Other Races
The results were also very good for liberty in some of the other races, despite a Democrat victory in a special election for a House seat in California.
Maine's gay marriage law was narrowly overturned with approval of Proposition 1, but this is more than balanced by the approval of Referendum 71 in Washington state, which deals with the issue in a much more pracical way, approving gay marriage in all but name and guaranteeing equal rights to domestic partners. If Maine's law had been framed that way it likely would have been upheld. At the same time Maine's Proposition 5, legalizing medicinal marijuana passed with a strong 60% majority vote. Overall that's a victory for gay rights and a victory againt the War on Drugs, and for lawmakers in Maine it's an opportunity to frame a better policy on gay unions.
Finally, there is a curious story out of Texas which suggests very grim things for the future of the Democratic Party. Supposedly as many as 70 elected Democrat officials in Texas are going to change parties and become Republicans before the 2010 election, apparently because they are afraid their party association with President Obama and the current direction the Democrat leadership is going makes them unelectable in their conservative districts. This seems to fit with the trend reported in elections nationwide, of independents voting strongly Republican, and exit polls showing strong rejection of Democrat policies despite continued personal popularity for President Obama.
For the first time in years things are looking up. We may really be seeing a rising tide for responsible government and individual liberty.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Glenn Contrarian
Dave -
Before you go off ranting about ACORN again (and before I have to school you about them once more), please present EVIDENCE of the claims made against them. Or do you really want to continue convicting them on 'suspicion' alone?
I'm glad Corzine lost. He ran a dirty campaign...but I'd really like to see EVIDENCE that SEIU 'thugs' were intimidating voters. My article lists several false accusations and fraudulent claims made by the Republicans (WITH supporting evidence, mind you)...and I daresay there was more such lies and fraud by the Republicans than by the Democrats. Unless you can find a lot more evidence against the Democrats, that is.
The victories for gay rights and marijuana are good for libertarians and liberals such as you and me...but bad news for conservatives, for this evinces a stronger liberal presence.
On the county-level Democrats switching parties, that's not so surprising. After all, I remember a certain Louisiana justice-of-peace switched from Democrat to Republican just after Obama got elected. But the reality is that Texas is a very, very red state - and those individuals are trying to keep county-level offices. If you'd shown me something like this from, say, Ohio, then I might be concerned.
2 - zingzing
as soon as i saw the liberty, i mean title, i knew this was a piece by nalle. liberty!
3 - Christine
Hey Dave, we called the Hoffman race early on, from that interview he had with Beck! I think I used the word doof, but boob works. The Republican party messed that one up! Hope they learn from it.
4 - El Bicho
Christine, 'boob' always works
5 - Jet Gardner
Um Zing, I think he's got an honorary degree from Falwell's Liberty Baptist right-wing University. McCain was so thrilled when he found out he gave the commencement speach last year.
6 - Jet Gardner
How many times do I have to say that ACORN represents the Dems about as much as Glen Beck and Limbaugh represent the rank and file GOP.
...wait, let me rephrase that
7 - El Bicho
"please present EVIDENCE of the claims"
do you think it was an accident Dave didn't provide a link?
8 - Christine
El..LMAO here too "boob"!
9 - Dave Nalle
Before you go off ranting about ACORN again (and before I have to school you about them once more), please present EVIDENCE of the claims made against them. Or do you really want to continue convicting them on 'suspicion' alone?
Glenn, I did say that they were suspected, not proven, to be planning fraud. Of course they were proven to have been engaged in fraud earlier this year in New Jersey in a number of cases leading to a bunch of indictments, but let's just pretend that didn't happen. And let's just pretend that the BPP wasn't out guarding the polls and that they weren't hired by the Democratic Party to drag people out of their houses and take them down to vote Democrat. We'll just pretend that never happened, even though there are photos and videos. Face it, ACORN and election fraud are going to be an Albatross around the neck of democrats for the forseable future. Suck it up.
