Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

[Rover]

Ross Perot made some strides in 3rd party land, I think if he had picked a different VP he would have done even better. 3rd parties would work if everyone didn't vote for the lessor of 2 evils

Or if the majority of the country ranked "Getting Stoned to the Bejeezus" as the #1 issue. If that was so Gary Johnson would be heading for a landslide victory right now.

 

[walrus]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

Or if the majority of the country ranked "Getting Stoned to the Bejeezus" as the #1 issue. If that was so Gary Johnson would be heading for a landslide victory right now.

I don't think Ross was a libertarian and somehow he got some votes.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

Ross Perot made some strides in 3rd party land, I think if he had picked a different VP he would have done even better. 3rd parties would work if everyone didn't vote for the lessor of 2 evils

The last time a third party picked up electoral votes was George Wallace (or as Scoey Mitchell put it, George Walass). They may have done so in 1860 as well.

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

More detail on the CT senate race:

The Connecticut U.S. Senate race just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser. Polls already have Democratic congressman Chris Murphy and Republican candidate Linda McMahon in a statistical dead heat, despite the fact that the state hasn't elected a Republican to the Senate since 1982.

Now the news of Mr. Murphy's dubious financial and tax-paying history could up Mrs. McMahon's chances further. This week even the New Haven Register, not exactly a right-wing paper, called for Mr. Murphy to be more forthcoming with the electorate.

The trouble for the Democrat started earlier this month when the Hartford Courant reported that back in 2007, Chase Home Finance started foreclosure proceedings against Mr. Murphy for nonpayment of his mortgage. The campaign responded to the revelation by saying that he had missed "a couple of mortgage payments" and that as soon as he knew about it, he had straightened things out.

That didn't make much sense because it would be strange for a homeowner not to know that he had missed mortgage payments, and a bank does not normally begin foreclosure after only two missed payments. Mr. Murphy has since said that he missed a "handful" of payments, but when asked by the Courant he would not say if the number is less than six. The Murphy camp maintains that he did not know about his noncompliance with the contract until the foreclosure process began.

According to the Courant, Mr. Murphy also had a second mortgage with Webster Bank, which is headquartered in his district. In 2008 it lent him more money on that second mortgage at the competitive rate of 4.99%. Most banks at that time were stiffening their lending requirements, and the Chase Home Finance foreclosure proceedings, though never finalized, would have most likely damaged his credit rating.

Why Mr. Murphy was treated differently is not clear. But he was a member of the House Financial Services Committee, and Courant columnist Kevin Rennie has reported that he "had received contributions from Webster Bank's political action committee at various times in 2008." Mr. Rennie also reported that "Murphy had done work for Webster Bank as a lawyer; it was one of two clients he listed on his financial disclosures as having paid him more than $5,000 in 2005 and 2006." In 2008, Mr. Murphy voted for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), and Webster Bank received $400 million from TARP in 2009.

Mr. Murphy was also sued by a landlord for nonpayment of rent while he was a state senator. On Sept. 20 the Courant's Jon Lender reported that he was also four months late in paying a $1,890 property tax bill in 2005 and that seven times—from 1998 to 2005—he was late paying his car taxes. Regarding the property tax Mr. Lender wrote: "At first, he blamed the problem on the house's previous owner—in a statement he emailed to the Courant on Monday. But two days later he retracted that claim, after the Courant uncovered evidence that he was wrong."

In its Monday editorial, the New Haven Register noted that the car tax record and the history of nonpayment on rent and mortgages suggest "more than an oversight." Mr. Murphy, the paper said, "owes voters a complete explanation if he wants to represent them in the Senate."

So Murphy gets on the House Banking Committee, and suddenly gets a sweetheart mortgage deal from a bank that gave him campaign funds, and then the same bank then gets bailout money from a bill that Murphy voted for. This is exactly the same thing Chris Dodd did, and that's why Dodd retired in 2010 rather than face the voters. and yet this still won't be enough to overcome the people who vote in Bridgeport and New Haven and Hartford. He'll carry those three cities and no others at all and yet that will allow him to squeak out a narrow victory.

