As we are all aware now, there have been several GOP victories as of late. The Governors of both Virginia and New Jersey, and even a Senate seat in Massachusetts have all fallen victim to the Republicans. This may come as quite a shock, since all 3 states went to Obama in 2008. But is it really a shock when you get right down to it?
Virginia has been up in the air for many years. It is as much south of the Mason Dixon line as it is a Mid Atlantic state. So the split among voters is pretty tight, party wise. So it should come as no shock that it was time for a Republican to slip back into the Governor's mansion there.
Massachusetts is always viewed as the liberal bastion of America. But it isn't. I guess growing up as a kid in the Northeast I recall all of the racial garbage that went down between white and black people in Boston a lot more than the rest of the country would remember it. And to top it off, Massachusetts independent voters overwhelm both the Democratic and Republican parties registered voters put together. How do you think they had a Republican Governor in office from 1991 to 2007? I guess everyone conveniently forgot that as well.
As for New Jersey, the story is the same. The Governor's mansion routinely switches parties due to the statewide vote. When I was born in NJ, there was this guy running the show named Thomas Kean. Heard of him? I think so. 9-11 Commission. Those sorts of things drudge him up these days. Ever hear of Christie Todd Whitman? Another GOP Governor in the Garden State. So the recent ascension of Chris Christie should come as no shock. It was time, after the years of McGreevy and Corzine for a change.
But does this mean the 3 states in question are lost to Democrats? As they'd say in my birth land, fuhgeddaboudit! It just means they have to work harder to win statewide offices they are prone to losing right now.
I am here in New Jersey as I write this, and just spent the better part of my Sunday drinking heavily and eating with a room full of Greeks and Irish at my sister's big fat Greek engagement party. And I couldn't find one that said they were a Republican. I even had one threaten to disown me, because he thought I misspoke and said I ran with the GOP. I had to quickly correct his mishearing.
The votes are there for Democrats in the 3 states I mentioned, and in many other states. The same states who came out in force for Barack Obama in 2008 can be won in 2010. There are just some people out there who need that same motivation to get off their ass and go back to the polls. "Yes we can" needs to become "yes we will" and not "maybe tomorrow". Because "maybe tomorrow" then becomes "oh fuck, why didn't I do something when I had the chance" and "oh fuck, how did this asshole from Cosmo take Kennedy's seat". Nobody else should let that happen again. So get off your ass and go vote. You have no room to complain if you don't.
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