WP: Ohio 2nd: Fluke or Trend?

[sabra]

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080501197.html

Ohio 2nd: Fluke or Trend?

Such is the state of the Democratic Party that some of its best news in a while came last week in the way of a defeat.

Democratic Party leaders were positively giddy about Democrat Paul Hackett's loss to Republican Jean Schmidt in Tuesday's special election to fill a seat left open in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District. The seat's former occupant, Republican Rob Portman, left in May to become the new U.S. trade representative. Portman won 72 percent of the vote in 2004, but Schmidt defeated Hackett by only a margin of about 4,000 votes, or 52 percent.


"The race in Ohio and the outcome was really a bellwether for the races to come ," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) said in an interview with Talking Points.

"Even in a district that Bush won by 30 points less than a year ago, the Republican candidate couldn't win an even 3 percent majority." Democrats would have been "thrilled" to have come within even 10 points of victory in that district, she said, adding that Hackett's close defeat underscores the party's optimism about next year's midterms.

The party has met most of its candidate recruitment goals in competitive districts and raised a record $24 million for House candidates in the first half of the year, according to Pelosi. "People are tired of a rubber stamp congressman," she said. "They have serious questions about war, serious questions about abuse of power in Washington, serious questions about the economy. Republicans can diminish this all they want, but they do so at their own peril."

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[skids]

1. Is it an Ohio-only trend?

The article conjectures that this trend will only happen in Ohio, because it is in Ohio that the Taft administration and Republican Congress are being investigated for acts of fraud.

I don't think so.

Why? Because these days Republicans are corrupt everywhere, and 5 years of total dominance of the federal government has made them lazy, and hence, careless.

Mark my words -- the elections in 2006 will be won for Democrats not just through traditional campaigns, but through the criminal justice system. Their opponents are so far gone that the flies are beginning to swarm about them.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[mvd]

4. Welcome to DU!

I believe that the Hackett thing could be a trend - especially if the Democrats start speaking out. One of the reasons Hackett got so close is because he spoke out against his opponent's corrupt ways. Yes, we should think about how we want to frame the issues, but I believe the Democrats haven't exposed the truth about the other side.

[sendero]

5. That is a noble sentiment...

... but it ignores the FACT that Republicans have gained power by little more than "name calling and finger pointing". They certainly haven't done so by accomplishing anything for America, look around you and name one significant achievement of the Bush** administration.

Having trouble thinking of one?

Welcome to DU. But understand this - we have the voters that are, not the voters that should be. They respond well to name calling and finger pointing, and that is why the Republicans do so.

They don't respond well to detailed positions on the issues because

1) the media's he-said/she-said approach to reporting makes it impossible for the average American to figure out just what the hell is going on policy-wise

2) politicians promise all kinds of things during campaigns, but feel no particular need to follow through once elected.

So, get used to name-calling, finger-pointing, one-liners, sound-bites and embrace them. Because if Dems don't they will never be in power again.

[Lexingtonian]

7. Why should they?

These days power is negotiated between hardline Republicans and moderate Republicans. It doesn't matter what Democrats say, really, and their job amounts to helping wedge the two- exposing the hardliners' claims to the evidence.

Stop blaming Democrats as if they were culpable or equals on the field. The People, i.e. you and everyone else, and I, have given Republicans full national power and at the same time put Republicanism since Nixon on trial. Pretending that things are meaningfully about Democrats is silly and dishonest to the facts.

There are only two outcomes when an electorate gives a party complete majority power. Either the electorate decides that the majority party is fundamentally correct and the opposition party obsolete, and the opposition party just plain withers away (see the Tories in England). Or the electorate decides that the majority party is too defective and support for it splinters and defects.

Independents and moderate Democrats and new voters are (despite much whining) not giving up on the Democratic Party, so the first option is out.

Moderate Republicans are slowly making up their minds about their party, and the decision is (on trend) toward giving up on it. But it's a long, slow, emotional process and requires of them to give up some pretty long held views in about six different policy areas before they can fully let go. That's what the noise in the public arena is about these days- trying to expedite or obstruct their giving up on the GOP in its present incarnation.

[newyawker99]

8. Hi wesman85!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[rocktivity]

3. Neither--it is our mandate to win.

At the risk of repeating myself, Hackett came within 4 points of winning in a district that has the second largest number of Republicans in the the state, and the 56th largest number of Republicans in the entire country (out of a possible 435). He has effectively driven an armored truck stuffed to the gills with political capital right up on our doorstep, and it's ours to spend!

:headbang:
rocknation

[jmatthan]

6. If clever rigging is a trend - YES!!

eom