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Official NeoGAF US Mid-term Elections 2006 Thread

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L

Learn2read

Member
Gruco said:
Frag, I agree with you that having incumbency power is going to be huge, and yeah, DeLay's old seat is the most egregious example. But would they have knocked off so many if it wasn't for Foley, wife-chocking, Allen's screw ups, etc?

Even in Pennsylvania there are still some areas I wouldn't consider remotely democratic. Maybe incumbency (and hopefully two more years of improved democratic infastructure) will be enough to make up for everything that made the Republicans get their asses kicked last night. I certainly hope you're right. But I'm still a little skeptical. (which is good, because we shouldn't be getting complacent!)
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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/us/politics/09statehousecnd.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

They also made huge gains in state governments, which should pay off huge in the future and help them consolidate their gains.
 
J

jgkspsx

Member
ferrarimanf355 said:
Oh shit, I'm hearing that Boo-urns isn't going to concede the Montana race... :(
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He has to. The Republican secretary of state said that a recount is not legally permissable.

Allen will probably go for a recount, and sap the remaining goodwill for him in the Republican establishment. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
 
T

Triumph

Banned
ferrarimanf355 said:
Oh shit, I'm hearing that Boo-urns isn't going to concede the Montana race... :(
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Doesn't matter, that race is outside the margin legally required for a recount. In other words, nah nah boo boo, stick your head in doo doo, etc etc.
 
D

DarienA

The black man everyone at Activision can agree on
Johan van Benderschlotten said:
Seen The Word yet? I think it's the best one I've ever seen.
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Yeah I'm watching that part right now... f'n hilarious!
 
T

Triumph

Banned
Ok, I actually just re-read it and Burns DOES have recourse- he can request a recount with between 1/4 and 1 point, but only IF HE IS WILLING TO PAY FOR IT.

Tester is currently ahead by about 2,800 votes. No recount has ever swayed more than 800 votes in any direction from my understanding. Some time tonight, Burns is going to get the same call Allen will get from the GOP higher ups telling him to fall on his sword so the party doesn't get any more negative publicity. Tomorrow afternoon, I expect the Dems majority to be official.
 
L

Lo-Volt

Member
front110806.jpg
 
I

Incognito

Troll
Diablos said:
Well, one disadvantage (other than the White House being more competitive for conservatives in 2008) is also the fact that I'm SURE Republicans will blame things going wrong on the Democratic House and Senate no matter how good or bad Dems will actually do.
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So? They've been blaming Democrats for everything since the start of their political movement. Hell, just a few weeks ago then Majority Leader Bill Frist sent out a missive lamenting the fact that the Democrats were the reasons Congress was labled a do nothing group of corrupt assholes. Yes, all then 44 Democratic Senators and 201 House Represenatives. If certain Democrats are afraid of the right wing noise machine hounding them every second of the day, then they need to grow the **** up and educated themselves about the lesson of 2006.
 
T

Triumph

Banned
Basically, these news organizations are just being cautious and covering their asses. The VA race has a margin too large to change if a "recount" happened.
 
I

Incognito

Troll
Even though this board loves to loathe John Kerry, they would do well to thank him for personally funding and supplying resources to Jim Webb back when no one, not even the DNC, would support him. John Kerry backed Jim Webb in the Democratic primary for Virginia, even when Webb refused to shake Kerry's hand over Vietnam. The DNC chose to support someone else in the primary. Thankfully, Webb emerged victorious.
 
F

Fragamemnon

Member
Kerry's contribution to this cycle was enormous. He did a ton of work and campaigned very, very hard for a lot of candidates. He contributions to the effort to retake the Congress were remarkable.

That being said, he's very much a boogeyman to the GOP base and they use his voice and image like a dog whistle to get their base out to vote. He'd do better to keep out of the next Presidental cycle, and just hang around in the Senate for another term or two (or retire and make sure that Barney Frank gets his seat).
 
I

Incognito

Troll
Fragamemnon said:
Kerry's contribution to this cycle was enormous. He did a ton of work and campaigned very, very hard for a lot of candidates. He contributions to the effort to retake the Congress were remarkable.