Oh well at least his record shows he is extremely well-qualified to be a Democrat when it comes to fiscal issues, eh?

 

[Rover]

I don't think Ross was a libertarian and somehow he got some votes.

Hey I liked Ross. Gave a great speech at my commencement a few years later. Too bad he didn't manage to sustain the movement (I believe it got co-opted by Pitchfork Pat Buchanan lunatics).

 

[walrus]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

Hey I liked Ross. Gave a great speech at my commencement a few years later. Too bad he didn't manage to sustain the movement (I believe it got co-opted by Pitchfork Pat Buchanan lunatics).

I think he got 19% of the votes in Maine.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

The last time a third party picked up electoral votes was George Wallace (or as Scoey Mitchell put it, George Walass). They may have done so in 1860 as well.

Back through 1876 it's happened five times. In 1872 the electoral college was a complete clusterfuck with five different candidates getting EVs and 17 EVs not even being counted.

1968 George Wallace (thas racess!)
1948 Strom Thurmond (more racism)
1924 Robert LaFollete (TEH actual SOCIALISM!)
1912 Teddy Roosevelt (Teddy Roosevelt like a boss)*
1892 James Weaver (19th Century Paultards)


* Actually finished second

 

[Rover]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

Well now, check this out! Told you knucks' Akin represented the true feeling of the GOP. Looks like now the national party has reversed itself and will be ponying up money after all. Guess all that principled stand against the guy was a bunch of hooey.

National Republicans re-open door to spending money on Akin
Posted by Aaron Blake on September 26, 2012 at 3:03 pm

The National Republican Senatorial Committee issued a statement Wednesday clarifying its support for Rep. Todd Akin in the Missouri Senate race and suggesting it might spend money to help elect him, after saying a month ago that it would not do so.

“There is no question that for Missourians who believe we need to stop the reckless Washington spending, rein-in the role of government in people’s lives, and finally focus on growing jobs in this country, that Todd Akin is a far more preferable candidate than liberal Sen. Claire McCaskill,” NRSC executive director Rob Jesmer said. “As with every Republican Senate candidate, we hope Todd Akin wins in November, and we will continue to monitor this race closely in the days ahead.”

The NRSC said after Akin’s controversial comments about “legitimate rape” last month that it would not spend money on his behalf this fall. The hope at the time was that the threat would force Akin out of the race and Republicans could replace him with a more electable nominee.

It didn’t work, though, and the deadline for Akin to exit the race passed Tuesday. That means he will now officially appear on the ballot and Republicans have to deal with the situation as it stands.

Asked to clarify whether it might spend money on Akin, the committee declined to comment, citing a desire not to broadcast its strategy.

Establishment Republicans generally believe that the race is lost, but polling has shown that Akin trails McCaskill only by single digits, and other Republicans have suggested they might still have a chance to win the seat.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), for example, jumped on board with Akin on Wednesday and has encouraged his party to do the same. Newt Gingrich has also raised money for Akin.

Other Republicans have clarified that they support Akin, including Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who had been charged with trying to get him out of the race.

But while people like Blunt publicly tried to push Akin out, national Republicans took it a step further in saying they wouldn’t spend money to elect him. And what Akin needs right now is — you guessed it — money.

DeMint’s backing, in particular, put the national GOP in a tough spot. Wednesday’s statement clarifies their position somewhat, but questions will persist about whether the NRSC would jump in if the race wound up being close.

That’s a big “if,” though. Even as Akin has stayed close in the polls, Democrats have largely held their fire over the last month in hopes of keeping him in the race. The emerging onslaught against Akin — which his campaign will struggle to compete with financially — could certainly move the polls more in Democrats’ favor.

Democrats said Wednesday that the move shows Republicans were bluffing when the threatened to pull funding from the race.

“No one should’ve been fooled by the Republican party’s faux outrage and their ensuing change of course, because as the Republican establishment is making clear today, the Akin backlash was never about principle, it was purely about politics,” said Shripal Shah, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

“No one should’ve been fooled by the Republican party’s faux outrage and their ensuing change of course, because as the Republican establishment is making clear today, the Akin backlash was never about principle, it was purely about politics,” said Shripal Shah, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

Did folks actually believe otherwise? Mittimous Romney's faux outrage was the cherry on the ice cream sundae.

