When the VERY SAME people that got us into all the financial mess, Dodd, Wrangle, Reid, Frank keep getting elected by idiots in “blue” bankrupt, worthless, union thug run, welfare States, with a LOWER approval rating then Bush

Try saying that to the citizens of Ohio and how they approve their representatives at the state and national levels. To add to that, I am proud that Ohio is not a RTW state and has maintained that status.

By the way, for those union-hostile Palin fans: Explain what her husband is with reference to his union membership? How was it referenced in her introduction in Ohio? Or do you just want to be comfortable that she drives the riff-raff mad?

The “rust belt” poorly run States that could even consider Franken show the foolish radical people put SELF above Country…

Never mind what is said about economic self-interest.

The key stake in this election was a 60-seat Democrat majority in the Senate. That will not happen now. A run-off in Georgia has seen Rep Saxby Chambliss beat Dem Jim Martin by 16 points, and Minnesota Rep Norm Coleman remains slightly ahead of Dem…..

is bothered by this BLOWOUT. It was not just a win.

30% of Georgia is Black and the Dem still got blown away.

Nonfactor you know this means Obama’s victory not near as big as you thought.

Of course, one could also speculate that Republicans had a lot more motivation for turning out in this election to preserve the filibuster, a firebreak against the excesses of one-party governance.

It’s easier to speculate that the vast majority of Obama/Martin voters don’t have a clue about filibusters.

p.s. you really wanted to say “racist state”, not Southern.

2010 will be decided on the dominant issues of the day, whatever they may be. Will the top issue still be the economy? …environmental nuttery? …or a new external threat? …or something else not in focus at the present?
Who knows?

All that’s left is to prick Franken. Or is that redundant?

locomotivebreath1901 on December 3, 2008 at 11:35 AM

Yes.

Turnout was near what is expected for a run off election.

Some suggested it was lack of interest for black voters to turn out for a white candidate.

If the Obama voter email lists for Georgia and the GOTV effort were used like in the General it would have been close again.

With the low turnout a few heavy Black counties like Dekalb and Fulton ,which make up Atlanta area, could have made the race much closer.

Simply the only reason for the run off to start with was that the Obama supporters were already in the voting booth and went for a straight Dem ticket. Otherwise they race likely would have been decided then by getting over the required 50% of the vote.

It also lends weight to the fact that Obama may not have very long coat tails as he drops items from his agenda and even fails to perform up to some groups expectation.

A spreadsheet with some calculations of the results is available here.

Tommy_G on December 3, 2008 at 10:07 AM

Maybe you “real conservatives” should stop inviting other folks into your big tent, It sounds like all you want us for is to vote the way you tell me to and then shut up and bring you another beer. I’ve registered as an independent for the last 24 years, give me GOOD ideas and leadership and I don’t care if you have an R or D next to your name. And by the way, for all of you that complain about Collins and Snowe, either one is far better then FAR LEFT Tom Allen who is now out of a job in the house of rep. because he lost running against Collins. Elitism sucks, from both sides.

It’s her party now.

All that the GOP has to do is field a real conservative and they win.

thomasaur on December 3, 2008 at 11:07 AM

Good luck with that. There are about 3 people left in the United States who know what a “real conservative” is. And none of them are Republicans. The GOP is flled with sniveling cowards. They’ll talk like tough guys on here just to get somebody’s attention, but put these tough guys out there, and it’s nothing but waffle and betrayal.

The auto bailout is a poorly disguised payback to the unions that supported Obama. Most workers are non-union and most healthy companies are also non-union. Blind faith in union leadership has hurt employees and it will also hurt Obama.

It’d put him at 59, and he knows he can count on at least one RINO like Collins or Snowe. So while he might not technically have 60 votes, he will de facto have them.

All that’s left is to prick Franken. Or is that redundant?

If Reid had a shot at 60, he might have interceded on Franken’s behalf by invoking the Senate’s authority to decide the election. Without that motivation, Reid will almost certainly avoid such heavy-handed tactics, especially since Republicans could now bring the Senate to a standstill over it.

The republicans should do that anyway, so there is a country to fix in 2011. It sure won’t hurt, as the dems did it in 2005, and won majorities from their efforts.

Frankly, not a damn thing. You’ll still see a filibuster-proof Harry Reid-led Dem majority, since the Dems seem to be able to keep their members in line.

That might have been true when it didn’t mean as much, but if the Congress tries to go far left, Democrats in the House especially won’t be able to portray themselves as “conservative Democrats” any longer.

The public is going to see (if they pay attention), that there is no such thing as a conservative Democrat, there are only corrupt, incompetent and worthless Democrat politicians.

My prediction is the Democrats will lose both Houses in 2010. Pelosi and Gambino errand boy Reid are both complete idiots who have no idea what it is that they are doing.

It’s just not that the statement about the effect of Palin are overstated, they are unseemly. They are why many people become Democrats. They see absolutely lunatic “conservative” fuhrerprinzip when they are in high school or college, and they become Democrats. I was one such kid and I still meet such youngsters.

Of course, the obvious reply to me is what about Obamessiah? The Obama worship phenomenon should have made more kids cynical about him. I think for many kids, it’s not so much Obama himself–as the support for Obama it their way of atoning for the historical sin of racism. Voting for Obama was atonement like Christian Lent or Jewish Yom Kippur, but with the joy of Mardi Gras or the breaking of the fast after Yom Kippur. Kids like to be given “get out guilt, cheaply” cards. I only hope that we have to atone for the sin of our father’s and mother’s racism once. (If we are to be truly feminist, let our mothers bear some of the ancestral sin.)

like good portions of his [Franken's] face have gone numb and he’s struggling to move them.

Lehosh on December 3, 2008 at 10:04 AM

There are no good portions of that weenie.

The Republicans? not so much. All the Dems have to do is flip a couple of Republicans. Maybe throw a little pork their way, or put them on a plum committee/subcommittee.

I’ve been informed that I should call him Senator Harry “By Any Means Necessary” Reid.