That being said, he's very much a boogeyman to the GOP base and they use his voice and image like a dog whistle to get their base out to vote. He'd do better to keep out of the next Presidental cycle, and just hang around in the Senate for another term or two (or retire and make sure that Barney Frank gets his seat).
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It's my hope that a Democrat wins the presidency in 2008 and nominate Kerry for Sec. of State. I think he'd be a perfect fit. I know he was on Gore's short list for Sec of State -- that is, until Florida. :lol
 
F

Fragamemnon

Member
Incognito said:
It's my hope that a Democrat wins the presidency in 2008 and nominate Kerry for Sec. of State. I think he'd be a perfect fit. I know he was on Gore's short list for Sec of State -- that is, until Florida. :lol
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He'd make a good Secretary of Commerce as well, but that's a little low on the totem pole for someone with his accomplishments. But I agree, a Cabinet spot would be a good thing for him in a Democratic administration.
 
D

Diablos

Member
Cheebs said:
Remember one reason why senate was so hard. It was lopsided. A LOT of democratic seats were up but very few republican. Meaning in 08 much less dem's will have seats with elections but a lot of republicans will.

:)
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I couldn't help but look up the 2008 Senate incumbent races:

1.3 Notable Democratic incumbent races

1.3.1 Dick Durbin of Illinois
1.3.2 Tom Harkin of Iowa
1.3.3 Tim Johnson of South Dakota
1.3.4 Mary Landrieu of Louisiana
1.3.5 Mark Pryor of Arkansas
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# 1.4 Notable Republican incumbent races

* 1.4.1 Lamar Alexander of Tennessee
* 1.4.2 Saxby Chambliss of Georgia
* 1.4.3 Norm Coleman of Minnesota
* 1.4.4 John Cornyn of Texas
* 1.4.5 Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
* 1.4.6 Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
* 1.4.7 Jeff Sessions of Alabama
* 1.4.8 Gordon Smith of Oregon
* 1.4.9 John Sununu of New Hampshire
Click to expand...
 
M

maynerd

Banned
From MSNBC!

Report: GOP's George Allen to concede race for Senate seat from Virginia.

VERY NICE!

Congress belongs to the Dems!
 
T

teiresias

Member
Well, everyone assumes he's conceding, but I think the only real "fact" right now is that Allen is speaking in Alexandria at 3EST. It would be ridiculous for him to do anything other than concede though.
 
L

Learn2read

Member
teiresias said:
Well, everyone assumes he's conceding, but I think the only real "fact" right now is that Allen is speaking in Alexandria at 3EST. It would be ridiculous for him to do anything other than concede though.
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Yeah, but alot of times the campaign will give reporters a heads-up before hand.
 
I

Incognito

Troll
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/08/AR2006110802334.html

The numbers suggest a return to the political landscape that preceded Bush and his effort to use policies and political appointments to build what some of his aides called an effort to restructure American politics. Democrats, for instance, won women by 55 percent to 43 percent, their highest margin since 1988. They won independents, the key swing vote, by 18 percentage points, the biggest margin in House races in the past 25 years.

Republicans also suffered losses among the groups White House political adviser Karl Rove specifically targeted for support over the past six years. Democrats benefited from a 14-point increase among Latinos since the last election, and also won their highest percentage of white voters (47 percent) since 1992. Democratic support among white Protestants -- the base of the modern GOP -- returned to the levels the party enjoyed before Bush's 2000 election. Democrats saw a 10-point gain among Catholics.

Sara Taylor, the White House political director, said the Democrats' gains do not signal a big shift in American politics. "It is premature to assume that because they made some gains . . . that this is some sort of trend toward the Democratic Party," Taylor said. Pointing to the 1938 election when Democrats lost 72 House seats in the sixth year of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, Taylor argued that this year's elections in a hostile political climate -- buffeted by the Iraq war and scandals -- are an interruption, not an end, to the effort to assemble a lasting GOP majority.

The exit polling underscored how sour the political environment was for the GOP. Voters expressed big concerns about corruption, the Iraq war and the direction of the country. This year's survey, however, did not measure specifically the issues that motivated voters most.

Voters most frequently labeled "corruption and scandals in government" as "extremely important" to their vote for the House, but calling this an ethics election would be an over-interpretation, analysts said.

Strategists in both parties agree it was the Iraq war -- and Bush's failure to win this fall's debate over the military operation -- that animated this year's elections most. "Iraq sat at the middle of this election and shaped political attitudes," said GOP pollster Bill McInturff.

The strategists said the Mark Foley sex scandal, which dominated races just as voters were tuning in, crystallized voter concerns with GOP governance. In the end, undecided voters broke heavily against the GOP in the final days.

"The war and scandals in Congress were the doors that gave us an opportunity," said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.).

