I will be outsourcing my column today because somebody explained the Nevada Senate race in a much better manner than I could.
Going into the election, Sharron Angle had a 3 point lead over Harry Reid, yet he won by about 6 points. Yes, there was some corruption that will be dismissed as aberrations because liberals are noble and virtuous, so lying, cheating, and stealing is allowed. I am curious as to why the voting machines already were marked for Harry Reid. I am also interested in that SEIU criminals are the ones entrusted to “fix” them. They may have fixed them, but in a different kind of way. The fix was in.
I have done events with Sharron Angle, and she is a lovely person. Harry Reid, while professional in dealing with me personally, has a mean streak in him that is sad to watch.
Yet nobody respects sour grapes, so I am going to turn my column over today to somebody who is not a donkey or elephant. Wayne Root was the 2008 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, with former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr heading the ticket.
I have met Wayne more than once. He is a good guy, a family man, and a successful entrepreneur. He built a sportsbook business in Las Vegas from the ground up, and his policy proposals are sensible.
He lives in Nevada and understands politics. With that, I present the wisdom of Wayne Root on the Nevda Senate race.
http://www.rootforamerica.com/
Harry Reid won because:
A) Casino bosses DESPERATELY need him in his position of power (U.S. Senate Majority Leader)…so much so that even many Republican casino CEO’s in Las Vegas conspired to get him a victory….and appeared in TV ads for him…and bussed their 100,000 union employees to polls…reportedly with “suggested vote guides” in their hands.
B) Teachers unions reportedly offered $25 Starbucks gift cards to every teacher in the state…and literally gave every teacher Friday, Monday & Tuesday off for once a year “teachers conferences” so every teacher could vote Democrat to make sure they all keep their jobs…and obscene pensions…and also get future obscene raises in a depression.
C) Hispanic workers by the thousands were bussed to polls by Democrats and unions (but I repeat myself) to vote for Reid. How do I know? Because Reid was down by 4 in every poll…but won by 5. That’s a 9 point swing. Nevada Republican Congressional candidate Dr. Joe Heck was up by 10 points in polls. He won by less than 1% (in upset over Democratic Congresswoman Dina Titus)- a swing of 9 points too (even though the Republican hung on). But interestingly the Hispanic GOP candidate for Governor Brian Sandoval won by double digits over Harry Reid’s own son. So it’s pretty obvious what happened. Hispanics voted a straight Democrat ticket- except for the Hispanic Republican candidate for Governor. Hispanics were obviously the key to the election.
Now to a little truthful criticism and self-analysis of a Tea Party defeat:
Republicans blew it.
Angle did not run a good campaign.
She avoided the press- and it’s time for conservatives to COURT the media, not demonize it, or run from it. There is no choice- learn to live with the media, because you can’t live without it.
The Nevada GOP is non-existent, dis-organized, rudderless, leader-less, and in decline. It provides no help to GOP candidates.
Angle did not have a strong “get out the vote” organization on the ground. The Angle Team (and the Nevada GOP) did not understand the importance of getting out the vote- it’s more important than any visible aspect of a campaign.
They did not understand how to attract Hispanic votes. And they had better learn fast if they want to win any future elections. Hispanics are good people, family is their foundation, there are many Hispanic small business owners, and Hispanics should be part of the conservative movement. Conservatives and Tea Parties must learn how to communicate with and win over Hispanic voters or risk becoming obsolete.
I would like to thank Wayne Root for breaking things down in a crystal clear easy to understand manner. It will not take away the fact that the results are awful, but analysis should be about facts, not opinions.
eric
The Hispanic vote is far more important than most Republcan pols, pundits and voters realize.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704017904575409300064389276.html
There will be a lot more Hispanic voters come 2012, too. The 2006 election had latinos moving toward the Democrats, having a lot to do with the result.
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/402/images/Latino-Party-Affiliation.gif
As Medved points out in the former link, even if only a quarter or so of white voters vote to relect Obama, he could still win again in ’12.
The American demographic has changed. As much as white nationalists don’t like it, that is a fact of life. Free Trade and Cheap Labor Conservatism are bringing a blowback to the conservative voters. While people like me couldn’t care less about the racial make-up of America, the base of the Republican party and conservative voters have a visceral distaste for people of non-European ethnicities. If Republican pols choose embrace immigration, they will alienate their base, and lose all the more.
Whatever cheap-shot excuses pudits and pols may have for certain losses this year, the fact of the matter is that those losses directly coincide with rabid anti-immigrant campaigns.
Make up your mind, Republican pols and pundits – do you still really want to lay in that bed next to the white nationalists?
JMJ
Oh! I should elaborate – “Whatever cheap-shot excuses pudits and pols may have for certain losses this year, the fact of the matter is that those losses directly coincide with rabid anti-immigrant campaigns in districts and states where the minority population is relatively high.”
Oops!
JMJ
“the base of the Republican party and conservative voters have a visceral distaste for people of non-European ethnicities.’
