rssWhy Isn’t Jim Tedisco Winning Easy?
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at 12:46 pm
- 7 Comments
Jim Geraghty reports that Republicans are starting to worry about the race for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-N.Y.) old House seat, a chunk of upstate New York where Republicans outnumber Democrats, and where the GOP has not-so-quietly talked about a confidence-building victory.
“The first poll had the Republican up 25, and the second poll has him up 15,” said a GOP consultant in the region, noting that Obama carried the district in 2008 by a narrow margin. “Some of that is natural as the voters get to know the candidates. But if there’s a third poll that I’m not privy to that shows continued erosion, then it’s reason for real concern.”
I’m reminded of what Rep. Tom Price told me yesterday: that he knew “in his gut” how voters were growing angry at the Democrats’ spending.
Let’s say that voters are, indeed, getting fed up with President Obama and the Democrats. They blame Obama for the falling Dow Jones Industrial Average, they shake their heads at his nominees’ tax problems, they think the White House was behind a Rush Limbaugh “distraction” campaign. Wouldn’t a good way of registering their disgust be a rejection of a Democratic candidate for Congress in a special election? Wouldn’t New York’s 20th Congressional District — a rural, 94 percent white district that former President George W. Bush carried twice — be a good place for the backlash to start?
It’s totally possible, and maybe likely, that Tedisco will win the March 31 special election. Perhaps he’ll win bigger than the polls suggest. But his slipping numbers and the decision of the Independence Party to endorse Democrat Scott Murphy cut against the argument that Americans are quietly turning on Obama.
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7 Comments
Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 12:07 pm
Frankly, as a nearby resident of the district, it doesn't surprise me. Mr. Tedisco has been a member of the NYS Assembly for over 30 years. He has spent every day of his political life in the minority party, with little or no responsibilities. He is up against a Democrat that has a Republican resume (venture capitalist, business owner, rural resident). To top it off, Tedisco looks thuggish in debates. The GOP can look at this from DC and make prognostications about the outcome, but they're dreaming.
The Libertarian candidate, Eric Sundwall, just polled at 4% after spending less than $10,000 in a month of campaigning while running his own business with a volunteer staff of sometimes 10 people.
Between Sundwall and the 15% UNDECIDED, I think the voters have spoken….I see the fat lady waiting in the wings….
Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 6:43 pm
Simple: Tedisco is a terrible pick for the GOP. Total idiot.
Comment posted March 12, 2009 @ 7:30 am
Watch tedisco for Congress on youtube
Tedisco for Congress
Comment posted March 13, 2009 @ 8:37 am
I think its funny that your heading says National News in context. It should reference the fact that it is mostly opinion pieces and highly biased toward the left.
Comment posted March 30, 2009 @ 9:30 pm
Please please folks! DO NOT PUT A DEMOCRAT IN THIS SEAT!
Comment posted April 14, 2009 @ 8:05 am
This district has been trending democrat for several cycles and Obama handily beat McCain here by double digits. What should happen in this district is that the Democrat rides Obama's long coat tails into office. These comments are nothing but spin.
Comment posted April 14, 2009 @ 3:05 pm
This district has been trending democrat for several cycles and Obama handily beat McCain here by double digits. What should happen in this district is that the Democrat rides Obama's long coat tails into office. These comments are nothing but spin.
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