I'm glad Corzine lost. He ran a dirty campaign...but I'd really like to see EVIDENCE that SEIU 'thugs' were intimidating voters. My article lists several false accusations and fraudulent claims made by the Republicans (WITH supporting evidence, mind you)...and I daresay there was more such lies and fraud by the Republicans than by the Democrats. Unless you can find a lot more evidence against the Democrats, that is.
It's always lies and fraud when it's about Democrats, right? But John Fund's article has direct quotes from legit sources and I heard directly from people in NJ last night that the SEIU had people out "guarding" the polls.
The victories for gay rights and marijuana are good for libertarians and liberals such as you and me...but bad news for conservatives, for this evinces a stronger liberal presence.
Still stuck in the false dichotomy, I see. For many conservatives marijuana and gay unions are not a problem.
On the county-level Democrats switching parties, that's not so surprising. After all, I remember a certain Louisiana justice-of-peace switched from Democrat to Republican just after Obama got elected. But the reality is that Texas is a very, very red state - and those individuals are trying to keep county-level offices.
I look forward to the day when Texas has two parties, one Republican and one Liberty Republican.
If you'd shown me something like this from, say, Ohio, then I might be concerned.
Damn, forgot to mention that Ohio voted to legalize casino gambling yesterday. Had meant to include that.
Dave
10 - zingzing
dave: "I look forward to the day when Texas has two parties, one Republican and one Liberty Republican."
really? there's goes your city...
11 - Arch Conservative
Hoffman was on the scene for what....3, maybe 4 weeks?
I'd say he did pretty damn well for a guy who was only on the scene for less time than the intervals of Nancy Pelosi's menstrual cycles when she actually had them 40 years ago.
Just like with the election of Barry. The Dems are reading way too much into NY23.
I am under no illusions that the GOP is going to regain control of Congress but most agree there will be GOP pickups. In other words, this is as good as it's ever going to get for Barry and his merry band of socialists. It's now or never for them if they want to ram their uber left wing agenda down our throats.
In any event I will be happy once Carol Shea-Porter no longer represents NH in Congress.
12 - zingzing
where's the comment editor? edit archie! he's talking that right wing stuff again! we libs can't see this! edit! edit! remember? we're supposed to blot out "alternate thinking" or whatever he calls what he does with his mind. i think it's called "sexy time!"
13 - Jet Gardner
Zing, If "we libs" are all alike, do I have to start dating girls?
14 - zingzing
jet, "we libs" believe in nothing with any true conviction. do as you please, but harm no other. liberty!
15 - Jet Gardner
"we libs" believe in nothing with any true conviction.
How can I believe you and still be a lib?
It reminds me of my favorite John Wayne quote:
I was once told to shoot first and ask questions later....... I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him first!"
16 - zingzing
you don't have to believe anything, jet. just trust me... i'll lead you to one of ruvy's fabled obamacamps.
17 - Jet Gardner
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee're of to see the Wizard...
18 - Glenn Contrarian
Dave -
Glenn, I did say that they were suspected, not proven, to be planning fraud.
Ah, SUSPECTED to be PLANNING fraud! Dave, if I were to make such a statement, you'd be all over it like stink on excrement, and rightly so. Joe McCarthy would've loved your logic, though.
Face it, ACORN and election fraud are going to be an Albatross around the neck of democrats for the forseable future. Suck it up.
WRONG! Why? Because not only have you failed to show even one fraudulent vote cast due to the efforts of a few ACORN foot soldiers, but there has been NO, repeat, NO election fraud by the Democrats of which I'm aware since before Clinton. And before you get all excited, remember there's a huge difference between voter registration fraud, which is a misdemeanor, voter fraud, which is a felony, is VERY rare (less than 10 cases total AFAIK for the '09 election), and election fraud, which is most serious of all, and there is NO indication such has been committed by Democrats, but there's a great deal of circumstantial evidence that points directly towards the Republicans.
