The GOP, I’m sure, will take all the wrong lessons from yesterday’s election. I just about guarantee it.
Here’s yesterday’s lesson: The only major race the GOP lost yesterday was the one where they didn’t nominate a conservative.
When the GOP nominates conservatives, they win.
I fear that Michael Steele, the NRCC and the party powerful will see last night as a need to rein in the hardline conservatives that supported Hoffman over Scozzafava in New York’s 23rd congressional district.
They’ll point to Owens’ win in NY-23. They’ll say Christie didn’t emphasize his social conservative stances.
But the facts are that a pro-life candidate won in the very blue state of New Jersey. A pro-life conservative won in Virginia going away. And every time gay marriage is up for a vote as it was in Maine yesterday, traditional marriage wins.
And yet for some reason we’re supposed to run from the social issues as a sure loser? Give me a break.
Conservatives seem to win despite the Republican Party.
In fact, if you look at the actions of the GOP the past few years you’d have to ask if the GOP were trying to create a conservative third party, would they be doing anything different? I don’t think so.
November 4, 2009 at 3:29 pm
"And every time gay marriage is up for a vote as it was in Maine yesterday, traditional marriage wins."
Ummmm, the voters of Washington state approved a measure providing all the rights of marriage to state registered same-sex partnerships last night. Also, I thought the vote in Maine was–despite all the pre-election hype–surprisingly close. A decade ago, gay marriage was unthinkable politically. Now its polling around 50-50 in some states. Not an encouraging trend.
Gay marriage may be a winner for conservatives in the next few election cycles, but I'm highly skeptical as to how long that pattern will hold.
–crouchback
November 4, 2009 at 3:41 pm
To Crouchback: on Washington – yes, but notice that the word "marriage" was noticeably absent, and it was still a narrow margin in a solidly liberal state. I do think the trendlines are worrisome, but it's ridiculoius to keep asserting (not that you are) that this is a losing issue for conservatives and Republicans.
November 4, 2009 at 4:09 pm
I don't normally follow politics very closely but last night I was watching the election coverage since I live in Virginia. What I noticed that abortion never came up as an issue even though all the democratic ads here demonized their opponents for wanting to take away a woman's right to choose (to kill their children) [and how come no one ever campaigns for a man's right to choose to kill their children]?
I know that many people don't see abortion as a moral issue that trumps prudential ones, but is abortion really that small of an issue for the general public? Fox assembled a panel of Virginia voters and regardless of which candidate someone voted for the top three issues seemed to be 1) jobs, 2) taxes, 3) health care.
November 4, 2009 at 7:35 pm
"…Conservatives seem to win despite the Republican Party."
Solid gold!
November 4, 2009 at 7:39 pm
I guess I will take the contrary view. At times the attacks on the national GOP become well trite. The fact is the National GOP poured massive resources into VA and NJ and did a fairly good job. Conservatives cannot be all stick and no carrot
Also I celebrate the win in Maine and I was not aware that the GOP was against that. They were not.
That being said the situation in NY was disaster from the start. From the bonehead local GOP folks (note that is not the National GOP) that nominated someone that could not win very likely a local primary. I think the situation was much more made worse by conservatives.
Conservatives forgot a Cardinal rule and a rule we Catholics talks about . That is Subsidarity. Why anyone thought it would be a great idea to get behind a carpetbagger as we declare open war and a person that had no idea of local issues is beyond me. Perhaps people resented that in that district. We forgot a lesson that we all talk about. I am not sure why we could have not held our fire and got rid of the liberal Republcian just half a year later in a real primary
THe Campaign Spot (no liberal voice to say the least) had a good post on what went wrong. Again showing the dangers of interfering in a lcoal race like this in such a dramatic way
http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NjIzYTQ1NzEyZTAwYjVhZjUxNjc5ZGUyMzQ4NmIwODQ=
The National GOP will back whoever the party nominee . Down here My goodness David Vitter is even more conservative than I am and the National GOP is active down here already.
The key is this is not rocket science. Don't like what your local party is doing then get involved. Hardly no one shows for these events. You can with a little work and foot power get your self elected to Republcian Pary offices. It sometimes is as easy as just using your Christmas Card list and getting on the phone.
November 5, 2009 at 12:10 am
Washington isn't lost yet, guys. 2 out of 3 votes are estimated by the counters to not even be *in* yet– because we only had to have them postmarked by yesterday.
Given that the homosexual marriage advocates consider the measure a lamesauce option, I sure wouldn't be counting that as a "victory" if I were on the side that thinks values are a losing proposition.
November 5, 2009 at 12:56 am
Matthew I don't know if I agree with your fear, but I will say it is valid to say the least. We'll see how the GOP goes this coming year when we see the frontrunners for the 2012 election begin to emerge. If Romney and co is anywhere among them, the the GOP goose is cooked and we will see an exodus to the 3rd "conservative" party. And I will be wearing my best walking shoes.
November 5, 2009 at 1:51 pm
In washington it seems like there was little help from national protect marriage groups, little help from the state bishops conference. This vote result I think is less then it could have been if we had had a big campaign here in washington state, but alas. Now we have "everything but marriage couples legally partnered couples"
November 8, 2009 at 5:57 pm
I lived (and voted) in NJ for 9 years. My husband is still registered to vote in that state (and did, from Afghanistan via email). I really think NJ voters care more about their pocketbooks than abortion. Property taxes continue to be on the rise and Corzine had promised to take care of that. I'm not discounting the pro-life vote, I'm just saying that had Christie been a pro-abort Republican like Whitman, he still stood a decent chance against Corzine.