Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

I think the results show that at least *some* voters are actually voting for candidates who they think can do the job or at least are the least objectionable. Maybe is shows that voters are blindly supporting candidates based upon the letter after their name. If true, that would be a good thing.

That would definitely be a good thing. I'm not sure it's true, though.

 

[SJHovey]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

I put this in the Total Recalk thread, but I'll paraphrase here:

Scott Walker is complete scum, but the party line idealist conservatives in this state eat that rhetorical **** up.

It's a shock that we would willingly re-elect this scum until you see the line of idiots the Wisconsin Dems think are able to hold office despite not having the ability to balance a checkbook.

To me, the most surprising part is to see how few people voted third party. There is nothing that either party can't get away with, because this state of moronic voters will continue to be diametrically and **** near exclusively in the corner of the worst that our two parties have to offer. We could run [USCHO's worst idiot liberal poster] against [USCHO's worst scumbag conservative poster] on the Dem and Rep tickets and they'd still get 98% of the vote.

Wisconsin elections depress me.

Third parties struggle everywhere, unless one of the major party candidates gets booted out or quits at the last moment, like in Kansas.

Here are my thoughts about Walker. First, he won on a night where by and large Republicans did quite well, but it wasn't like he won in a landslide. Second, he is probably given credit by some voters for essentially keeping his word. He said he was going to take office and basically try to eliminate public employee unions, and he followed through. Now, it may have been a crazy strategy, but it was the strategy he said he was going to follow, and when elected, he followed it.

Third, and I think most significantly, the Wisconsin Democrats made a huge mistake with the whole recall thing. If you're going to do that, you better get the job done. A direct attack on a politician like that brings out ardent defenders. They will defend that guy no matter what they think of him, if for no other reason than an attack on him is seen as an attack on his defenders. The Dems didn't get the job done in the recall, and in the process, they probably firmed up whatever base Walker has in Wisconsin.

 

[Handyman]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

You answered your own question Scooby. If the GOP ran on anti-Obama and Obama did not thing to even help his own party (because he is flat out a mediocre President) why should any left leaning voter vote for their party or vote at all.

The Dems ran this cycle like they did much of the 90s. Their platform stunk and there was lots of platitudes and no plans. Not to mention they ran bad candidates against bad GOP candidates figuring that the lesser of two evils can win. Problem is in the midterms there isnt enough turnout for that to work.

You mention Brownback, he won because Davis (from what I can read) the last month or so was running on the "I am not Brownback" campaign. Sorry but that is just stupid.

 

[Bob Gray]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

I'm not sure there's a lot more to be taken from this election than that people are generally unhappy with politicians and the federal government and the party that holds one house of Congress and the White House for the last 6 years heading into such an election is going to take a beating, though the beating is a bit more than most anyone was expecting. I know few people who really like their representatives, so I think most voting anymore is of the lesser evil kind, which is not a good state of affairs. But, I still dial this back to the populace, who want less government except for when it benefits them and then they can't get enough government. Our politicians in the end reflect the populace, even if we don't like the truth of the situation.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

Calling Obama mediocre gives him more credit than he deserves.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

Third parties struggle everywhere, unless one of the major party candidates gets booted out or quits at the last moment, like in Kansas.

I wouldn't even bother dreaming of a third party winning in Wisconsin, but a third party candidate getting 5, 7, 10% of the vote would be enough for the ****clowns running the "real" parties to listen up and maybe start taking a vague remote interest in their constituents.

 

[geezer]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

How were so many polls so wrong this time? Just turnout?

Not according to NPR. They had independents and young voters moving to the GOP. Which makes sense given the initiatives that passed, if it was turnout they would have gone down.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

EODS - this state just sent Glenn Grothman to Washington. There is no, zero, ZILCH... hope.

 

[SJHovey]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

You mention Brownback, he won because Davis (from what I can read) the last month or so was running on the "I am not Brownback" campaign. Sorry but that is just stupid.

Hey, it worked for Edwin Edwards against David Duke. "Vote for the Crook. It's that important."

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

You answered your own question Scooby. If the GOP ran on anti-Obama and Obama did not thing to even help his own party (because he is flat out a mediocre President) why should any left leaning voter vote for their party or vote at all.

The Dems ran this cycle like they did much of the 90s. Their platform stunk and there was lots of platitudes and no plans. Not to mention they ran bad candidates against bad GOP candidates figuring that the lesser of two evils can win. Problem is in the midterms there isnt enough turnout for that to work.

You mention Brownback, he won because Davis (from what I can read) the last month or so was running on the "I am not Brownback" campaign. Sorry but that is just stupid.

So, the Republicans can run on the I'm not Obama ticket and win (cause that's all they ran on) and that's ok but the Dem running against Brownback can't do the reverse?

See, that's what drives me nuts. The Double Standard is infuriating.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

I'll take a minority view here and suggest that the Senate election results were less a "repudiation" of Obama, and far more a rejection of Harry Reid.

Shelley Moore Capito summed it up best: "The Senate was once known as 'the world's greatest deliberative body.' It's time for the Senate to start deliberating again."

Reid's idea to "protect" Democrats from difficult votes also made it impossible for them to point to anything they accomplished during their term in office. Begich in AK did not have a single bill nor even a single amendment brought to a floor vote during his six-year term. What good is it to have a D Senator if the Senate in D control never does anything at all?

There's definitely some truth to this. However, the majority always rigs the calendar to insulate vulnerable members from difficult votes, so we're going to see McConnell deal with the same problem.