Still, the damage could have been worse for Republicans. Their losses were not out of line with the historical average for the sixth year of a presidency. "What you saw was not some big, huge wave election," Taylor said. "I would argue we did a very good job of staving one off." The White House cited its own analysis concluding that Republicans won 13 of 19 races decided by 5,000 votes or less, crediting their turnout program for preventing much deeper losses.

But Democrats clearly did a better job at turning out their voters than in recent elections, with exit polling showing them winning 53 percent to 45 percent nationally. They also did a better job of recruiting and preparing their candidates, strategists in both parties said.

On the GOP side, the finger-pointing began soon after the results were clear. GOP officials faulted several lawmakers for blowing their races. For months, the National Republican Congressional Committee warned incumbents that this year's headwinds could endanger them -- even if they had not faced serious races before.

The NRCC went to Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) in the summer with a poll that showed him in real jeopardy in his race against teacher Tim Walz (D). Gutknecht did not adequately heed that warning, falling to Walz in the southern Minnesota 1st District.

In Iowa's 2nd District, the NRCC noticed months ago that Rep. Jim Leach (R) could well lose to Democrat Dave Loebsack. National Republicans did not want to tip off Democrats to his troubles, so they decided against running ads there. Instead, GOP aides said, they decided to pay for a direct-mail effort on Leach's behalf, but just as it was about to be sent out, Leach insisted it be canceled. He lost to Loebsack on Tuesday night.

In Pennsylvania's 4th District, Rep. Melissa Hart (R) ignored repeated warnings from national Republicans to go negative early on her opponent, Jason Altmire (D). Hart waited -- out of fear for raising Altmire's name recognition. She waited too long.

Democrats, similarly, made decisions that won them crucial seats in building their House majority.

Take Pennsylvania's 10th District, where Democrat Chris Carney defeated Rep. Don Sherwood (R). Carney had built a considerable lead by running ads featuring Republican voters in the district talking about Sherwood's admission of an extramarital affair and allegations that he had strangled his mistress. Carney had gone off the air with those ads, and Sherwood's poll numbers had begun to bounce back. Emanuel, Democratic operatives said, called Carney and advised him strongly to go back to the mistress ads. Carney complied, and defeated Sherwood.

In New Hampshire's 2nd District, Emanuel visited late in the summer to check up on Democratic candidate Paul Hodes. During that visit, Emanuel asked Hodes whether Rep. Charles Bass (R-N.H.) had any idea of his vulnerability. Hodes said no. Emanuel counseled Hodes to lay low, springing the campaign on Bass in the final weeks. He did just that -- beating Bass in a major surprise on Tuesday.

Emanuel's DCCC also made a number of key last-minute funding decisions that led to surprise wins. After pledging not to spend money to defeat Rep. Anne M. Northup (R-Ky.), the DCCC poured $500,000 into the race in the final week, helping John Yarmuth (D) pull out an unexpected victory. In Kansas, the DCCC saturated the airwaves with television ads attacking Rep. Jim Ryun during the last days of the race, leaving Republicans little time to respond. Ryun lost to Democrat Nancy Boyda.

Much of the Democrats' success in the Senate could be credited to Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), who as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee convinced a number of top-tier candidates to run -- often ignoring complaints from various interest groups in order to select the candidates he and aides deemed most electable.

Early in the 2006 election cycle, for instance, Schumer called Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell (D) to find out who the best candidate was to oust Sen. Rick Santorum. Rendell told him that it was state Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr. but that national Democrats would not want Casey because he is opposed to abortion rights. Schumer said that deviation from Democratic orthodoxy was not a problem: "The days are over where a Democrat has to check 28 boxes to get our support."

Republican strategists said they might have been able to win an extra seat or two if the National Republican Senatorial Committee has raised more money -- and spent it more wisely. The strategists questioned why GOP officials spent so heavily in New Jersey, where they lost by seven points, and waited so long to move more money into Montana, where Sen. Conrad Burns lost narrowly.
Click to expand...
 
T

teiresias

Member
People that think like that Sara Taylor woman are scary, IMO. Anyone that wants to install a permanent majority of any kind that isn't capable of being taken down if necessary just doesn't have their head on straight. I certainly wouldn't want a permanent Democratic majority in the case that I felt they were seriously doing something that was leading the country down the wrong path.
 
C

Christoff Yurievich

Member
anyone here from Minnesota? My cousin was running for a position up there and I was wondering how he fared (I can't seem to find him online for some reason). His name is Robert Boyd and he was registered as a Democrat in what I was told is a heavily Republican area. Thanks.
 