 

[Rover]

Did folks actually believe otherwise? Mittimous Romney's faux outrage was the cherry on the ice cream sundae.

No, but the Fishies, Old Pio's etc of the world were right there lauding the GOP for backing away from the nutjob. One wonders how they feel now that the party has decided to embrace him (even after he gave them his middle finger when they tried to get him out the race).

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

No, but the Fishies, Old Pio's etc of the world were right there lauding the GOP for backing away from the nutjob. One wonders how they feel now that the party has decided to embrace him (even after he gave them his middle finger when they tried to get him out the race).

It will never cease to amaze me how Obama, McCaskill, and Warren were all dead in the water this summer and somehow the GOP found a way to make it close. And Akin pretty much got the ball rolling. That party still has the same idiots that picked Palin calling the shots.

 

[walrus]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

It will never cease to amaze me how Obama, McCaskill, and Warren were all dead in the water this summer and somehow the GOP found a way to make it close. And Akin pretty much got the ball rolling. That party still has the same idiots that picked Palin calling the shots.

Truly inept. if Warren wins I'll laugh my *** off.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

This gets my vote for weirdest political story of the year, and its bizarreness is non-partisan, so everybody can enjoy it.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

It will never cease to amaze me how Obama, McCaskill, and Warren were all dead in the water this summer and somehow the GOP found a way to make it close. And Akin pretty much got the ball rolling. That party still has the same idiots that picked Palin calling the shots.

Obama was never dead.

Warren looked like she was in trouble.

McCaskill should have never had a chance -- even the MO Dems don't like her.

Beside McCaskill, the error for misplayed ball award goes to Allen specifically and the VA Republicans in particular. In June I'd have said VA was ripe for a GOP sweep. I dunno what happened, but they sure screwed the pooch.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

No, but the Fishies, Old Pio's etc of the world were right there lauding the GOP for backing away from the nutjob. One wonders how they feel now that the party has decided to embrace him (even after he gave them his middle finger when they tried to get him out the race).

The ladies are in particularly good voice today.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

I don't think Ross was a libertarian and somehow he got some votes.

Ross Perot was "anti-Bush I" No more, no less. Please recall the story he told of Bush sending CIA agents to trash his daughter's wedding reception. And his ludicrous claim to have shot a would-be Black Panther assassin in the a*s. Dana Carvey should be on Mt. Rushmore. "Don't worry about me, I've got a billion dollars in the bank."

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

So at about 5:01 local time I guess McCaskill started blasting Akin with ads regarding his, lets say "old fashioned" take on rape and pregnancy. I'm curious what polling is going to look like a week from now, especially if he can't get on the air himself right away.

In other news, Brownie isn't handling this Indian war whooping thing too well out of his own staffers. Apparently he wagged his finger and gave a "just don't do it again" public message. Real profile in courage there. His campaign's own polling of the race must be in the toilet if this is the basis for his re-election strategy.

What would be your preference? The rack? The iron maiden? Auto da fe?

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

I think you're compensating for the fact that you've nominated a moron for President and with Akin and Brown at the helm have petered away your chance at McConnell running the Senate. McConnell must be in comatic state by now watching these morons destroy his career.

Depends on how you define moron doesn't it? If academic achievement is a factor well, we know how Romney did in college (simultaneous MBA and JD at Harvard with a straight A average). The information about the His Islamistness' grades is, uh, not verifiable.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

Lyawatha is one of the beautiful people, she can do whatever she wants

"My mommy told me so." That works when you're 10. It's a little less relevant when you're a lawyer, checking a box that, among other things, makes it more likely you'll get a really, really good job. Ward Churchill used a similar defense: "I've always thought of myself as Indian."

What do the tribes say?

 

[Kepler]

Re: Elections 2012: Congressional and Gubernatorial

Somebody should show Todd Akin this story because it's, you know, unpossible.

Newt, Santorum and DeMint endorsed him today. Classy all the way down, GOP.