Posted by The recent off year elections in New Jersey, Virginia and New York have kept the political pundits chattering the last few days. Everyone seems to have the answer to what the message was from those elections. Of course my side of the aisle will claim (and to some extent are correct) that this is a repudiation of the Obama administration. Democrats will continue to push the spin that these were solely local races with no national implications. I fear that both of these arguments taken in the absolute are akin to an ostrich sticking his head in the sand. I think the message that these elections sent were not nearly as black & white (or red & blue) as the so called experts would like for us to believe. I do believe that these elections did give us a peak into the upcoming 2010 elections here in Alabama and across the country.
This was an election of unhappiness. Unhappiness with some of the spending practices in Washington drove the elections to a large degree. However passions inflamed on both sides of the aisle in the health care debate brought many conservatives to a fever pitch. But even more foreboding for both Democrat and Republican elected officials (I would be included in this class) is the deep unhappiness with elected officials in general. Voters are in an anti-establishment mood. While they are not happy with the direction that congress is headed under the control of the Democrat Party, they are not embracing the leadership of the Republican Party either. It is more a vote for “anyone except the person who is currently there,” than anything else.
In 2010, Alabama will one of the most hotly contested Governor’s race it has seen in a while. It will also probably see the closest battles for control of the legislature in over a century. I believe the elections we saw last week tell us that neither party has the love and support of the electorate right now. It will be up to both sides to prove they have a real plan (more than the bumper sticker slogans we have worn out) to solve some of the state’s economic and ethical problems. Incumbents who are viewed as part of the problem will not be given a pass because of party affiliation. Voters are upset and they are going to take their anger out on someone at the polls. While it is still too early to say how much anger will be in place when November 2010 rolls around it is safe to say that with the economy being the way it is, this discontent is not subsiding any time soon. The party that addresses that anger in a way that makes the voters feel that their issues are being heard and finally acted upon will be the party that can harness all that political energy and turn it into victory in 2010.
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The elections do indicate somethings that apply to Alabama.
Obama is moving Republican primary voters and independents to the right in reaction to him.
A combination of Obama and negative reaction to Bush’s expansion of government has caused the primary voters to distrust the Republican leadership.
The Democrat turnout was down and it expected that will repeated across the country while the Republican base turnout was up and should be up across the country and esp. in a state like Alabama.
So very bad news for Davis. And not good for Byrne because empty words alone will count a lot less with primary voters.
And endorsements from fat cats may because a very mixed blessing.
But of course we must see – what kind of campaigns are run between now June will tell the story.
And if the economy does not improve – the voters will be even more angry and conservative come June.
the name of the party is “Democratic Party,” not “Democrat Party.”