M

maynerd

Banned
bune duggy said:
anyone here from Minnesota? My cousin was running for a position up there and I was wondering how he fared (I can't seem to find him online for some reason). His name is Robert Boyd and he was registered as a Democrat in what I was told is a heavily Republican area. Thanks.
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Do you know what he was running for and what county...etc?

It would be found here if anywhere I would imagine... http://www.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp
 
A

Amir0x

Banned
bune duggy said:
anyone here from Minnesota? My cousin was running for a position up there and I was wondering how he fared (I can't seem to find him online for some reason). His name is Robert Boyd and he was registered as a Democrat in what I was told is a heavily Republican area. Thanks.
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Robert Boyd (D) was beat by Erik Paulsen (R) -- 64% (11389) to 35% (6380)
 
C

Christoff Yurievich

Member
thanks. well, it was his first try. My aunt, a staunch Republican who has three (Democratic) kids, said that he wasn't really expecting to win, he just wanted to try.

I found this: http://www.dfl.org/ but it didn't help much. The stories there about the Secretary of State (since you linked me to her website) are humorous, though.
SUPREME COURT LIKELY TO ORDER SECRETARY OF STATE TO FINALLY DO HER JOB

(ST. PAUL) 11/5/06 - Tomorrow, the Minnesota Supreme Court will likely order Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer to take immediate action to fulfill the duties of her office in time for Tuesday's election. A petition was filed with the Court on Friday that included each issue raised last week by the Minnesota DFL Party.

"Secretary of State Kiffmeyer brought this rebuke on herself," Minnesota DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez said. "She keeps touting her website as a 'one-stop shop' for election information. All she needed to do was actually provide full and accurate election information. Last week, we even spelled out for her what she needed to do but she still failed to act. Now she'll be forced to. This rebuke from the state's highest court on the eve of a major election is stunning and unprecedented."

The complaint lists several allegations:

* Kiffmeyer's website fails to adequately inform voters about statutory provisions enacted in 2005 regarding the verification of residency for same day voter registration.

* Kiffmeyer failed to notify residential facilities about the requirement that they submit a list of employees who are able to vouch for residents at least 20 days before an election.

* Kiffmeyer's website provides erroneous information about the polling locations for 42 precincts.

* Kiffmeyer's website fails to use the language that the legislature enacted in 2005 and 2006 to describe voting eligibility for people under guardianship and for ex-felons.

Kiffmeyer refused to modify any of the information provided to voters in response to the DFL Party's complaint last week. After the most recent complaint filed on Friday, Kiffmeyer made two changes to her website. One change was proper, the other actually exacerbated the confusion about voting eligibility for rehabilitated felons.

"Secretary Kiffmeyer has been notified time and again about these problems. Her refusal to take action now is either a calculated effort to mislead voters or a stunningly arrogant display of her belief that she is above the law," Melendez said.

Last Monday, the Minnesota DFL Party filed complaints with each of the 87 county elections officials in Minnesota alleging that Kiffmeyer is in violation of the Deceptive Campaign Practices Act for publishing inaccurate information on her website.

"It's shameful that Minnesotans cannot count on their Secretary of State to get their information for voting, and they must instead depend on the courts to order to her to do her job," Melendez said. "Thankfully, Mark Ritchie has already started doing the job of the Secretary of State and Minnesotans can count on him. He is prepared to step in and perform his duties effectively from his first day in office."

Complete information about voting eligibility requirements and the options for same day registration can be found at DFL-endorsed Secretary of State candidate Mark Ritchie's website: www.markritchie06.net. An accurate precinct finder is located at: http://www.dfl.org.
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I

Incognito

Troll
As the canvassing continues in Virginia, Sen. George Allen, R-Virginia, is sequestered in his home, "shell shocked," and going through "a nightmare," during this period of limbo, a senior Allen staffer tells CNN.
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Presser to begin at 3pmEST, so about now. Everyone gather round:lol
 
D

DarienA

The black man everyone at Activision can agree on
Alright Dems... you're in the drivers seat now in the House and Senate... do us proud... dammit!
 
T

thefit

Member
Well maybe Allen can now do some serious soul searching and discover his inner Jew and maybe comeback as a conservative Independent he and Lieberman could probably even run for president and vice president in '08.






...or not.
 
E

evil solrac v3.0

Member
now that the dems have both houses we can finally pass some meaningful legislation:
































































abortions for some , miniature american flags for others!!!! mmm....!!! i cant wait to start eating babies for breakfast!!
 
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