Blue New England

[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?

[SOCOM]

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

[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.

[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

[runawayjim]

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.

[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:

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.

[drc72]

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]

[runawayjim]

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.

[Carter711]

It's more than just New England.

[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.com/news/nation/washingt..._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!!!