Las Vegas Sun

November 22, 2009

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Don’t play down Republican wins in governor’s races

Carmine A. DiFazio, North Las Vegas

Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.

Thursday’s Las Vegas Sun editorial, headlined “Put down the tea bags,” discrediting the Republican gubernatorial victories in New Jersey and Virginia and praising the Democratic victory in a New York congressional race, was both shortsighted and disingenuous.

Why are the Republican victories at the statewide level indicative of local politics and the New York congressional district victory a positive vote for President Barack Obama’s presidency? Off-year elections are American voters’ first opportunity to have a referendum on how well the party in the White House is doing.

With three key races, the results are two state wins for the Republicans and one congressional district win for the Democrats. And the president elevated the stakes of the two state gubernatorial races by campaigning very hard for the Democratic candidates, especially for the incumbent governor in New Jersey, Jon Corzine. What would the White House and Sun spin be if the efforts had succeeded?

The editorial also neglected to give the history behind the New York congressional district election. It was a special election because Obama appointed the existing Republican representative to be the secretary of the Army.

This appointment opened the door for a special election to fill the vacant position. Local New York Republicans blew the selection by nominating a left-leaning pro-Obama Republican. Mainstream Republicans had no choice but to select a “conservative” candidate more in line with party values and splitting the party vote.

Under nationwide pressure, the pro-Obama Republican candidate bowed out at the last minute and threw her support behind — who else? — the Democratic candidate.

Finally, if you are so naive as to believe off-year elections are not a harbinger of the midyear elections to come, I remind you of the 1993 off-year elections and the 1994 Republican wins, taking control of both the House and Senate after President Bill Clinton’s huge win against George H.W. Bush in 1992. Americans may witness a repeat performance of 1993-94 in 2010.

Discussion: 16 comments so far…

  1. By judgesmales
    11/7/09 at 4:17 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Great letter, Carmine, but don't strain yourself trying to talk sense to the Sun.

    You can offer up all the facts you can find and expose their hipocrisy and it still won't matter. They are in the tank for Obama and his policies of "wealth redistribution" from the producers to the leeches, and there's no changing their minds.

    Amazing that a newspaper that seizes every opportunity to "call out" Fox News or Rush Limbaugh for bias and "extremism" has gone so far to the loony left that it is just as polarizing as Fox or Rush have ever been. None are so blind ...

  2. By Gordon
    11/7/09 at 8:18 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Two moderate republicans were elected to STATE office. One far right Neocon republican was rejected in a republican stronghold district, which has not elected a democrat in 150 years.

    This confirms the worries of many oldschool republican leaders....that the parties neocons are making it VERY difficult to win federal elections, even in traditionally republican strongholds.

    The non-stop spin from the neocon loons is at least amusing.

  3. By mikegino
    11/7/09 at 9:04 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Gordon, in case you didn't notice, both new Republican Governors are to the right of the defeated Democrats. What does that tell you?

  4. By LarryVegas
    11/7/09 at 9:30 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    The non-stop spinning from Gordon is at least amusing.

    The Independents have left the Democrats and next years election will tell the story that Americans are tired of the "Move On" politics of the Left.

  5. By Janmara1
    11/7/09 at 9:58 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Carmine is right that the Republicans won the elections in New Jersey and Virginia However his analysis as to why they won is faulty. Then using that as a basis for projection to 2010 becomes distorted.
    In New Jersey Corzine broke his word to the people . He did not propose or attempt to reduce Real Estate taxes or attempt to create conditions to lower the cost of insurance. That coupled with his being an EX Goldman Sachs ceo and having paid for his own campaign was enough without a recession to have brought him down.
    In Virginia you had a democratic candidate who quite honestly was a very poor campaigner and therefore the Dems didnt win.
    New York 23 was the only election that had an impact on the natiional scene. It is the most heartening as the right wing nuts were trampled. They can say anything that they want however facts are the majority of Americans are not buying their wacko BS.
    Where does that leave all of us only in one place, If the Democratic Leadership including Pres Obama can make progress in overcoming the recession then they will gather the support they need to continue.
    If Carmine and his friends think anyone is happy with the idea of one party democracy they are completely wrong. However with the way the Republican party is going these days thats what we will be left with
    Frankly I would like to see an Independent party emerge with reasonable fair smart and dedicated people who really want to work to solve this countries problems.
    So far this has not happened evidenced by the fact that not one I repeat not one Republican is able to stand up for reasonable solutions to real problems.
    If this continues we are all screwed

  6. By mikegino
    11/7/09 at 10:24 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    janmoron: "not one Republican." Sounds like you screwed yourself.

  7. By gmag39
    11/7/09 at 11:22 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    The fact is, Americans as a whole are sick & tired of "the far Right" and "the far Left."
    They don't particularly CARE what party you belong to, they care about what you plan to do about making things better. If you have a reasonable approach, and are nearer the middle than either of the extremes, you got a shot.

  8. By LarryVegas
    11/7/09 at 1:02 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    gmag, what happened? Did lightning strike you? You are making incredible sense. Maybe my intellect and principals finally wore off on you...

  9. By ksand99
    11/7/09 at 4:33 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    "The Independents have left the Democrats and next years election will tell the story that Americans are tired of the "Move On" politics of the Left."

    So says LarryVegas, who also claimed Obama was going to pronounce the public option dead more than two months ago.

    And today it's going to be voted on in the House.

    Your crystal ball is cracked, Larry.

  10. By LarryVegas
    11/7/09 at 6:33 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    This is just a House vote there ksand99. It will have to get through the Senate...

    Did you have time to read and digest Polosi's health reform bill?

    Did you have time to debate it with your fellow voters?

    So much for transparency and openness from this Democratic Administration.

  11. By gmag39
    11/7/09 at 6:44 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Nah, Larry, no lightning, no epiphany.
    We still disagree as to which side of the center the rule will slide. Don't count on it being your beer hand side, especially because the Republicans are in a fight for their core. If Bachman, Palin, Newt, Gym Gibbons, Ensign, heck, et. al are your "consensus building" candidates, you might as well get the elephant gun out right now.

  12. By LarryVegas
    11/7/09 at 6:50 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    The next couple of months will be very interesting. Will the Health Care Bill get through both houses of congress without major cuts? Will Congressmen returning to their home states have a good vacation?

    Hey by the way, it was nice to see Obama give special support to those Democratic Congressmen who needed their arms twisted a little.

    Wish Obama would put out a little effort in making a decision about Afghanistan...

  13. By teamster
    11/7/09 at 9:48 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    LarryVegas:

    Today the House passed the health care bill
    220 to 215, with one Repub.
    It will also pass in the Senate.
    It's much better being on the correct side of
    history.
    THANK YOU NANCY PELOSI AND HARRY REID.

  14. By jlb101
    11/7/09 at 10:02 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Thank you Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. You have passed a monstrocity that will bankrupt the government. You are despised and the government will not be missed at all. Parasites, beware, your welfare check is going bye-bye. I hope you greedbags miss many meals, you deserve it.

  15. By teamster
    11/7/09 at 10:19 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    jlb101:

    The only greedy people are the right-wing.
    You should be ashamed of yourself.

    WE LOVE NANCY PELOSI AND HARRY REID.

  16. By LarryVegas
    11/8/09 at 8:07 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    No teamster, it better to be on the right side of history...

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