Politics and Race relations...right?!

Good stuff. :toast:

[Garam_Masala]

16. Can we smoke that stuff together? n/t

[ClarkUSA]

5. The World Series is going to seriously dampen evening turnout in NJ overall.

We need GOTV help @ Corzine HQ if anyone is from nearby PA or NY.

[lordcommander]

7. There is no WS game on Tuesday though n/t

[ClarkUSA]

8. I'm hoping the Yankees don't win the next three games or else alot of folks won't vote on Tuesday...

Hangovers and too little sleep are a bad combo. Of course, as a Yankees fan, it hurts me to say this.

[branders seine]

6. you think this will be a disappointing election day?

Unless the Democrats in Congress turn things around quick, just wait until 2010. THAT will be disappointing.

[phleshdef]

12. Why? Democratic approval numbers are still far outpacing the Republicans in the house.

For all the disapproval of Democrats, the party of No is doing much, much worse as thing currently stand.

[madinmaryland]

10. In Virginia Creigh Deeds has run a very poor campaign. He probably

would not have been the candidate, had McAuliffe and Moran not split the democratic vote in the Primary.

Deeds has not used Obama, and Obama has made only a couple of appearances for Deeds. I was listening to NPR earlier this week and Deeds was the guest. A democrat called in and asked Deeds point blank what he stood for and why he wasn't taking his case to the people. Deeds was not really able to give a coherent answer. I imagine he is a capable guy, but nothing like Tim Kaine or Mark Warner.

[Cha]

11. I'm thinking McAuliff would

have been better but maybe I'm wrong.

[madinmaryland]

13. Moran and McAuliffe basically split the NoVa vote and Deeds took

the more conservative parts of VA. As a result, NoVa has not warmed up to Deeds, and is not even sure about him. I think Moran or McAuliffe would have made a better candidate than Deeds. McAuliffe would have brought the entire Clinton machine with, though, which may or may not have helped.

I'm am surprised that Deeds has not been able to take advantage of McConnell's extreme conservative views.

[Cha]

14. Thanks..some candidates

just aren't meant to win no matter how logical it seems. I hope Deeds isn't one of them.

[Kdillard]

15. Hopefully the media will have to eat their words.

[Garam_Masala]

17. I predict...next Tuesday will be surprising good news for dems

Corzine will win, Virginia will be very close
and the NY race will also be very close.

[Kdillard]

20. I really hope you are correct.

[Garam_Masala]

22. I am always right hehe... comes from

40 years of being a political junkie! Will you send
me a note of congrats on Tuesday night?

[Kdillard]

23. Absolutely :). You will also have my eternal gratitude because

it will mean that once again Michael Steele has egg on his face and he will be forced to shut up. Sane people are counting on you to be right.

[ind_thinker2]

21. Unless we GOTV, we will have disappointing 2010 as well

http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2009/10/some-hard-numbers-in-virginia-and-new.html