Election results: GOP wins in NJ, VA, loss in NY

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Republican Chris Christy beat out incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine in New Jersey; in Virginia, moderate Republican Bob McDonald won. And in the special Congressional election in New York, Democratic candidate Bill Owens won after one of his challengers, moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava, dropped out of the race and campaigned for him. Scozzafava said the rhetoric in race was becoming too divisive and too hateful — especially when Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh weighed in.

“Washington Post” columnist Robert McCartney says the people in Virginia were voting on local issues, but there were hints of national rebuke.

“It was mainly a vote about jobs and the economy, taxes, transportation and education on local issues. I think those were most important, but there definitely was a national factor in the race. The Republican repeatedly tried to link his Democratic opponent to the policies of the national Democratic party in Washington. Especially big spending, deficit spending, cap and trade legislation.”

Virginia is the classic purple state said McCartney. “It has gone Democratic in the last two governors races, and famously it went Democratic for Obama in the presidential race last year for the first time since 1964.”

The scene in New Jersey was all about incumbent Jon Corzine’s shortcomings.

WNYC reporter Bob Hennelly says Corzine was not great at politicking. “He went from the CEO of Goldman Sachs to the Senate for five years, which is a kind of solitary profession, even though you’re with 100 individuals. He was never really good with retail politics.”

In New York’s 23rd, weeks of drama culminated in a Democrat taking the historically red congressional district.

Brian Mann, a reporter with North Country Public Radio, says the Republican party may have shot themselves in the foot in New York’s 23rd when they endorsed conservative Republican Doug Hoffman over moderate Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava.

“Dede Scozzafava had the last revenge. She was kicked out of this race, kicked down the stairs by the Republican party. She pivoted and endorsed the Democrat, campaigned hard for him in the final days, and in a very narrow election, that may have made the difference.”

Mann adds that, aside from the drama, New York was an example of the importance of grounded campaigning in local elections.

“What we saw yesterday, in addition to all the drama, was a very mundane, down-to-earth, grounded labor union movement.

“I think Republicans and maybe conservatives too … are going to have to look at this and say how do we get back to the nuts and-bolts of how do you win a local elections. And the ideological stuff, you know it’s exciting, it gets you on Fox News; but does it win to what amounts to a local race?”

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