Is GOP brand so damaged it cost a conservative seat in Congress?

Is the Republican brand so damaged it cost a conservative seat in Congress? If appears the New York 23rd Congressional District special election will go to Democrat Bill Owens. This was after some polls put Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman leading the race with 51% of the vote less than one week prior to election day.

It seems that Hoffman dropped about five percent in the very last days of the race. Was it because of something Hoffman did, was it Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava backing the Democrat after she pulled out of the race, was it the performance of Democrat Bill Owens, was it the visits from high-profile Democrats, or was that because the Republican Party started backing Hoffman?

Hoffman seems to have had much more momentum and better polling results as the Third Party option with some Republicans supporting him versus the Republican establishment publicly backing Hoffman.

SOURCE:

http://elections.nytimes.com/2009/results/upstate.html

Daggett falls victim to Corzine fear…

Independent New Jersey Gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett may have fallen victim to Corzine fear. With 99% of the votes counted Chris Daggett came in third place with 5.7% of the vote.

That 5.7% of the vote was about five to ten percent lower than recent polls showed. The Thirds has to believe most of those five to ten percent of people that left the Daggett went to Republican challenger, and now Governor-elect Chris Christie.

We believe this shift had to do that people wanted Governor Jon Corzine out of office even more than seeing their man in the office. Governor Corzine’s final election numbers were about two-percent higher than poll averages, but Governor-elect Christie’s final tally was about seven-percent higher than poll averages. That was the number of people that bolted from Daggett.

If Governor-elect Chris Christie wanted to make a real splash in New Jersey politics he should offer Chris Daggett a spot in his cabinet. Daggett could head-up Department of Environmental Protection again. You could also make arguments for Daggett to lead the Civil Service Commission, Department of Treasury, Department of the Treasury, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Office of Economic Growth, Department of State, and Department of the Public Advocate. With his Governmental management background you could even argue Daggett could run the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.

Results with 99% reporting:

Chris Christie (Republican) 49.0%

Jon Corzine (Democrat) 44.4%

Chris Daggett (Independent for NJ) 5.7%

Kenneth R. Kaplan (Libertarian Party) 0.2%

Gary T. Steele (Leadership, Independence, Vision) 0.1%

Jason Cullen (People Not Politics) 0.1%

David R. Meiswinkle (Middle Class Empowerment) 0.1%

Kostas Petris (For The People) 0.1%

Gregory Pason (Socialist Party USA) 0.1%

Gary Stein (Various titles) 0.1%

Joshua Leinsdorf (Fair Election Party) 0.0%

Alvin Lindsay, Jr. (Lindsay for Governor) 0.0%

SOURCE:

http://elections.nytimes.com/2009/results/new-jersey.html

Independent Mike Bloomberg wins NYC Mayor re-election…

Independent Mayor Mike Bloomberg wins New York City Mayoral re-election. In a vote that was a lot closer than most polls projected, Mike Bloomberg won a third term in office. He tweeted out to his supporters, “Thank you #NYC Humbled, proud, & excited to have the opportunity to serve you for another 4 yrs!”

With 99% of the vote in the tally stood at:

Michael Bloomberg (Independent & Republican) 50.6%

William C. Thompson Jr. (Democrat) 46.0%

Stephen Christopher (Constitution) 1.7%

Rev. Billy Talen (Green) 0.8%

Francisca Villar (Party for Socialism and Liberation) 0.3%

Jimmy McMillian (Rent Is Too Damn High) 0.2%

Joseph Dobrian (Libertarian) 0.2%

Daniel Fien (Socialist Workers) 0.1%

SOURCE:

http://elections.nytimes.com/2009/results/index.html

http://www.twitter.com/mikebloomberg

Two independents stay in office in Virginia…

Two independents running for Virginia House of Delegates win re-election.

Independent Lacey E. Putney continued his reign in office. Winning 64-20-15-0.1% in a race against Democrat Lewis B. Medlin Junior, Constitution Party candidate Will Smith II, and other write-in candidates. Putney has been in office since 1962.

Also, Independent Watkins M. Abbitt Junior won his re-election 99-1% in his race only against write-in candidates. Abbitt has been in office since 1986.

SOURCE:

https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2009/37C2EDEB-FACB-44C1-AF70-05FB616DCD62/UnOfficial/8_p1_s.shtml

https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2009/37C2EDEB-FACB-44C1-AF70-05FB616DCD62/UnOfficial/8_p3_s.shtml

Good luck to all independent and Third Party candidates on the ballot today...

New York 23rd Congressional District special election:

Doug Hoffman - Conservative Party

New Jersey Governor:

Chris Daggett - Independent for NJ

Jason Cullen - People Not Politics

Kenneth R. Kaplan - Libertarian Party

Joshua Leinsdorf - Fair Election Party

Alvin Lindsay, Jr. - Lindsay for Governor

David R. Meiswinkle - Middle Class Empowerment

Gregory Pason - Socialist Party USA

Kostas Petris - For The People

Gary T. Steele - Leadership, Independence, Vision

Gary Stein – Various titles (Rock The Boat, Giv'm Heck Gary, Nice N Easy, Rush In, Stormy Weather, Just In Time, All The Way, Where Are You, I Have Dreamed, They All Laughed, These Foolish Things, A Fine Romance, Lear'n The Blues, Without A Song, Something Stupid, Street Of Dreams, All Alone, How About You, Pennies From Heaven & My Shining Hour Love And Marriage)

California 10th Congressional District special election:

Jerry Denham - American Independent

Jeremy Cloward - Green Party

Peace and Freedom Party - Mary C. McIlroy

Virginia statewide race:

None

Chuck Todd: Being independent is a positive for “many voters”

Today NBC’s Chuck Todd wrote a “briefing-column” on the major elections today. A key point in his column is that being an independent or Third Party candidate is a major plus to many voters.

He wrote, “We know that not being associated with either political party is a net plus with many voters — from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's expected victory, to Chris Daggett's influence in New Jersey, to Doug Hoffman's rise in New York's 23rd Congressional District.”

In a section titled “The angry independent” Todd wrote, “Candidates who stand up to the establishment and find a reform message will benefit, no matter their party label.”

SOURCE:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33591486/ns/politics-more_politics/