What a difference a day makes.The AP's Liz Sidoti told us yesterday that Republicans were making way too much out of polls that showed substantial strength for their gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia. In fact, Sidoti carefully explained that even if the Republicans could win one (or even both) contests, it really wouldn't matter much. They were too divided, too far behind the pace the Democrats had established nationally with Barack Obama's historic win last year.
But after the alternative press had a field day criticizing the biased coverage of the MSM (yesterday's Vital Signs post is but one small example) and after the Republicans won big last night -- 5% in the New Jersey race, 18% in Virginia -- the tone has definitely changed.
Here's what Ms. Sidoti writes this morning:
Independents who swept Barack Obama to a historic 2008 victory broke big for Republicans on Tuesday as the GOP wrested political control from Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey, a troubling sign for the president and his party heading into an important midterm election year.
Conservative Republican Bob McDonnell's victory in the Virginia governor's race over Democrat R. Creigh Deeds and moderate Republican Chris Christie's ouster of unpopular New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine was a double-barreled triumph for a party looking to rebuild after being booted from power in national elections in 2006 and 2008...
Democrats in swing-voting states and moderate-to-conservative districts may be less willing to back Obama on issues like health care after Virginia and New Jersey showed there are limits to how much he can protect his rank and file from fallout back home.
The president had personally campaigned for Deeds and Corzine, seeking to ensure that independents and base voters alike turned out even if he wasn't on the ballot — and voters still rejected them. Thus, the losses were blots on Obama's political standing to a certain degree and suggested potential problems ahead as he seeks to achieve his policy goals, protect Democratic majorities in Congress and expand his party's grip on governors' seats next fall.
Interviews with voters leaving polling stations in both states were filled with reasons for Democrats to be concerned and for Republicans to be optimistic, particularly about independents — the crown jewel of elections because they often determine outcomes...
It's also difficult to separate Obama from the outcomes after he devoted a significant chunk of time working to persuade voters to elect Deeds in Virginia and re-elect Corzine in New Jersey.
