Politco: Murphy was probably a little green to be going up against a POWERHOUSE like West

[RandySF]

It wasn’t supposed to end this way for Allen West.

The tea party House freshman had an astonishing $17 million war chest, sky-high name ID and a Republican-leaning district. His opponent, Patrick Murphy, was a 29-year-old construction company executive who had never sought office before. Even Democrats privately acknowledged late in the campaign that Murphy was probably a little green to be going up against a powerhouse like West.


But on Tuesday morning, it was West, not Murphy, issuing a lengthy concession statement after a two-week recount that confirmed he had fallen a painful 2,000 or so votes short. The congressman’s unexpected loss left his advisers, donors and legion of tea party fans searching for answers.

His tight-knit circle of top campaign aides was “shocked,” said one Republican close to the incumbent. On the eve of the election, a private survey conducted by West’s veteran pollster, Gene Ulm, had the congressman leading by 5 percentage points.



http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84108.html#ixzz2CpRFfpWd

[hrmjustin]

1. West told Foxnews Van Susteran 2 nights before the election to ignore the polls showing a tight race

I am not surprised he was shocked. If you think it is close you do not tell your people it is over.

[Warpy]

2. They'll search forever for answers but they'll never realize there

is only one right one: West lost because he (and they) are so far outside the American mainstream that they come off as being insane.

Good riddance. I suppose we'll have to frog march the lot of them back to the lunatic fringe where they belong. They certainly don't belong in government or even using sharp objects.

[sigmasix]

3. science conspires against teabaggers

So mathematics is part of the vast Democraticcomunofascistigaymarriageblackpeoplevotingmuslimkenyanillegalalienwelfarequeenobamaphonebenghazidapartment21mindcontrol conspiracy.
.
.
.
somehow it all makes sense to me now.

[intaglio]

8. You missed HAARP influencing the weather

Just sayin'

[hay rick]

4. Murphy was a seasoned campaigner by election time.

Patrick Murphy spent 21 months campaigning against Allen West. He started his campaign in District 22 before West jumped to District 18. When West decided to run in District 18, Murphy followed him up the coast. Murphy had the energy and optimism of youth on his side and campaigned relentlessly.

Murphy was well-financed by any normal standard, $3.6 million- enough to finance a very reasonable ground game- he had offices in all 3 counties and was still able to get his name in front of the voters on TV. West used his obscene pile of money to flood the airwaves with negative ads. It was absolute overkill and, in the end, made him seem like a bully. I suspect the last $5 million he spent on those ads would have been just as effectively used if he had simply flushed it down the toilet.

The Politico article is sloppy reporting, stating " West rose from an upbringing in the Georgia slums..." They are swallowing one of his campaign lines. He liked to say that he grew up in "inner city Atlanta"- suggesting he came from a ghetto background when he actually came from a stable military family.

I volunteered on Murphy's campaign. My campaign diary here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021798362

[Ikonoklast]

5. Politico slurps elephant balls.

Right wing site founded and funded by the right and just as stupid as the sheep on that side of the political spectrum that think they can create their own reality by ignoring actual reality.

[JaneyVee]

6. Murphy used to be a Republican, switched parties because of the Tea Party.

The irony of him taking out West.

[hay rick]

7. He donated to Mitt Romney's presidential primary campaign in 2008.

Link: http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2012/jul/15/murphy-already-looking-ahead-to-battling-west-in/?print=1

From the article:

Murphy donated $2,300 to GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney before the 2008 primary.

"At that time, Romney was pro-gay rights, pro-choice, universal health care," Murphy said. "This was a very moderate Mitt Romney, governor of Massachusetts, much different than he is now."
...
Murphy gave $2,400 to former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's failed U.S. Senate bid. On the Democratic side, Murphy has funneled thousands of dollars to Obama, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and others.

When the war in Iraq began, Murphy said his frustration with the Republican Party boiled over and he started voting predominantly Democratic. The divisiveness he saw in the conservative tea party movement, which ushered West into office in 2010, was the last straw.

[DanM]

9. +1 n/t