January 19 the voters of Massachusetts administered a severe defeat to the Democratic Party. The special election was held to fill the US Senate seat of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy who had held it for 47 years after his brother, John F. Kennedy, had held it for eight years. The state is viewed as the most Democratic among the fifty states, although the voters sometimes elect a Republican governor to try to break the waste and corruption of the Democratic majority. But the Democrats control of the state legislature frustrates such efforts. The newly elected Republican US senator, state senator Scott Brown is only one of five Republican state senators among forty-five senators. His election breaks the Democrats sixty vote super-majority in the US Senate.
This election and others reflect the deep disillusionment of the Independent voters with the Democrats. In 2008, the Independents strongly repudiated the Republican administration. Now the Independent voters are repudiating the Democrats over spending, health laws, etc. The Independents join the Republicans in opposing major health legislation. Most persons are satisfied with their health insurance. The small numbers that are not insured are: the young adults who do not feel the current need for insurance; those who do not take advantage of the existing Medicaid public plan; and those who use the free public clinics. The vast majority of Americans would be dragooned into the proposed Democratic plan to try to catch some of these outriders.
In November, 2009 Virginia and New Jersey held their elections for governors. In Virginia after eight years of Democratic governors, a Republican was elected governor, as well as lieutenant governor and attorney-general. Even more astonishingly New Jersey elected a Republican governor and defeated a Democrat worth several hundred million dollars. New Jersey is one of the most Democratic states.
But the defeat of the Democrats went much deeper. In New York state the Democrats have been in disarray. Having gained control of the state senate after forty years, they created a circus as New York city’s state senators switched sides to gain lucrative assignments (with Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano organizing defections), while others faced major trials for domestic violence, etc. The Democratic New York governor has very low poll ratings, leading to moves to replace him in 2010 by attorney-general Andrew Cuomo or state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. In New York City, the Democratic candidate was defeated by three time winner, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, while Republicans regained several council seats in Queens and Staten Island.
Republicans regained control of the county government in Westchester County, north of New York City, replacing Democrat Andrew Spano with Rob Astorino. Most striking, the two term county executive of Nassau County on Long Island, Thomas Suozzi, was defeated by Edward Mangano, who gained a new Republican majority in the county legislature after ten years. The New York Times’ editorial criticized the general tax revolt.
Rhode Island again is one of the most Democratic states with a registration advantage of 4-to-1 over the Republicans, but independents represent half the voters according to GOP state chairman, Giovanni Cicione. This explains the Republican governor, Donald Carcieri.
On December 8, a special election for the Kentucky state senate, saw a 12 point victory of Republican Jimmy Higdon over Jodie Haydon in which national issues were to the fore. A number of senior Blue-Dog Democratic member of the US House of Representatives have announced that they will retire. They are conservative Democrats representing Republican leaning districts who do not see a future in the current political climate.
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