Democrat wins West Virginia governor's race

[Lasher]

Source: Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Democrat Earl Ray Tomblin overcame weeks of Republican attack ads to win the West Virginia governor's race Tuesday, successfully distancing himself from the Obama administration and the president's health care plan.

Tomblin, who has been acting governor for the past year, will finish the final year of a term left vacant by Joe Manchin, a well-liked governor who stepped down after he won a U.S. Senate seat.

The race was fraught with negative ads from both sides and narrowed in the final weeks. The national parties spent millions of dollars on each campaign.

With 65 percent of precincts reporting, Tomblin had 50 percent of the vote compared with Maloney's 46 percent, according to unofficial results.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gjIphNmCxzUH6pmbYS6ILT8rM96g?docId=65083ff53a944cefb5c2d0320570b28a

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What a relief! I was afraid Maloney would win but I am delighted to have been wrong.

Weeeee are the chaaaaaampions, noooo time for looooosers!

[Dawson Leery]

1. A win is a win. A loss would have been another reason

for the pundits to bash Obama and the Democrats.

[alp227]

2. Joni Mitchell - "Morning Morgantown"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bbxg4u90so

[FreeBillClinton]

3. Yay! my pessism was unfounded.

[SoapBox]

4. So Democrat...but is he really a DINO?

...distancing himself from the Prez and the health-care bill?

[Freddie Stubbs]

32. He wouldn't have gotten elected if he has said he supported the President

WV is a pretty conservatoire state. They are either going to elect a conservative Democrat or a very conservative Republican.

Which would you prefer?

[Lasher]

33. That sums it up nicely, Freddie.

Support for Unions, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are what has so far kept West Virginians voting Democratic. That and family tradition (My daddy was a Democrat).

[Kahuna]

5. Good news!!!

:bounce:

[toddwv]

6. They ran continuous ads trying to link him with "Obamacare"

Time to take a look at the ol' game plan republicons...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI_OvVTbhFk

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

19. Maloney was funded by ex-Massey CEO Don Blankenship

and had a big hand in his campaign

[IamK]

7. DINO

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/04/west-virginians-vote-for-governor/

Governor Tomblin would seem to have the advantage. His conservative credentials seem to appeal to West Virginia Democrats. Endorsements were heaped upon him, including ones from the National Rifle Association, the West Virginia Coal Association and the Chamber of Commerce. He has continued a lawsuit filed by Mr. Manchin against the Environmental Protection Agency.

“You’re not going to mistake him for Barney Frank,” said Professor Berch, referring to the liberal Massachusetts Democratic congressman.

[MH1]

10. that's pretty much all they have in WV

or at least, that's all they have that can win elections. (from what I hear from liberal family members who live there.)

[No Elephants]

28. Let someone run on Medicare for all and taxing the rich and see what would happen.

Some people don't like the word "liberal" because both Parties have treated it like a four letter word and have treated liberals as lunatics and oddities, doing everything to defeat them, both in primaries and in general elections.

However, many of those same people--most Americans--loves them some very liberal policies, as long as they don't hear the dreaded word "liberal."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZi8p7HUH_w

[Lasher]

34. I believe a candidate could win big running on just these things.

But as I pointed out downthread, we're never going to find out.

[tabasco]

35. Infinitely better than the republican cretin. n/t

[tropicanarose]

8. YAY!

:bounce:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

9. Yay!!

:applause:

[Bloke 32]

11. Shall FOX News interpret this as an auger fo 2012?

I'm not holding by bladder, even though they positively crowed when McDonnell and Christie were elected two years ago.

[Kingofalldems]

12. Midnight repubs won't like this one

Hahahahaha

[judesedit]

13. Remember FL, NY & Wisconsin Don't cheer yet . The thieves might suddenly "FIND" some missing votes

The GOP will lie, cheat and steal every election they can...and I'm sure have even killed. Just pray more than enough Dems got out and voted to bring us a victory.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

21. not likely

Tomblin carried most counties and Dems hold SOS and most local offices

[Muskypundit]

22. I dont think they will steal this one

Because even with a "democratic" victory, big business still got their guy. Big business will not order the rethugs to displace him.

[Firebrand Gary]

14. Breaking News...West Virginia issues a screaming loud referendum on the Republican party.

That's the way it should be reported considering every GOP race that was won was reported by the MSM as the same on President Obama.

[kestrel91316]

15. On, on!!! To the barricades!!!

[CBHagman]

16. Great news!

I switched on our local ABC affiliate the other night and was treated to one of the GOP ads. :puke: First and only sign of the race I had in this area.

