Morning Plum: Virginia race not a referendum on Obamacare, after all

[kpete]

Morning Plum: Virginia race not a referendum on Obamacare, after all
BY GREG SARGENT
November 6 at 9:07 am


Democrat Terry McAuliffe squeaked out a closer than expected victory in the Virginia governor’s race last night, edging Republican Ken Cuccinelli by two points. Republicans such as Cuccinell, Marco Rubio, and RNC chair Reince Priebus had repeatedly cast the race as a “referendum on Obamacare.”
Not so much.

Indeed, it’s hard to look at last night’s results as a definitive declaration of public opinion on Obamacare either way — whether for or against. The only conclusion I think you can begin to draw from the results is that an absolutist position against the law doesn’t command sufficient support to win statewide in Virginia, a state that is widely seen by observers as a key indicator of national demographic and political trends. The law is probably still on probation with many voters, but the law’s most ardent foes are wrong — they just don’t represent a majority or mainstream position.

According to the exit polls, only 27 percent of Virginia voters saw the health law as the top issue, and among them, only a bare plurality (49-45) supported Cuccinelli. Far more (45 percent) named the economy.


MORE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/11/06/morning-plum-virginia-race-not-a-referendum-on-obamacare-after-all/

[FSogol]

1. News Flash: Reince Priebus was wrong again!

[Laelth]

2. Indeed.

Right now, to the majority of Americans, it's the economic issues that matter. We need some economic justice, and we need it now.

I just hope the Democratic Party comes to this realization and does something about it.

-Laelth