Farewell to the Northeastern Nice Republicans

[mmcirvin]

A large part of what's happening tonight is that the Northeast is kicking out, or failing to replace in kind, its elected Nice Republicans (except for Olympia Snowe and a couple of incumbent governors). It's kind of sad to see these people go, as it was pleasant to think that the Republican Party might have some sane politicians in it; but all in all they'd outstayed their welcome, especially the Congresspeople, acting as legislative stalking horses who for a time allowed the Bush Administration to rule by decree. They were relics of a model of bipartisan governance that was already dead.

Even locally, Nice Republicans provided national Republican politicians with campaign assistance and eroded the base of Democrats available for higher office. In Massachusetts, a series of Nice Republican governors (starting with Bill Weld, who I'd have voted for in a second against John Silber, had I been registered here at the time) were the wedge that got Mitt Romney into office. Liberal Northeasterners who once prided themselves on their nonpartisan high-mindedness are now better off without these people. It's an article of faith among many Americans that only idiots vote straight party tickets, but some years, a straight party ticket really is a good idea.

Vermont is a peculiar case: the seat being vacated by a retiring Nice-Republican-turned-Democratic-caucusing-Independent is passing to a socialist-Democratic-caucusing-Independent.





...Oh my God, Webb's ahead now in Virginia. By 2700 votes. Some crazy scary fun is a-brewing back in my old stomping grounds.

Comments

[sunburn.livejournal.com]

Last I heard, a little later than this post, was NPR reporting Webb ahead by 1500 with 13 unreported precincts.

[aderack.livejournal.com]

Olympia Snowe will have to be ousted with industrial hardware, if she's ever going to leave. It's kind of confusing, considering how otherwise progressive Maine tends to be!

[aderack.livejournal.com]

Not that she's terrible. It's just, golly. Why can't she be unelected?

We're TRYING

[vardissakheli.livejournal.com]

to kick out the less nice Republicans who have already replaced the nice Republicans, too. But Sue Kelly insists on kicking and screaming until the last absentee ballot is counted.

In Vermont, I bet three little words made a big difference: Alliance @ IBM.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

Whoo! Look for the union label!