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Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Warner Defeats Bush!!

The Moose celebrates the donkey sweep.

The unraveling of the Bush era proceeded apace yesterday with Democratic victories in the Governor races in Virginia and New Jersey. If you add the defeat of the Terminator's initiatives in California, the Democratic victory was bi-costal. Most of all, the Democratic triumphs are a testimony that the energy in the Democratic Party lies in the Governors' mansions.

In both red and blue states, Democrats are consolidating power in the offices of the Chief Executive. Just as the energy in the Republican Party of the '90s was with the Governor's, that is similarly true with the donkey today. Governors will lay the groundwork to take back Washington, D.C. for the Democrats in '08 just as their Republican counterparts did for their party in the 2000 election.

Democratic Governors are, by and large, New Democratic centrists and they may very well produce the next President of the United States. It has happened before.

The only GOP good news was in the Big Apple where Mayor Mike won by a large margin. In contrast to the President, in the aftermath of 9/11, Bloomberg governed in a non-partisan fashion and won by a large majority in a Democratic dominated town. How unRove-like and refreshing!

But don't be fooled by the Republican spin - President Bush has reverse coattails. GOP candidates in '06 will be distancing themselves from the leader of their party since he is perceived as a carrier of the political equivalent of the bird flu. And V.P. D.C. is to the Republican Party what T.O. is to the Philadelphia Eagles. As the Bushies go back for a refresher course at the Karl Rove School of Ethics , the country is turning its back on their corrupt, plutocratic rule.

Look for a White House intervention by the Bushie Consigliere, Jimmy Baker. Undoubtedly, a 911 call has gone out from Kennebunkport pleading, "Houston, we have a problem." Junior's Administration may be put in receivership. In retrospect, it is ironic that the Chapter 11 President signed the bankruptcy reform bill.

In contrast to W. and D.C., Mark Warner is a red hot commodity - Democrats will be falling over themselves to get some of his mojo. Yesterday, in the critical showdown, Warner defeated Bush, indeed.

While there is always a tendency to over-interpret these off-year elections, there is an important message from yesterday's vote. The hope and future for the Democratic Party is not primarily in the U.S. Capitol, but mainly in the state capitals.

From Helena to Des Moines to Santa Fe to Richmond to many places in between, there is joy in the land.
-- Posted at 8:23 AM | Link to this post | Email this post