Romney: Va., NJ Races Will Give GOP Its Voice Back.

[elleng]

Source: AP/NYT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The nation's Republican Party has a chance to reclaim its voice in governors' elections this fall in Virginia and New Jersey, former Republican presidential prospect Mitt Romney said Friday

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/05/29/us/AP-US-Romney-Republicans.html

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Thought y'all would enjoy this!!!

[The River]

1. Hell No

Not in Virginia if I have a vote in the matter
...and I do! I just hope I don't
have to cast it for Terry Mac. *shudder*

[elleng]

7. I agree (but I don't have to, as I'm in MD.)

Was over there today, listening. Didn't hear ONE R-type. (Ok, was in falls church starbucks, but all middle>upper age and middle>upper income, from what I could tell.)

[PM Martin]

2. Canuck here. So what is going to happen in these elections?

[Arkana]

3. What scares me is that he might be right.

Virginia might pick McAwful as its nominee, and we can probably kiss that state goodbye...and I heard that some guy named Christie has a pretty decent lead in NJ-Gov against any potential Dems.

[Me.]

11. Theyre Running Ads Against Christie In The Tri-state Area

Very, very right winger who may have issues they can pounce on. And I think it's another gopher running the ads.

[NikolaC]

14. Unfortunately

I have seen a few McAuliffe bumper stickers and lawn signs, which isn't saying much, and he is polling much higher than the other two (Deeds & Moran). I have already been asked in a call to support his campaign and I made it clear that I will not and why. Deeds & Moran are working hard to get their names out there and I hope that one of them succeeds. It's gonna be a tough fight for them though.

[DonCoquixote]

4. I cannot speak for Va

Though I can say it is not as Dixie as some would think, thanks to the fact that Northern Va, aka The DC suburbs, is really tired of a bunch of people who call them damyankees, yet live off their tax base. New Jersey may be questionable, although NJ is one of the most solidly BLUE states outside of new england. Whitman will have to sell herself as a RINO, something NJ people may be too wary for.

[underpants]

19. I can. The only reason McAuliffe is in the race is NoVa.

He is banking on it

the only reason Mitt is making this statement is because Bolling (R) is the odds on favorite to win. Bolling is the current Lt.Gov and that is the normal path to Governorship here in the Commonwealth.

The Dems-Moran/Deeds/McAuliffe- are in a inside fight and the press (especially in Richmond) is still wedded to the old Repub majority and won't give them much of a fair shake.

We'll see. I need to get off my ass and get involved.

[MrModerate]

5. He's right in that campaign professionals will be handling the messaging . . .

Rather than the actual politicians and loons who've been spewing their crazed blather since November 2008. Whether they'd win those elections, I'm far from sure. McAuliffe is truly odious, which puts him about three pegs up the evolutionary ladder than any 'Lican, and NJ is a strongly dem state, even if they're on the outs with Corzine at present.

(And at this point I've exhausted what I really know about those races since I haven't actually been on the North American continent for a year or so and the details get lost with distance -- I welcome anyone with superior knowledge to correct me here.)

[Thrill]

6. Looks like the media is intent on pushing Romney down everyones throat

.

[elleng]

8. and romney is probably intent on doing the same himself.

He just LOVES to see and hear himself, imo.

[Doctor_J]

9. NJ is probably safe for us, and VA is purple anway

Is Romeny this week's GOP media darling?

[elleng]

10. The 'good' thing about VA lately is its had 2 strong D governors.

I'm afraid that won't happen in the foreseeable future. 'Good' means well-accomplished.

[brentspeak]

12. NJ is not safe

Corzine is unpopular, and Christie has been steadily been gaining inroads within the state for the past few years.

[NikolaC]

13. He Can Keep Dreaming Where VA is Concerned

There are two candidates running in the Dem primary against McCauliffe and I am hoping that one of them wins. McDonnell is as right wing as you can get, so I am hoping that the recent swing leftwards in this state can continue.

[Swede Atlanta]

15. Don't know much about VA but...

I don't know much about the VA race but I think Romney is only half-correct about NJ. There is no doubt that Corzine is in trouble there. Christie is gaining and I think voters may well throw Corzine back to the corporate world from which he came. That said, Christie, from what I can tell is much closer to the old school of moderate east coast Republicans than to where the Pukes are today. I don't see NJ electing a true 'repuke' as that party is constituted today.

That's why I think Romeny is a bit off the mark. Even if Christie is elected, we aren't talking about someone who fits into the accepted mold. You have to be a die-hard reich-wing nazi to be in the party. So while Christie might carry the "R" label, I would suggest we don't have someone who fits the national R image.

[Pab Sungenis]

16. Chris Christie is a Bush Prosecutor

who DID do the White House's bidding in corrupt politically-based prosecutions. The GOP longshot (Lonegan, the real frother in the race) is running ads against Christie making that case, and making Corzine's job easier in the fall.

[tabbycat31]

23. he does have a primary challenger

Steve Lonegan (I think that's his name). I live in a pretty red part of NJ and I haven't seen anything pro-Corzine, but I see a lot of Christie and Lonegan signs all over the place.

[underpants]

20. see post #19

[Cha]

17. A platform in which to lie..

fuck off, mitt.

[No Elephants]

18. IMO, a Republican has a very good shot at ousting Deval Patrick in Mass.

Patrick was recently out-polled by Romney, who spent his 4 years as Mass Governor traveling to get known nationally, when he wasn't wrecking the state's finances or giving Big Dig money to his donors. (Near the end of his term, shoddy Big Dig construction killed someone.)

I don't think the election is until next Fall, though. Maybe Patrick can play catch up, but I kinda doubt it. Unless he's primaried, the Massachusetts State House may go red again. (For such a solid blue state, Massachusetts seems to love Republican Governors.)

[elleng]

21. It is interesting,

about Mass., that is. Too many open-minded 'dems,' 'indes' etc?

[tabbycat31]

22. not if I can help it

and in NJ we need all the help we can get. (hint to any PA or NY DUers, come up/down and help us out).