[Historic NY]

17. Congratulations Governor....is this a mandate

on the Obama agenda...???? You know if he lost the pukes would be saying so.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

18. National media was making this out to be the next Scott Brown, Weiner seat

GOP spent tons here, lots of "Obamacare" ads, Hannity promoting Maloney, "it's a referendum" on the Democrats and liberalism, etc.
Of course, now that the Dem pulled it out, we won't ever hear them speak of it again.

[AC_Mem]

20. Awesome!

We need every Democrat we can get at this point. What would be great is if there were some good, strong Progressive up-and-comers that we could start to find and nurture. Get rid of the Democrats who are not true democrats - they won't help us to straighten out our country and replace them with Progressives.

This is good news!

Annette

[Hubert Flottz]

23. And the GOPers spent a ton of cash.

Somewhere a Kochroach is weeping.

I saw about three to one repub ads during the entire campaign. The GOPers couldn't buy WV...no sale!

[Zadoc]

24. POLL

I guess Republicans couldn't turn the race in WV into a referendum on Obama. Do you think this is a good sign for Democrats?

POLL: With Democrat Earl Ray Tomblin winning the West Virginia governor's race against Republican Bill Maloney, does 2012 look better for President Obama and other Democrats?
Vote: http://www.wepolls.com/p/3432785

[OHdem10]

25. And the Republicans spent money and a "special" effort

in that state trying to make that race a referendum
on Obama.

On Fos someone said if the Republican won this was
really bad for Obama 2012 chances.

Looks like Obama lives to fight another fight.

Good News.

[calimary]

26. Good news, and a relief at that! Now they can't point to it and holler "TREND!"

Very good news! Interrupts the ongoing drumbeat about "bad-Obama, bad-Obama, bad-Obama," mercifully! You know they'd be jamming down our throats if the election went the other way.

Are we SURE it's ours? Nobody's trying to pull something weird, are they?

[red dog 1]

27. Tomblin's win in West Virginia is good news, but Dems face tough times.

While the West Virginia Governor's race turned out well for Democrat Earl Ray Tomblin, don't forget that the Republicans will be well-organized and well-financed next year.
The Tea Party, which up until recently was many separate, mostly UN-organized, and independent groups, have now joined forces with Freedom Works in forming their own "Super Committee", to organize and raise money for Republicans in next years elections.
Freedom works claims full-time staffs in 12 states, and over 800,000 grass-roots volunteers.
In addition, Karl Rove has promised to raise $250 Million Dollars to defeat Democrats next year.
Combine this with the Koch Brothers money and people like Grover Norquist, and you have the definite possibility that the Republicans will have much more money to spend in the 2012 elections than the Democrats will.
We can savor the West Virginia win, but we can't afford to become complaisant
The Democratic Party will need to match groups like Freedom Works and have hundreds of thousands of grass-roots volunteers of it's own, and hundreds of millions of dollars to
use in the 2012 elections as well.

[No Elephants]

29. Obama's campaign alone expects to raise a billion.

He raised about $800 million last time, just in his own individual campaign, without money that wealthier people donated to the DNC because they had given him all they could legally give.

Elections have to stop being about money alone, anyway.

That said, my election mantra is: never despair and never become complacent.

[Lasher]

31. That is our number one problem in politics today, Elephants - money in politics.

A viable candidate has to be backed with millions just to get started. That money comes from rich people and their corporations. Candidates are thereby vetted by their initial donors before they are ever heard from in any primary campaign for national office. It's why, when it comes down to voting, every candidate we have to consider turns out to be another neoliberal.

Money in politics is the root cause of our problems, and I don't see how we'll ever rectify this.

[red dog 1]

36. "We can't afford to become complacent"

I agree with you....."never despair and never become complacent"

I don't doubt that Obama can raise $1 Billion dollars within the next year.

It's not just about Dems having enough money to buy TV commercials etc.

It's also about the number of grass-roots volunteers he & the Dems need to muster by next year.

The Republicans will have, for example, a Tea Party that will be organized for the first time, thanks to Freedom Works, which claims full-time staffs in 12 states already, plus 800,000 grassroots organizers.

The other problem that Obama & the Dems will face is the fact that most states will be using the same Touch-screen voting machines made by Diebold, E.S.& S, and Sequoia which "flipped votes" in the last 5 elections..

Brad Friedman has been covering election fraud; and he is doing an excellent job
(bradblog.com)

He sat in for Mike Malloy tonight & he interviewed Dr Roger Johnston of the Argonne National Laboratory's Vulnerability Assessment Team on his recent, chilling, $26 remote control "hack" of a Diebold and Sequoia Voting machine.

So, it's not just about matching the Republicans dollar for dollar, we Dems must match them "volunteer for volunteer", which means we need at least 800,000 or more grassroots organizers by next year.

And, as far as Diebold, E S & S, and Sequoia voting machines being used next November, anything is possible, including another "fixed" election, which we cannot let happen!

[No Elephants]

30. Excellent. This is an important win.