From The Tatler at PJ Media regarding Virginia’s gubernatorial race — plenty of blame to go around:
Republican Ken Cuccinelli was outspent heavily, smeared, largely abandoned by the GOP brain trust, never endorsed by the outgoing Republican lieutenant governor, yet still managed to close the gap in the closing days by hammering away on Obamacare. Virginia’s exit poll shows that 53% in the state oppose Obamacare, compared to 45% who support it. The government shutdown certainly didn’t help Cuccinelli in a state increasingly heavy with Beltway bandits, but the fake Libertarian candidate plus his own lousy campaign plus plain voter ignorance plus dirty shenanigans plus Bob McConnell’s ending unpopularity probably did him in.
The woulda-shoulda-couldas are to the effect that Cuccinelli would have won if another week of the Obama care roll out had transpired (he closed on McAuliffe as the effects were becoming apparent). We would add that but for early voting – people who already voted for McAuliffe, even in the Democrat rich and McAuliffe base, Beltway area, there may have been plenty of people disgruntled enough not to vote for any Democrat so closely associated with Obama as the pain of Obamacare was becoming evident.
Dick Morris reports that the Republican Governors Association (RGA) which was in for Cuccinelli commendably, backed away when the polls were not moving, but when they did move, they were too late to be able exploit the Obamacare debacle adequately with an infusion of sorely needed broadcast media, which was overwhelmingly bought up by McAuliffe. The Republican National Committee (RNC) was, by my interpretation of Morris’s comments, a weak hitter.
Regarding Chris Christie in New Jersey, a race never in doubt, John Gizzi writing at Newsmax opines that :
By winning Tuesday night in a landslide election for his second term as governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie moved so far to the left, it may be difficult for him to win the Republican nomination for president come 2016.
The GOP governor won in one of the bluest states — where President Barack Obama beat Republican Mitt Romney by 18 points in 2012. To win, Christie had to morph close to not only blue-state values and views, but become close to Obama himself — and he did just that.
Key positions Christie has taken in New Jersey — backing Al Gore’s view that global warming is “for real” and caused by humans; his public slamming of the National Rifle Association and conservatives such as GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky; his acquiescence to gay marriage — all will come back to haunt him in what likely will be a fierce Republican primary fight ahead.
Gizzi’s Newsmax article has many more points to make which can be read here.
Back to the Virginia tea leaves, . . . lest Democrats be heard crowing at all . . . consider this summation also from PJ Tatler:
The shutdown probably did play a bigger role in Virginia than it would have in any other state, but it didn’t cost Cuccinelli the election. He lost a couple of points as a result, but McAuliffe was already far ahead at the time.
That huge lead evaporated because of the Obamacare train wreck. They stopped talking about it at most McAuliffe rallies a week ago.
During next year’s midterms the shutdown will no longer be an issue.
Guess what will?
And we note that in the Virginia House of Delegates races, Republicans won overwhelmingly. R Mall
