Did Obama get the message?
http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/peter_worthington/2009/11/05/11640516-sun.html
It was a victory for the American people who, once again, defied expectations and voted for pragmatism over ideology.
That's probably the kindest way to explain why two Democratic governors were bounced a year after Barack Obama was elected president on the promise of change, reducing Republicans to also-rans.
The election of Republican Chris Christie as governor of New Jersey was the biggest upset, ousting incumbent Jon Corzine, especially when Obama had campaigned for Corzine, taped "robocalls" for him, and sent Vice-President Joe Biden into the state to lobby.
New Jersey is Democrat country, rarely has a governor lost re-election after serving only one term.
But it was Virginia that really put the boots to Democrats -- or to Obama, if you want to be mean.
Under the magic of Obama's campaign last year, usually Republican Virginia voted Democrat. On Tuesday, the Republicans scored a hat trick.
By almost a 2-1 majority, or by 20 points, Republican Bob McDonnell ousted Creigh Deeds as governor, by stressing the economy over every other issue. He rarely mentioned Obama.
Republicans also swept the races for lieutenant governor and attorney general, spelling bad news for the Obama White House's agenda -- especially controversial health care reforms which Americans are increasingly uneasy about, and which critics dismiss mockingly as "Obamacare."
Most agree that health care reform is necessary. Maybe long overdue. What seems to make Americans uneasy is the government getting embroiled in providing (i.e., paying for) health care. While the administration tries to reassure people that government would only help those with no health insurance, skeptics suspect if a generous government program is launched, private health care providers might opt out of insurance for employees, and let the government bear the costs.
That's not an unreasonable assumption.
While adjustments have been made to the Obama plan (surely, it's the old Hillary Clinton plan of 1993 in disguise, or with a facelift?), the results in New Jersey and Virginia may well result in the administration easing off, and/or Democrats in congress and the senate re-thinking their vote on the issue.
Dick Morris, the campaign impresario who repeatedly rescued Bill Clinton when he was in trouble, has turned Republican and provides useful political insight into whatever he writes about.
Morris says the New Jersey and Virginia outcomes send a message to some 83 Democratic congressmen and 20 Democratic senators who come from so-called red states that John McCain carried in the last election.
The message is Obama can't be counted on to carry them to victory. If they support his health care plans, his economic simulus, his hesitation in Afghanistan, etc., and if the people don't like it, these guys are on their own.
"If Obama couldn't bail out Corzine in a blue state, and couldn't bail out Deeds in a borderline red state, he can't bail you out," says Morris to red state Democrats.
In any event, the Obama White House has to be concerned. Republicans are back in the game, albeit not as "conservative" as some might wish.
Perhaps Obama has been too ambitious for change, too cocky, too sure of his charisma, too prone to ignore warning signs.
As Joe Lieberman says, perhaps "change" is better introduced by small bites, incrementally instead of by huge gulps that cause indigestion.
Maybe, just maybe, Americans can spot phonies better than wise guys suspect.
________________________________________________________________
Now the republicans just need to keep dillitante Obama tied up and dithering for a while longer and his failure will be assured
http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/peter_worthington/2009/11/05/11640516-sun.html
It was a victory for the American people who, once again, defied expectations and voted for pragmatism over ideology.
That's probably the kindest way to explain why two Democratic governors were bounced a year after Barack Obama was elected president on the promise of change, reducing Republicans to also-rans.
The election of Republican Chris Christie as governor of New Jersey was the biggest upset, ousting incumbent Jon Corzine, especially when Obama had campaigned for Corzine, taped "robocalls" for him, and sent Vice-President Joe Biden into the state to lobby.
New Jersey is Democrat country, rarely has a governor lost re-election after serving only one term.
But it was Virginia that really put the boots to Democrats -- or to Obama, if you want to be mean.
Under the magic of Obama's campaign last year, usually Republican Virginia voted Democrat. On Tuesday, the Republicans scored a hat trick.
By almost a 2-1 majority, or by 20 points, Republican Bob McDonnell ousted Creigh Deeds as governor, by stressing the economy over every other issue. He rarely mentioned Obama.
Republicans also swept the races for lieutenant governor and attorney general, spelling bad news for the Obama White House's agenda -- especially controversial health care reforms which Americans are increasingly uneasy about, and which critics dismiss mockingly as "Obamacare."
Most agree that health care reform is necessary. Maybe long overdue. What seems to make Americans uneasy is the government getting embroiled in providing (i.e., paying for) health care. While the administration tries to reassure people that government would only help those with no health insurance, skeptics suspect if a generous government program is launched, private health care providers might opt out of insurance for employees, and let the government bear the costs.
That's not an unreasonable assumption.
While adjustments have been made to the Obama plan (surely, it's the old Hillary Clinton plan of 1993 in disguise, or with a facelift?), the results in New Jersey and Virginia may well result in the administration easing off, and/or Democrats in congress and the senate re-thinking their vote on the issue.
Dick Morris, the campaign impresario who repeatedly rescued Bill Clinton when he was in trouble, has turned Republican and provides useful political insight into whatever he writes about.
Morris says the New Jersey and Virginia outcomes send a message to some 83 Democratic congressmen and 20 Democratic senators who come from so-called red states that John McCain carried in the last election.
The message is Obama can't be counted on to carry them to victory. If they support his health care plans, his economic simulus, his hesitation in Afghanistan, etc., and if the people don't like it, these guys are on their own.
"If Obama couldn't bail out Corzine in a blue state, and couldn't bail out Deeds in a borderline red state, he can't bail you out," says Morris to red state Democrats.
In any event, the Obama White House has to be concerned. Republicans are back in the game, albeit not as "conservative" as some might wish.
Perhaps Obama has been too ambitious for change, too cocky, too sure of his charisma, too prone to ignore warning signs.
As Joe Lieberman says, perhaps "change" is better introduced by small bites, incrementally instead of by huge gulps that cause indigestion.
Maybe, just maybe, Americans can spot phonies better than wise guys suspect.
________________________________________________________________
Now the republicans just need to keep dillitante Obama tied up and dithering for a while longer and his failure will be assured