It will be interesting to see if Reid has coordinated opposition for minority leader. Schumer has always wanted the leadership. I suspect that's not going to happen because (1) Schumer is a pr1ck who has made a lot of enemies on the Hill, and (2) Schumer does not play well with the other children, and the leadership is about putting oil on the waters. Schumer is a born Whip -- he makes Frank Underwood look principled, and he positively enjoys twisting people's balls in a vise, which is the job description. The only positive I can think of is Schumer and Hillary are from the Wall Street Knob Polisher wing of the party, so they would coordinate well during 2016 and combine to raise even more obscene amounts of money for the DSCC and DNC.

 

[SJHovey]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

EODS - this state just sent Glenn Grothman to Washington. There is no, zero, ZILCH... hope.

That's nothing. You guys think Michelle Bachmann was crazy. Wait until you get a load of the guy Minnesota sent to replace her.

 

[Handyman]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

So, the Republicans can run on the I'm not Obama ticket and win (cause that's all they ran on) and that's ok but the Dem running against Brownback can't do the reverse?

See, that's what drives me nuts. The Double Standard is infuriating.

If the Dems hadnt run away from Obama too you would have a point. His own candidates were running away from him as fast as possible. They looked like idiots and paid a serious price for it.

It isnt a double standard, it is that people would rather vote for the GOP candidate who hates Obama over the Dem who loved Obama before his poll numbers tanked. The Dems seem disingenuous.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

If the Dems hadnt run away from Obama too you would have a point. His own candidates were running away from him as fast as possible. They looked like idiots and paid a serious price for it.

It isnt a double standard, it is that people would rather vote for the GOP candidate who hates Obama over the Dem who loved Obama before his poll numbers tanked. The Dems seem disingenuous.

I don't disagree, but I do. Kay Hagan ran a great campaign, wan an incumbent, and lost. And the agenda the Republicans put on the ballot amounted to NOTHING. Zero. In the reverse when Bush was in office the Dems never would have won anything running agendaless.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

I will say this though, if they want to win the WH in 2016 they best not run Hillary. She will divide the party. They need someone better or she will be the Mittens of this election. (barring the GOP running some idiot like Palin or Ryan)

Hillary would have divided the party more if the Dems had held serve in 2014. Now there is probably enough fear in the Dem belly that they will circle the wagons and go with their centrist, "electable" candidate. This is bad news for liberals, but also bad news for people rooting for the Dems to implode.

Also, do you think Ryan is a bigger idiot than Mittens? I sure don't. (Honey Boo Boo I won't argue.) Mittens is a deer-in-the-headlights fortunate son. Ryan (although also a fortunate son) does carry the courage of his convictions, and though his convictions are Randian swill that crap sells on the hustings.

If elections are only about charisma then I can't imagine the Iron Maiden winning, but she seems to really inspire women so who knows? On the other hand, can anybody think of a reasonable Dem challenger? It sure aint Smilin' Joe.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

Hillary would have divided the party more if the Dems had held serve in 2014. Now there is probably enough fear in the Dem belly that they will circle the wagons and go with their centrist, "electable" candidate. This is bad news for liberals, but also bad news for people rooting for the Dems to implode.

Also, do you think Ryan is a bigger idiot than Mittens? I sure don't. (Honey Boo Boo I won't argue.) Mittens is a deer-in-the-headlights fortunate son. Ryan (although also a fortunate son) does carry the courage of his convictions, and though his convictions are Randian swill that crap sells on the hustings.

If elections are only about charisma then I can't imagine the Iron Maiden winning, but she seems to really inspire women so who knows? On the other hand, can anybody think of a reasonable Dem challenger? It sure aint Smilin' Joe.

Warren. Klobuchar.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

question.

what is up now with 'conceding' races? is this new?
if a candidate gives a speech and congratulates her opponent election night, then wakes up and finds out she wins (!!!), does this mean she loses?

i recall losers (or trailers) giving speeches to congratulate the opponent and thank their supporters. but votes are still counted, no?

so for example. marcia coakley didn't say anything last night. she didn't want to concede. now she concedes (but still hasn't spoken to anyone). still lost, i presume, with votes to count to get all 100% of the ballots counted. but.....

again, is this new? when did this change occur?

 

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

The Dems ran this cycle like they did much of the 90s.

You win the thread. That is precisely it. This was a throwback to the bad old days when the Dems would just curl up and whimper "not in the face!" It is maddening that the Ghost of Tom Daschle came back this time.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

My fear is what a all-GOP government will pass. They won't be a bunch of pansies like the Dems were in Obama's first 2 years running around looking for consensus. They'll pass their agenda without fail.

It's what they do - we certainly see that in state government here in Wisconsin and I fully expect it to be the same on the national level.

While I don't agree with a lot of GOP agenda, I do respect that they stick to their guns and pass what they say they believe in, **** the torpedos.

I suspect many voters respect that too. Leadership from leaders? What a crazy idea.

 

[Handyman]

Re: Campaign 2014: The Epic Struggle To Win The Senate And Change Nothing

Ryan is a wolf in sheeps clothing who will die on stage if he runs. He isnt stupid but I would take Mittens over him yes.

The last thing the Dems need is for someone like Hillary to win the nomination. She may be a centrist, but there is no guarantee she wins the center. Not to mention she has already started running her "Obama was wrong" BS campaign and we saw how well that has worked for the party. Nominating the Heir Apparent will get them a loss.

Gurt,

You nailed it. The Dems are a leaderless army, just a bunch of people talking about how much smarter they are then doing nothing but leading from behind. They got that from their President.