Category: Elections

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Elections Featured

Hey You! Wanna be Governor of NJ? We Need One

Chris Christie will go down in New Jersey history as one of the most unpopular, least effective, self-serving governors this state has ever had. And given our history, that’s saying a lot. But for someone with the political skills he has and the ability to connect with everyday people, having a 17% approval rating is shocking. He spent all of his political capital on Hurricane Sandy and thought that he would be the big mouth with the righteous anger in 2016, but that didn’t work out either.

And now he seems to have disappeared. OK, not entirely. He is spending his last few months highlighting the problems of drug addiction and is stumping for more money for treatment programs, but otherwise, he doesn’t have much else. His school spending plan is pretty much dead on arrival and Trump has taken all of the available space and oxygen in the politician realm. Christie was passed over for a cabinet position, but I can see him taking over after one of Trump’s originals flames out, which will happen sooner rather than later. Heck, if Christie can hang on, he could become VP if Trump does something high-crimish or misdemeanorlike in the next two years, which is also looking somewhat possible given that he can’t stand criticism and thinks that everything that goes against his family is unfair.

Even Christie’s Lieutenant Governor, Kim Guagdano, is fleeing Trenton and is running to succeed her boss. It will be interesting to see how she’s going to separate herself from him since we didn’t see much of her leadership style for, well, eight years. And that includes the time when the state got smacked with a blizzard when Christie was on vacation and Guagdano was the acting Governor. Not a peep. And the state ground to a halt. Talk about laissez-faire.

The Democrats are in much better shape in this state than nationally, but they are still going to have to round up votes in the traditionally Democratic urban and suburban areas. Right now Phil Murphy is the front-runner and has already been endorsed by party bigwigs and some unions. John Wisniewski is also running and he actually has state-level governing experience as a member of the State Assembly for the past 20 years. He’s trying to run as an outsider, but if Trump is any guide to how an outsider runs a government, Wisniewski might want to run as the trusted, sure hand who can actually govern.

But this is all for the future as we’re in the money-grubbing phase of the election until springtime, and the primaries aren’t until June. Another election. Fun.

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Barack Obama Elections Politics

President Obama Takes the Blame for Democrats’ Midterm Losses

Just days after his party was routed in the midterm elections, President Obama said that he and his White House team had not succeeded in effectively selling the benefits of his policies to the American people, calling it a “failure of politics” that he must change in the final two years of his presidency.

“It’s not enough just to build a better mousetrap,” Mr. Obama said in an interview that was taped Friday at the White House and broadcast Sunday on the 60th anniversary of CBS’s “Face the Nation” program. “People don’t automatically come beating to your door. We’ve got to sell it. We’ve got to reach out to the other side and, where possible, persuade.”

Mr. Obama acknowledged bluntly that “we got beat” in the elections on Tuesday and said that the Democratic losses prompted him to have a “gut check” about what he needed to do differently. But as he has in the past, the president defended the merits of his administration’s policies, blaming the election results on a poor communications effort in the White House.

“There are times, there’s no doubt about it, where, you know I think we have not been successful in going out there and letting people know what it is that we’re trying to do and why this is the right direction,” Mr. Obama said.

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Elections Georgia Politics

Republicans Stealing Georgia’s Elections – 40,000 Votes Disappear

Brian Kemp

Welcome to ‘Republican Democracy,’ where the right to vote is only awarded to the chosen few and ‘winning’ an election means suppressing the most votes possible.

In Georgia, Republican Democracy is in full view for all to see. Over 40,000 votes have vanished from the voters rolls and surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of these names are people who historically vote for Democrats.

The mastermind behind this mysterious disappearance of 40,000 registered voters’ names is the Secretary of State, Brian Kemp. Kemp is singlehandedly selecting the people he wants to vote and ones from certain democratic areas, those voters disappear.

Trying to bring the spotlight to the issue, demonstrators from the Moral Mondays movement marched and held protests inside Kemp’s office, refusing to leave until Kemp met with them to discuss the missing 40,000. Kemp stayed away from his office and 8 protesters were arrested.

“Nobody here wants to go to jail,” said Tim Franzen, from the American Friends Service Committee. “We’d rather just go home. But we have to do something to answer this egregious act of voter suppression. When 40,000 Georgians show up to vote, they’re going to find their names missing from their polling places. It’s unacceptable.”

“What the Secretary of State is doing is nothing new for Georgia,” said Dr. Francys Johnson, the president of the Georgia NAACP. “It goes back through a long line of efforts to deny some people access to the ballot. Today, the people have had enough. We have caught the Secretary of State with his hands in the cookie jar. Georgia deserves better.”

Meanwhile, with just days to go before the midterm elections, tens of thousands of Americans trying to exercise their constitutional right to vote in Georgia, will not even be allowed to, because Republican Democracy says their votes have no meaning.

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Elections Politics Senate

New Poll – The Workaholic Republicans Have a 72% Chance of Winning The Senate

Republicans in the House of Representatives have done such a wonderful job pushing America forward (can you see my eyes roll), with all their zero job bills and their constant vacations – they’re on vacation now by the way – that grateful Americans just can’t wait to give them control of the Senate too.

