Conservatism Rules the Day

November 4, 2009 on 9:46 am | In Economic Policies, Fundamental Transformation | No Comments

The economic state of the union played a role in the outcomes of the elections held on Tuesday.  Republicans emerged victorious in New Jersey and Virginia and came very close in NY-23.  Conservative values won in the state of Maine, too.  Conservatism appears to be alive and well. This first opportunity to vote since Barack Obama was elected president shows that even traditionally Democrat states and the moderate electorate are not experiencing the change they were expecting.

Republicans sweep Virginia by winning the race for Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General.  The state of Virginia sided with Barack Obama this same time last year, with a six-point margin.  The new governor for the state, Republican Bob McDonnell has beaten his Democrat opponent by 18 points. This is a 24-point swing in the opinion of the voters of this state.

Former senior advisor to President George W. Bush, Karl Rove called this victory “astonishing.”  He went on to say, “That’s a huge swing rarely seen in American politics. … This is Obama’s backyard. If I were a red state Democrat, I’d be worried,” Rove said.

The Republicans appealed to the voters’ concerns over the economy and jobs. They kept their campaigns focused on facts and solutions.  Much of the support for the GOP came from moderate voters who have historically voted for Democrats.

Republican Chris Christie is victorious in his bid for the New Jersey governorship.  Christie beat out incumbent Democrat Governor John Corzine to become the new leader of the state.

It is reported that Corzine spent over $30 million to convince the people of New Jersey that he deserved another term as their governor. Corzine also resorted to name calling and personal attacks on Christie and his family. In stark contrast Chris Christie’s campaign cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $11 million and he stayed focused on the issues. Christie pointed to Corzine’s record and spoke of his own conservative values as reasons the people should choose him to lead them.

President Obama’s attempts to save Corzine did not help either. The president campaigned with the governor on five separate occasions and even mad one final visit to New Jersey the weekend prior to the election.  President Obama’s voice could be heard on recorded phone calls to constituents, too. 

In the end, the Conservative wins.  The heavily Democratic state of New Jersey has elected a Republican for governor.

FOX News reports exit poll data that shows the biggest issue on the minds of the voters in both New Jersey and Virginia is the economy.  Here is the breakdown of what drove the votes on Tuesday:

New Jersey – most import issues:

• Economy                32%
• Property Taxes     26%
• Corruption             20%
• Healthcare             17%

Virginia – most important issues:

• Economy/Jobs         47%
• Healthcare                  24%
• Property Taxes        15%
• Transportation          7%

In a special congressional election in the heavily Republican district of northern New York (NY-23), Democrat Bill Owens wins with 49 percent of the vote over the Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman with 46 percent.  While the Conservative candidate did not emerge victorious for the seat, conservative values definitely played a major part in this race. 

The moderate Republican (RHINO) candidate, Dierdre Scozzafaza withdrew from the race over the weekend, due to pressure regarding her liberal views on abortion and same-sex marriage.  Scozzafava threw her support behind the Democrat Owens and made phone calls to voters asking for a vote for Owens.

Hoffman certainly gave Owens (and Scozzafava) a run for their money.  He started as a distant third in the race and was not taken seriously until Scozzafava’s views became more widely known.  The fact that Hoffman was able to gain 46 percent of the vote demonstrates the effectiveness of delivering a conservative message.

Gay marriage law was rejected in Maine on Tuesday.  A state law allowing same-sex couples to wed, was repealed by voters in a region that tends to be supportive of gay marriage.  The Maine Legislature attempted to legalized same-sex marriage last spring. Conservatives petitioned to repeal the law and in the end, they won.

 Thirty-one states have given the people the opportunity to vote on this issue. In all thirty-one states, same-sex marriage has been rejected.  Five states have legalized gay marriage through legislation or court rulings, not by asking the people to vote.  Thirty states have put constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage on the ballot for voters to approve.  Every time, the people have spoken against the legalization of same-sex marriage.

THINK:  Elected officials act as though they know what is best for the people. The people reject the laws and when asked directly, they vote in opposition to them.

President Obama’s Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs said the president is not paying attention to the election returns. When questioned, Gibbs dismissed suggestions that the two governor’s races and the special election in New York are not a preview of the 2010 congressional midterm races. 

THINK:  Obama is not paying attention to the election results…he’s watching a basketball game.  If the results were favorable for Democrats would the president take notice?  Is this a referendum on Obama and his policies?  You decide.

Conservatism is alive and well in America!  The tea parties, town hall meetings, march on Washington, phone calls, emails and faxes are working.  Conservative leadership is emerging and standing firm in their fundamental beliefs. Average Americans are taking notice of what is happening to their country. They are educating themselves and speaking out. 

Your voice matters!  Keep pushing back.  Do not allow the media and this government to tell you what you are supposed to think. When you hear things that just do not sound quite right, question it. Speak up and be heard. These election results are evidence that the paradigm is shifting. The people are making a difference. Conservative values are what this country was founded on.  Keep up the fight. November 2010 will be here soon!