Dave, the degree of seriousness between voter registration fraud and election fraud is like the difference between assault and mass murder - because A case of voter registration fraud can possibly result in A vote fraudulently cast, but election fraud skews actual votes and vote counts on a grand scale.
AND my challenge stands after nearly a year - I'll show you a thousand voters wrongfully disenfranchised by the Republicans for every single vote wrongfully cast due to the efforts of a few ACORN foot soldiers (most of whom were turned in by ACORN itself). Do you really think this is an empty boast? It's not.
It's always lies and fraud when it's about Democrats, right?
WELL, if you'd provide EVIDENCE, then we wouldn't be accusing the Republicans of lies and fraud, now would we?
But John Fund's article has direct quotes from legit sources
WHAT 'legit sources'? Like the "Uremia Rojas" that he quotes? Google the name, and the only time you'll see it is in reference to Fund's article. I tried zabasearch.com and whitepages.com, and neither one listed ANYone with a first name of "Uremia". Why? Because it's the name of a medical disorder! As far as I can tell, Mr. John Fund MADE UP THE QUOTE!
And this gives great credence to mediamatters.org's contention that Mr. Fund is just repeating an old accusation from 1993.
I heard directly from people in NJ last night that the SEIU had people out "guarding" the polls.
I see. And never mind that even though Mr. Fund said, "ElectionJournal.org will be deploying observers with cameras around New Jersey to hunt for irregularities" - and we must assume that they DID deploy those observers - there's no EVIDENCE (other than your third-party hearsay). No camera shot, no police report, not even a cell phone video!
So either the fraud DIDN'T happen, or the Democrats gathered everybody around and said, "let's put guards to intimidate the voters!" and not only did NOBODY see them, but NOBODY from the entire Democratic side (including SEIU) sold their story with supporting evidence for beaucoup bucks!
This, Dave, is how we tell truth from bovine excrement.
Still stuck in the false dichotomy, I see. For many conservatives marijuana and gay unions are not a problem.
Far many MORE conservatives believe marijuana and gay unions ARE a problem. You know this already, Dave - you're not that naive.
I look forward to the day when Texas has two parties, one Republican and one Liberty Republican.
That's really good stuff you're smoking, Dave - or is it grape Kool-Aid?
Damn, forgot to mention that Ohio voted to legalize casino gambling yesterday. Had meant to include that.
Personally, I'm against gambling - it's a religious thing. But it's not up to me to impose such prohibitions on others who do not believe as I do.
19 - Baronius
A win in that House seat in NY would have been a conservative's fairy-tale. The hero shows up at the last moment, unmasks the RINO, and saves the day. Oh well.
The big losers were the NYT's Corzine and the WP's Deeds. The era of the newspaper ended in 2008.
20 - Jet Gardner
Thank God Sara Palin and her mouth were such a huge factor in the elections!
21 - Clavos
Dave:
Face it, ACORN and election fraud are going to be an Albatross around the neck of democrats for the forseable future. Suck it up.
Glenn:
WRONG! Why? Because not only have you failed to show even one fraudulent vote cast due to the efforts of a few ACORN foot soldiers, but there has been NO, repeat, NO election fraud by the Democrats of which I'm aware since before Clinton.
None of that matters, Glenn, nor does it matter whether or not you're right and Dave's wrong (personally, I believe ACORN is at best, sleazy); politics is all about perception, and much of the voting public already perceives ACORN as a fraud-riddled organization closely associated with the Dems.
22 - Glenn Contrarian
Clavos -
Sadly, you are absolutely right.
23 - zingzing
yeah, well, clavos... 25% of fox news viewers think that healthcare reform is a plot to kill people. it's a ridiculous thing.
24 - Jet Gardner
ACORN-as much as you would like to believe otherwise is NOT part of the Democratic party
25 - Arch Conservative
You trying to get a shoutout from Barry Jet?