Seriously!

According to new polling by The Washington Post, Republican’s chances of taking control of the Senate have risen to 72 percent, the highest level yet in the almost six months that The Upshot’s forecasting model has been tracking the race. The odds rose from 68 percent on Monday and from a low of 50 percent last month.

The main cause of the latest shift is new polling in Kansas, which suggests the race is now a true tossup rather than a race in which the Republican, Senator Pat Roberts, is a slight underdog. Our latest forecast gives Mr. Roberts a 52 percent chance to win in November, making the race between him and Greg Orman, an independent candidate, essentially a coin flip.

As outside money has poured into the state over the past month, Kansas is emerging as one of the most competitive Senate races of 2014. The Democratic candidate, Chad Taylor, quit the race in early September, and Mr. Orman’s chances then spiked. Mr. Orman has said he would caucus with the majority party if he won, converting a sure Republican seat into a possible pickup opportunity for Democrats.

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democrats Elections Politics Republican Senate

New Analysis – Democrats Will Maintain Senate After Midterms

According to Upshot via The New York Times, Democrats now have a 57% chance if keeping power in the Senate.

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Elections Politics

Here’s Our Suggestion To You For The Last 100 Days – Video

We have entered the last 100 days before the November 6 election that will decide the future of this country. With two extremely opposing views on where this nation should go, it is up to you, the American people, to decide.

Should we go FORWARD with President Obama’s plans to invest in America and the middle class through building roads, schools, infrastructure, clean energy and jobs, or should we go back to the Bush-era, with policies that favors the richest few in our society with the hopes that their prosperity would someday (if we keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best) trickle down to the rest of us.

With 100 days remaining, do your part America! Volunteer and donate. Our future is at stake!

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Elections Politics

It’s All About, Like, Like.

Remember when liking something had to do with ice cream or 8th grade crushes? Now the word is everywhere: Facebook, teenage (and increasingly adult) conversations, and now presidential politics.

The latest CNN/ORC International poll shows that President Obama leads Mitt Romney in large part because Americans like the president more, and more American women like Obama a lot more.

The same is true for the Washington Post/ABC News poll and the CBS News/New York Times poll. Nate Silver writes a more expansive article about what likeability/favorability means in the political context and concludes that the issue is cloudy about predicting a winner in the fall. What’s clear, though, is that it’s better to be the person more people like and trust than not.

The polls do serve as warnings for Obama because despite being liked, more Americans are still not pleased with the way he’s handled the economy. The April and May jobs numbers will be key for his reelection prospects because they will either signal an ongoing positive trend of (sluggish) job creation or they’ll show a slowdown or reversal.

If the news is positive, that could create a feeling that we’re finally on the right track out of Recession Terminal and on our way to Job Construction Junction. It would also give Obama a couple of months of leeway if the numbers dip a bit during the summer. If both month’s figures are very weak or negative, that could cement in people’s minds the image that Obama just isn’t going to get it done and that maybe we should give Mitt another chance. Yes, the fall numbers will be important, but both sides would like a head start with their economic arguments before the conventions.

Other measures of the economy are turning positive and lower unemployment in the swing states could trump any negative national news. After all, if there are more jobs in Ohio, Michigan and Florida, those people will not be so concerned about what’s happening in Nevada or Arizona.

Mitt will have the more difficult road because lurking deep within his mind is a collection of embarrassing rich guy things that will surely come out of his (or his wife’s) mouth. He’ll also be in the unenviable position of endorsing lower taxes on the wealthy and cuts to social programs that even Republicans want to stick around, like Medicare, Social Security, public and higher education and health care. And Mr Businessman will need to answer for why he would have allowed tens of thousands of workers to lose their jobs rather than save General Motors, and why any president should have the power to make gas prices go up or down.

Like, wow.

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Elections Politics

Polling Report: Special Florida Edition

I thought this one might be more fun, but Mitt’s got Florida all sewn up. It will be the first non-New England state he’ll have won so far, and if he gets over 40% (he will) he can claim a sizable mandate for the nomination. Newt is sounding too screechy these days, and his call for a moon shot was one of those over-the-top moments we came to expect from Herman Cain or Rick Perry.

Here are the latest RealClearPolitics numbers. Clearly, they show Romney running away with the Sunshine State. He’s feeling good, cracking jokes and generally loosening up on the hustings. If he can keep that up, he might actually be able to change the perception many people have of him as a tightly wound button-down candidate. The only other drama I can summon from this race is that perhaps the conservatives will abandon Newt as their standard-bearer in favor of Rick Santorum. That might take time to play out. Ron Paul is, well, Ron Paul.

The prediction:

Romney    43%

Gingrich    31%

Santorum  14%

Paul          11%

Romney gets big headlines, more endorsements and money for his PAC. Gingrich says he’s going to stay in the race, but I can see him not making it to Super Tuesday in March. Santorum leapfrogs over Newt into second place as more conservatives see him as the last best forlorn hope. Paul is, well, Paul.

That wailing sound you hear in the distance is Tim Pawlenty.

