Joan Walsh: What did Dems just learn about November?

[babylonsister]

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/2010_elections/index.html?story=/opinion/walsh/politics/2010/05/18/what_primary_races_say_about_november

What did Dems just learn about November?
The 2010 midterm elections are supposed to be hell on Democrats, but the party did just fine tonight
By Joan Walsh


I don't think Democrats should get cocky looking at Tuesday night's election results, but if they want to learn what might work in November 2010, there are fascinating lessons in what just happened.

On the GOP side, Mitch McConnell, Dick Cheney and the NRCC lost big, as Kentucky voters rejected Trey Grayson and Jeff Reetz in big Senate and House primaries there, going for Tea Party newcomers Rand Paul and Todd Lally. In Pennsylvania, the NRCC lost again, as Democrat Mark Critz beat Republican Tim Burns for Jack Murtha's old seat, in the only district that voted for John Kerry in 2004 and John McCain in 2008. Burns tried to nationalize his race by with a campaign cartoon that depicted Nancy Pelosi as a monster (about the fifth time Republicans have tried, unsuccessfully, to run against Pelosi). He only succeeded in showing he has Mommy issues with his silly Pelosi caricature. :)

On the Democratic side, President Obama got rocked in the Pennsylvania primary, where Democratic insurgent Joe Sestak beat "incumbent" Sen Arlen Specter (although Specter's longterm GOP history made it hard to see him as a Democratic incumbent). Meanwhile, Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter has succeeded in pushing Sen. Blanche Lincoln into a run-off, another defeat for Obama and mainstream or conservative Dems.

I'm not sure this says anything about Obama's electoral strength. He probably did the right thing by backing Specter, as promised, to get his stimulus vote; I think Sestak and progressive Dems did the right thing to ignore the president, and I'm thrilled he beat Specter with an insurgent campaign. Ultimately, Sestak is a better vote for Obama than Specter was, so it's hard for me to see his victory as a loss for Obama.

snip//

It would be simplistic to suggest the storyline will stay the same until November. But it's clear that the MSM storyline – that Dems are doomed by voter discontent – is more simplistic. What Tuesday shows is Democrats with a strong message and a willingness to buck the status quo will get a hearing from voters and won't be treated as part of the tired, sold-out establishment. And despite all predictions of Democratic torpor after the excitement of 2008, the party base turned out tonight. Let's hope Democratic leaders read the results the right way and learn what to do in November.

[Jennicut]

1. Great article. Sestak is the more reliable vote for Obama then Specter

as he has actually been a Dem for awhile. I doubt Specter would run another term and would he have voted Dem all the time? One wonders....
Also, running against Nancy Pelosi is a failed experiment. Time to end it Rethugs.

[still_one]

2. I doubt the Democrats will learn anything from yesterday's primaries, and for that matter neither

will the republicans.

What it represents is that people want change

The MSM didn't predict this a month ago, which is not surprising, their analysis has not been particularly accurate for some time now

[Bitwit1234]

3. And I hope to hell they get rid of Kaine

and get Dean back. Kaine has the get up and go of a caterpillar. Dean fires people up. That's what we need. We have to go out there and get em back. And with Kaine in charge we will just sit there and jiggle.

[AndyA]

4. Agreed. If Dems want to win in November, Kaine MUST GO!

He has no spark, none at all. He has the personality of soggy white bread.