14 replies to this topic

[Carter711]

In 2004, New England voters elected 16 Democrats, 5 Republicans, and 1 Independant to represent them in Congress.


Last week, New England voters elected 21 Democrats, and 1 Republican to Congress.  (there is a recount underway in CT's 2nd District, but the Democrat is winning).


New Hampshire voters ousted both of their Republican Congressmen.  Atty. Paul Hodes beat 6-term incumbent Rep. Charles Bass in NH-02, and anti-war activist Carol Shea Porter enjoyed a stunning upset over Rep. Jeb Bradley - considered the biggest upset of the election.  

In another surprise Connecticut voters sent 12-term incumbent Rep. Nancy Johnson home, and it looks like Rep. Rob Simmons will fall in CT-02 as well.   Rep. Chris Shays (CT-04) looks like the sole Republican survivor.

Rhode Island voters also elected Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse over incumbent Republican (though liberal) Senator Lincoln Chafee, helping to tilt Senate control to the Democrats.  

So what's all this mean.  Is New England now to Democrats what the Deep South is to Republicans?  Is this near Democratic sweep good for the region?

Edited by Carter711, 13 November 2006 - 01:04 PM.

[cloudship]

It's more than just New England. This was not a vote for the Democrats - it was a vote against the republicans. Don't get hopes up too high - Once the next election rolls around there are likely to be a lot more people who will vote republican again. People are just in general still very unhappy with what is going on in the country, and they showed their displeasure. Many of the Democrats who were elected are nearly as conservative as their republican counterparts.

[SOCOM]

Carter711, on Nov 13 2006, 01:58 PM, said:

Is New England now to Democrats what the Deep South is to Republicans?  Is this near Democratic sweep good for the region?

New England has been a Democratic stronghold ever since I can remember (last 20 years or so).  Keep in mind, New England Republicans aren't like Republicans from the midwest, south, or inter-mountain west.  Republicans around here are moderate.  I don't think this election changes much of anything.  We'll always be a sure bet for the Democratic party.


As to the question about this being good for the region...who knows.  Democrats have been in control of New England for many years and we're lagging behind the rest of the country in many areas.  On a positive note, I think having Democrats in control has helped us preseve that special character, or "charm" if you will, that you don't get in other parts of the country.  Same old same old as far as I'm concerned.

[lammius]

I had a tough time with this year's election.  NJ is much like New England in that Democrats have been in control for a long time.  They're the party in power, the often corrupt machine (not to say the state's Republicans aren't).  So my dilemma was:
Do I vote for the Democrats whose party values I usually ally with, but whose corruption and status-quo demeanor won't bring anything new to the table?
Or do I vote for the Republicans whose values (on the national scale) I am at odds with, but locally they are more moderate and may actually change something?

It was a tough choice, but remembering my past in Virginia (a VERY red state, no matter what anyone says), I couldn't let myself vote Republican for anything higher than a county-level position.

[cloudship]

I vote pertaining to the position I am voting for. For Governor and State reps/senate, I vote based on what they will stand for and acomplish themselves. When it comes to the Senate and the House, I vote for what they will do as a group.

[SOCOM]

We can now color in the eastern half of CT blue as the Democratic challenger has officially unseated the incumbent Republican.  So literally the only "Republican area" of New England resides on the Gold Coast of Connecticut.

The Democrat won by 91 votes out of 250,000 votes cast.  Hartford Courant

Edited by SOCOM, 15 November 2006 - 02:30 AM.

[runawayjim]

SOCOM, on Nov 15 2006, 03:29 AM, said:

We can now color in the eastern half of CT blue as the Democratic challenger has officially unseated the incumbent Republican.  So literally the only "Republican area" of New England resides on the Gold Coast of Connecticut.

a little ironic how the wealthiest part of new england is the only one that can be painted red...

[Cotuit]

This article doesn't address what the blue shift means for the region but rather what the region's shift means for the republican party in the region.

New England's hue a deeper shade of blue. The region's northern tier has largely abandoned its traditional conservatism. [The Providence Journal]

[Cotuit]

And a story about the republican party in Massachusetts, which barely exists after the election.

Demoralized GOP in Mass. says things can only improve [The Providence Journal]

And I think this is the biggest problem for the party:

Quote

Republican leaders framed the loss as an opportunity to rebuild the party of Calvin Coolidge, Henry Cabot Lodge and Leverett Saltonstall from the ground up.

Those people would not be in today's republican party. That is why Lincoln Chafee lost in Rhode Island, a delusion insistance that he is part of a party that no longer exists.

[drc72]

Cotuit, on Nov 19 2006, 11:10 AM, said:

This article doesn't address what the blue shift means for the region but rather what the region's shift means for the republican party in the region.

New England's hue a deeper shade of blue. The region's northern tier has largely abandoned its traditional conservatism. [The Providence Journal]

The article makes it sound like the GOP will never be able to gain power or popularity in New England. I just don't buy that completely. Eventually the Democratic party will have scandals just like the GOP did and there will be a turn around in votes. I wouldn't expect the DEMS to be in control forever.

Edited by drc72, 19 November 2006 - 11:04 AM.

[runawayjim]

drc72, on Nov 19 2006, 12:04 PM, said:

The article makes it sound like the GOP will never be able to gain power or popularity in New England. I just don't buy that completely. Eventually the Democratic party will have scandals just like the GOP did and there will be a turn around in votes. I wouldn't expect the DEMS to be in control forever.

the GOP as it stands today will not be able to gain power in new england for a long time.  so long as they back regressive stances, like banning gay marriage, abortion, and stem cell research, and continue to push a christian conservative moral agenda, they will not gain power in new england, at least not on a national level.  the reason that so many republicans lost, even in local races was because of the idiocy that exists in the GOP's national party.  the republicans like chafee will have to either start up a third party (which would totally rock my world) or join the democrats.  i, for one, would love to see them start up a national third party that gains merit and popularity so that our political systems adds a third option nationwide.

the democrats won't be in control on a national level forever, but it will be a long time before conservative republicans can win in new england, if they ever can.

[cloudship]

New England isn't all THAT liberal outside of the main cities. Much of the voting this time around was less about stances more about attitude - about how the GOP has taken such an atagonistic hardline attitude that it is unwilling to work to get things done. It is also a vote for change - New England still doesn't see this improved economy and better life that is so hyped up. Lastly, there are an awful lot of people who saw this vote as really a vote against Bush.

[Carter711]

cloudship, on Nov 13 2006, 07:07 PM, said:

It's more than just New England.

That's true, but...
Nationally Republicans lost about 14 percent of their seats.
In New England Republicans lost 80 percent of their seats.  

New England was much harder on GOP incumbents than the rest of the nation.

[Carter711]

Here's an interesting Globe story on the new congresswoman from NH, a liberal anti-war activist, who beat an incumbent in NH's 1st District (New England's most conservative House District).  She spent $180,000 on her campaign, by far the least of any winning congressional candidate and received no financial support from national Democratic organizations.

A win from the blue

WASHINGTON -- The last time Carol Shea-Porter had been in the same room as President Bush, she said, her T-shirt's message -- "Turn your back on Bush" -- won her a push out the door from a Bush supporter as she left an airplane hangar in Portsmouth.

When Shea-Porter saw Bush again Monday night at the White House, she shook his hand as the next House member from New Hampshire's First District.

http://www.boston.co..._from_the_blue/

[Randy@Tacoma]

I love the politics of New England. In Washington, we're overall liberal, yet VERY divided... West of the Mountains we're as blue as the sky we DONT see and east of the mountains it's opposite (both politically and weather-wise).


GO NEW ENGLAND! Keep It bLuE!!!