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Elections Politics republican debate

The Republican Debate – Who Won, Who Lost And Who Kept Us Laughing


The clear winner on stage last night was Willard Romney. It was obvious that he came to the debate with one goal in mind, and that was to get Newt Gingrich.

Mission Accomplished.

Newt on the other hand, wasn’t Newt. He was either mentally missing in action or wasn’t prepared for the unusual aggression he faced from the Mormon, Mitt Romney. Yes, Gingrich tried his customary one line attacks against the media and his other opponents, but when they fired back, Newt hung his head in defeat. In a race where most polls say could be won by either Newt or Romney, history will call this debate the turning point at which Gingrich, The Historian, lost Florida and ultimately, the nomination… although we all know the GOP elites were never going to nominate Gingrich in the first place.

The post game wrap-up by the talking heads at CNN suggested that Rick Santorum had “a great night.” I’ll call his performance consistent, not great. Santorum has stuck to the same message since the beginning of this process. One thing you cannot accuse him of, is doing a Romney… that is, flip-flopping.

And Ron Paul was, well… Ron Paul. I’m not sure if anyone in the audience understood anything Paul said, but he has some of the most dedicated followers and as far as I can tell and his followers are the only reason Paul is still in the race. That, and the fact that he keeps the crowd entertained.

Yes, onstage Romney won. Offstage however, President Obama won another GOP debate.

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Elections Politics

The Republican Misery – A Gingrich Win… And Democrats Rejoice

A very interesting observation in a New York Times article titled, Five Consequences of Gingrich’s South Carolina Win asked this question;

“If Gingrich wins Florida, the Republican Establishment is going to have a meltdown that makes Three Mile Island look like a marshmallow roast.”

“Why? Because the Establishment will be staring down the barrel of two utterly unpalatable choices. On the one hand, Gingrich’s national favorable-unfavorable ratings of 26.5 and 58.6 percent, respectively make him not just unelectable against Obama but also mean that he would likely be a ten-ton millstone around the necks of down-ballot Republican candidates across the country. And on the other, Romney has shown in two successive contests — one in a bellwether Republican state, the other in a key swing state — an inability to beat his deeply unpopular rival. If this scenario unfolds, the sound of GOP grandees whispering calls for a white knight… will be deafening.”

LOL.

Oh, the utter calamity that these Republicans have somehow found themselves in, and I’m loving every moment of it!

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Elections Newt Gingrich Politics South Carolina

Polling Report: Special South Carolina Edition

What a week this has been for the GOP Pack o’ Presidential Potentials. We started out with Mitt Romney strolling leisurely toward the nomination with a big lead, and today finds the contenders in an absolute dogfight (but will the dog hunt?).

Newt Gingrich’s well-received performance in this week’s debates has given him a new life. Rick Santorum can now claim to have won the Iowa caucuses. Rick Perry is now free to take Texas out of the union if he so desires. And Romney? He’s hit a bit of a rough patch on the way to the nomination, which I still think he’ll win. It just might take a bit longer for him to claim it.

The latest RealClearPolitics polling average, including the latest PPP tracking poll, has Newt surging to the top of the pile, which spells real trouble for Romney. Paul will win his 15%, and despite an endorsement from many conservatives, Rick Santorum will be lucky to approach 15%, as some of his voters move to Newt. With Rick Perry out of the race, the real question is where do his supporters go. Again, I’m thinking Newt.

South Carolina is now critical for Romney. I said after New Hampshire that he could end the whole race with a showing above 40% and could claim inevitability with more than 30% in SC. Now, that’s not necessarily the case. Mitt could get 30% and lose to Gingrich, or only win by 1 or 2 points. That would be a win, but he needs to improve, not regress. If he loses, or loses steam, Florida would be in play. Santorum could drop out, with his voters moving in larger numbers to Newt. Conservatives would be emboldened. Democrats would jump for joy.

My predictions: An Upset Special

Gingrich        36%

Romney        34%

Paul              15%

Santorum      14%

Santorum drops out. The race in Florida tightens. Gingrich and Romney duke it out through Super Tuesday in March. More GOP moderates publicly endorse Romney in order to save the party. Chris Christie gets even more bombastic in his support for Mitt (is that possible? healthy?). You join in here at ezkool, at www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives and follow me on Twitter @rigrundfest.

Isn’t this fun?

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Citizens United Elections Politics

Today’s Politics – Bought And Sold By The Super P.A.C.

The Supreme Court’s dumb decision in the Citizens United v The Federal Election Commission – where the Court ruled that Corporations are people, thus, their free speech must be protected by the first amendment of the United States Constitution – came under attack as Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert showed exactly how foolish this court’s decision really was.

Claiming that Corporations are people, the court’s decision allowed these Corporations to form ‘SuperPACS.’  These PACS then have the ability to “exercise their free speech” by funneling unlimited amounts of cash into the political system, as long as the candidate these PACS are backing is not directly involved. Call in, the buying of a candidate.

Meanwhile, the people… the real people, the ones the Constitution was written to protect… are drowned out by this unlimited cash of these SuperPACS and their voices, our voices, are silenced.

It takes the political humor of two comedians to show the not-so-funny side of what this Conservative-leaning Court has done.

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