So Murphy won. How do ya like them coattails?!

[babylonsister]

:fistbump:

New York Race To Test Obama's Coattails

By Joe Murray, The Bulletin
Thursday, March 26, 2009


snip//

The race to fill a vacant House seat in New York’s 20th Congressional District could become an indictment of the Obama administration and those of the congressional Democrat. A new poll released by Rasmussen Reports shows reason for concern for the president’s party, as it shows Republicans, once sentenced to years in exile, holding their own with Democrats in future congressional elections.

Forty-one percent of those surveyed stated they would prefer a Democrat representing their district, while 38 percent would prefer a Republican. Last week, Republicans briefly topped the Democrats in the same poll for the first time since losing Congress in 2006.

Enter the race in New York’s 20th Congressional District.

Under most circumstances, a race to fill a congressional seat during an off-year would be relegated to the musings of political junkies suffering from a 2008 political hangover, but this race is not occurring under normal circumstances.

Just like the majority of Americans, Republican Jim Tedisco and Democrat Scott Murphy are engaged in a heated debate over this key issue facing the country — the economy and the Obama administration’s plan to turn the page on the current recession.

But unlike most special elections, this race is providing a glimpse of how average Americans view an Obama economic policy that has produced record spending, a bundle of bailouts and a bonus scandal that has inflamed the nation.

It could prove to be a mini-referendum on how the public views the White House’s hard- left turn on economics.

more...

http://thebulletin.us/articles/2009/03/26/news/nation/doc49cb657351979464338981.txt

[FrenchieCat]

1. LOL! Jumping into Memory holes can be a great experience!

The race to fill a vacant House seat in New York’s 20th Congressional District could become an indictment of the Obama administration and those of the congressional Democrat. A new poll released by Rasmussen Reports shows reason for concern for the president’s party, as it shows Republicans, once sentenced to years in exile, holding their own with Democrats in future congressional elections.

[babylonsister]

3. And an added bonus - "Steele sweats"!

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_04/017898.php

snip//

It was, at least on paper, a race Republicans should have won. They didn't.

Which leads us to the next question: just how painful is this defeat for RNC Chairman Michael Steele? He not only poured a lot of money into this race, Steele also pointed to New York's 20th as a race that would help turn things around for the Republican Party.

Back in January, Steele boasted, "That win will send a powerful signal to the rest of the country ... that our game is not up,"

That seemed like safe bravado in January, when Tedisco looked like a sure thing. But "that win" has become "that loss." Does that mean, by Steele's reasoning, that a powerful signal has been sent to the rest of the country that the Republican Party's game is up?

There were some rumors in February that a GOP defeat in this special election would put Michael Steele's job in jeopardy. Something to keep an eye on.

[ErinBerin84]

2. They were BOTH trying to run on Obama really

Sure, Tedisco eventually gave his stance on the stimulus, but he wanted to avoid it at first, and his ads quoted Obama ("as our president says") talking about how this isn't about Democrats and Republicans. And Tedisco said on the local news that he thought Obama was going to make a really good president. But the media didn't report on that stuff, and yes, the RNC came in and got wingnuttier by the minute (calling the stimulus "radical", running "Murphy doesn't care about our troops" ads), etc. Murphy definitely based it all on Obama's economic policies though, and since he was very unknown, I do think this is a big win.

[babylonsister]

4. Thanks for the firsthand observation. I do remember that

Tedisco did not want to talk about his stand on the stimulus. Guess that didn't work out so well.

I'm so glad NYers did the right thing! :toast:

[ErinBerin84]

6. don't get me wrong

When Murphy caught up to Tedisco after being 12 points behind, Tedisco definitely made a choice to run AGAINST Obama as a Hail Mary. Though, I was pleasantly surprised by this, I wasn't sure if we would pull it off. Murphy also had mailers with pictures of Rush on them I believe.
:)

[babylonsister]

8. Ah, Rush, the face of the GOP. That probably convinced a lot

of people who NOT to vote for!

[mvd]

5. HARD left turn??

That shows how much the right-wingers have been able to set the tone.

[eleny]

7. Nice, especially in conservative Upstate NY

It's an important win.

Steele has to be sweating this one. I imagine him looking for a job in talk radio very soon or going into teaching. More time with the family is always nice.