What crock of poo.
When the hell are you morons going to get it thru your thick skulls that the race card doesnt work anymore ? Thats why you lost. You played it over and over because its all you had in the face of massive collosal failure…no one bought it.
Case and point;
” do you still really want to lay in that bed next to the white nationalists?”
Rejecting your coddling and bribing of minorities does not make us racists
Its like the kid whos failing cuz hes a jerk off and crys saying the teacher doesnt like him.
No, you’re just used to the last teacher giving everyone a A for showing up
I told you 2 years ago your stuff wouldnt work and that your game was plain to see. First thing you did was call me a bigot and racist.
I have posted several times that its all about numbers. This
election confirms more than anything, I could say about why we Republicans MUST widen our umbrella, somehow.
I dont have the answers frankly to including more Hispanics.
They are, like the blacks, and Asians, very diverse groups.
I can relate a conversation 3 years ago with a supermarket employee,
from South America, who gave me insights into Latin cultural differences
and, also, enmities, as well as religious practices.
Mexian Hispanics are not like other Hispanics. Puerto Ricans on
the East Coast do not in any way resemble Mexicans.
But when it comes to voting, its obvious where their loyalties lie.
Many local Hispancs are not thrilled with illegals. Yet, they will defend them
when confronted with this problem.
The Latin maid who made so much notoriety, helped unite Hispanics
for the Democrats. Unfortuneatley, Meg responded to this
unusal occurrance poorly. She should have said simply, ” I dont know,
and will look into it after the election”. She should NOT have fired her maid,
assuming she knew she would run for office and spend 130m dollars.
However, she also did not tell the voters what the real Jerry Brown is,
a flower child of the 60s, who rose to power on his family’s name.
Jerry was NOT his father. Jerry almost destroyed this state.
Meg had everything going for her, but the numbers.
Barbara Boxer has Westside money, and the numbers.
She is a clever politician.
She also voted twice againt getting rid of Saddam.
If the war had ended, Fiorina could have used this against her,
plus her reluctance over funding for the military.
I am sorry to say, but Fioria also, made many mistakes,
mainly of omission.
For 40 years, the Republicans have been relocating elsewhere..replaced
by those who believe ( falsely) that the Demcrats are better for them.
A state such as California, with a GDP greater than 98% of the planets
nations, should not be close to bankruptcy. Its that simple folks.
California bas become a third world country, in name and appearance.
Whether the demographics change in the future, I dont know?
Its time to make our state attractive to everyone. Its time
to deport everyone who is here illegally. and really begin
to end the erosion. I am not a bigot, just someone who believes
in law and order and the rule of law.
Again, I want to point out, I am not a bigot.
A friend told me months ago, that the USA should not break up families..just to deport illegals. He also said that illegals do not harm anyone, and add to the (Calif) culture, as well as employment.
I reminded him that he and his parents were in DP camps after WW2, having been relocated by the Russians from Poland to Siberia, before
the border was closed (500,000 other Poles were similarly transferred, many not surviving the war).
He and his parents were allowed entry into the USA and became
good citizens. They worked throughout their lifetime, never forgetting
the benefits they fortunately received here.
But, they were here legally…they added to the economy, and did not
take a job otherwise meant for a US citizen born here.
There are over 2m illegals in California, and 3m unemployed.
Get the picture?
Meg made a mistake in pitting groups against one another. In the
end, they united, and she lost, and lost big time.
Many years ago, an amnesty was offerred illegals in the US.
At that time, there were about 3-5m. A few did apply, but most
didnt.
Now, years latger, there are over 11m.
As one commented in the opinion section of todays LA Times,
its not about how one looks, its about being legal and illegal.
I agreed.
Now we read that Nancy Pelosi, will be voted as minority whip
of the House. That with other liberals, and Reid, and perhaps
a change in the White House staff, the Democratic debacle will
not be as bad as thought.
But okay, both parties want SALT, to reduce nukes….to
a liveable amount.
Liveable amount?
Hey guys, one thermonuclear explosion over LA and its all over
but the fire storm. A good sized hydrogen bomb can take out
all of NYCity,including its buildings. And they arent made of
stucco.
From my perch, I would suggest the Republicans strive for
policies which appeal to the Independents, the 3rd force in
politics, and increasing, starting with the economy, less government,
more for defense, and the absolute reversal of socialized medicine.
I would however, model a health care system for those uninsured
or not able to afford insurance..after Kaiser Permanente.
Perhaps a hospital in each state not covered now..with contracting
out to private medical providers. Think about it. Financing
could be spread over their existing members, state and federal governments, and the patients themelves. The providers, getting
a windfall, could also contribute by lowering their fees.
One source of financing would be to add a surtax on the retirees
benefits (pensions) in each state..lets say 2%. That is what I call
spreading the responsibility.
Food for thought?
Or, we could ask the oil nations to chip in..giving back some of the
petro dollars they earn from US and OPEC.