Are you as amused as I am over DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz’s saying that NY-9, where Republican Bob Turner, a political neophyte, trounced a Democratic insider yesterday, is a “difficult” district for Democrats?
Note to Debbie: This is a district that last went Republican when Warren Harding was in the White House. Literally, as Debbie might say. Geraldine Ferraro and Chuck Schumer represented this district. Wasserman-Schultz is spinning so hard that she’s creating more wind than Hurricane Irene.
Speaking of Irene, this loss of NY-9 was a perfect storm for Democrats: NY-9 is a heavily Jewish district, as Sabrina has noted, and President Obama’s treatment of our staunchest ally in the Middle East has angered them; as Carrie has noted, it is a sign that big government is losing support when a tea party candidate like Turner can win; and there are social issues that were probably a factor among conservative Jews.
I don’t think NY-9 represents a change of heart. The voters who are sending Bob Turner to Washington have not (alas) suddenly converted to the Austrian School of economics. They are not wondering if they can get a book as thick as Atlas Shrugged on their Kindles. They simply realize that the country is in a shambles and they blame (rightly) the policies of President Obama.
Here is what one voter told the New York Times:
“I am a registered Democrat, I have always been a registered Democrat, I come from a family of Democrats – and I hate to say this, I voted Republican,” said Linda Goldberg, 61, after casting her ballot in Queens. “I need to send a message to the president that he’s not doing a very good job. Our economy is horrible. People are scared.”
Redistricting may mean the Mr. Turner has a brief career in Washington. But, in a way, he’s already done something important-he’s shown the level of fear and anger most of us feel.
Here is how bad things were for Democrats in NY-9: Even Mediscaring didn’t work.
The NY-9 defeat was such a powerful rebuke for President Obama that I can’t imagine that there aren’t Democrats somewhere in town trying to find the courage to beg him not to run in 2012.
Good stuff on Hot Air.