Imagine A Great Election 2009: Results and Implications
November 4, 2009
As of Friday, October 30, Rasmussen Reports had reported a three-point lead for Republican New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie over incumbent Democrat John Corzine. Those numbers had remained relatively steady through two weeks of polling, and turned out to predict the outcome of the race: Christie was elected yesterday by 49% over Corzine’s 45%.
In Virginia, the spread was significantly wider with a similar result: Republican Robert McDonnell won the election with 59% of the vote while 41% voted for Democrat R. Creigh Deeds. Results of the last Rasmussen Report poll on this race, published October 28, gave McDonnell a 13-point lead.
Meanwhile in New York State’s 23rd District Congressional race, Democrat Bill Owens won by approximately 50% to Conservative party contender Doug Hoffman’s 45%.
These results and what they say or don’t say about the Obama administration, the Democratic Party, and the Republican Party’s campaign strategies will be discussed in print, on-line, and on the air for many days to come. President Obama campaigned recently for the Democrats who lost in New Jersey and Virginia and did not appear locally for the Democrat who won in upstate New York. Some see this as a strong indicator that the current administration is headed in the wrong direction on various fronts.
In our opinion, all these election results hold great potential for long-term good IF President Obama heeds the advice of the interviewees in this Bill Moyers video and opts now to:
—“change generals” by replacing the economic old-guard from his inner circle,
—hire 1,000 FBI agents to investigate mortgage and SEC fraud, and
—work diligently to truly change the “architecture” of Wall Street that has literally robbed innocent citizens of our country in order to line the pockets of those responsible for the economic crisis we continue to face.
Now is clearly the time for Obama to effect the change that he promised last year and that was mandated by the American people when they elected him. If he heeds this election’s wake-up call, he stands a solid chance of salvaging not only his presidency, but our country’s financial security.
The question is: Will this trend continue in 2010? Can Main Street indeed triumph over Wall Street? Here in Colorado, we’ll continue to focus on the race for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Michael Bennet, an appointed senator with huge cash reserves and significant White House support. While Bennet is the candidate of Wall Street, former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives Andrew Romanoff—who will face Bennet in a primary for the Democratic party nomination—is the candidate of Main Street.
Despite the promise of 2008, we must continue to Imagine a Great Election because our elected officials lack either the intent or the will to keep their promises to the people who put them in office. But Main Street has spoken in 2009—and the 2010 election year has officially begun.