USA Today: Voters send warning to both parties' incumbents

[UrbScotty]

Exultant Republicans had plenty to celebrate following Tuesday's elections. Two strong candidates, former GOP national chairman Haley Barbour in Mississippi and three-term congressman Ernie Fletcher in Kentucky, took important governorships away from the Democrats.

Republicans also scored well in other off-year election races, fueling visions of a rising tide that could cement GOP power in Washington and across the country in 2004.

The possibility is certainly real enough. But partisans anticipating a GOP golden era unlike any in the past 75 years would be wise to revisit those election returns. Tuesday's Republican victories mask a larger message, a warning to incumbent officeholders of both parties.

<snip>

In some localities Tuesday, Republicans were victims of this mood for change. Democrats won back control of the New Jersey Legislature and made their first gains in the Virginia Legislature in a quarter-century.

<snip>

But in the latest USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll, taken Oct. 24-26, 74% of those surveyed said they consider economic conditions today to be only fair or poor. In spite of more optimistic reports recently, 43% said the economy is getting worse. While 45% said they were likely to vote for President Bush next year, 42% said they were more likely to vote for a Democratic challenger essentially a dead heat by polling standards.

After Tuesday, Republicans may be exhilarated but incumbents, Republicans as well as Democrats, have been warned.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=679&ncid=742&e=1&u=/usatoday/20031106/cm_usatoday/11939682

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. There is anger in the land

and that was a very balanced view of what happened

One thing is that this is reminding me more and more of the election
that brought FDR to power... the similarities in some respects
are eerie

[JM]

2. Funny...

...They won two gonvernorships, but no mention they got their asses handed to them in Pennsylvania.

Street won. All Supreme Court winners were Dem (though the pukes still have a majority). Allegheny County is back in Democratic control

It will be interesting to see what happens to Specter next year.

Later,
JM

[benfranklin1776]

3. Yes PA was a resounding victory for we Dems.

Of course as you say no one talks of it. Not only was it the Supreme Court but the intermediate appellate courts as well where the Dems took two of three. The results here which were impressive in their large margins do not bode well for Junior since this is a state he covets desperately. Not only did the voters of Philadelphia rise up in a huge backlash against the bugging of Street but in Allegheny County Onoroto trounced Roddy who was using Bush's voice in prerecorded messages to voters. It had the opposite effect.

[3CardMonte]

4. Street winning in Philly

is not exactly headline news.

[benfranklin1776]

5. Au contraire. Sure it was.

It was not just overcoming the bugging garbage which voters saw as politically motivated but it was his improvement among all voters that was truly impressive and he did it in part by making Bush an issue. So it is his manner of victory that is a very good sign indeed for 2004.



Mayor Street's landslide victory Tuesday was built block by block,
ward by ward. Just about everywhere in the city, Street gained
ground over his first matchup with Republican Sam Katz four years
ago.

Street made incremental improvements over his commanding
1999 performance in African American neighborhoods, and he
increased his percentage in key white wards on the way to a
margin of nearly 80,000 votes.

* * * * *

{W}hat was startling to longtime political observers was how
dramatically Street improved his showing in some key areas with
majority white populations. For instance, Street carried 46 percent
of the vote in Chestnut Hill, where he got only 34 percent four
years ago.

* * * * *
Katz's candidacy deflated over the last three weeks, primarily,
most analysts believe, because of his party.

The Democratic leadership, and the apparatus of the party
machine, were handed a chance to nationalize the election - to
make it about President Bush and the national GOP - and
Philadelphians responded as Democrats, rallying around the party
and its presumably wronged standard-bearer.


http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/7193402.htm