General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsErnst by 10 points?
I call bullshit
Brownback reelected?
More bullshit.
Some of the Republican wins I can understand... I dont like it, but I get it.
These two result just don't make sense.
Vinca
(50,303 posts)In fact, they turned her into a "sweet farm girl." She's every bit as squirrelly as Todd Akin and they let it go.
demwing
(16,916 posts)These results are some not believable. Tell me she won by 4pts, I'll choke on it, but accept it.
This race defies belief.
cali
(114,904 posts)ucrdem
(15,512 posts)Heard a lot of this last night, including locally:
Blacks Turn Out in Greater Numbers for Early Voting in Georgia
Nov 3, 2014 By Terry Shrop
http://atlantadailyworld.com/2014/11/03/black-voters-turn-out-in-greater-numbers-early-in-georgia-election-than-2010/
High Voter Turnout Expected Across Kentucky
Belinda Post
11/04/2014
http://www.wtvq.com/story/d/story/high-voter-turnout-expected-across-kentucky/40003/gz39So12FUCQHdLdxYO1Lw
High early voting numbers too. hmm...
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)Apathy was the second biggest problem with this election.
Corporate money was the first.
ucrdem
(15,512 posts)I won't be disappointed or surprised.
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)Meaning # of registered voters vs. the actual number of ballots cast.
Turnout was very, very low.
ucrdem
(15,512 posts)http://www.politicususa.com/2014/11/04/turnout-hit-20-democratic-kentucky-area.html
http://www.wtvq.com/story/d/story/high-voter-turnout-expected-across-kentucky/40003/gz39So12FUCQHdLdxYO1Lw
High early voting and election day turnout all over the country is what I was hearing.
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)LeftInTX
(25,552 posts)I also think reports tend to be anecdotal and aren't the big picture.
LonePirate
(13,431 posts)merrily
(45,251 posts)Called her a Republican rock star. A term he also applied to then Presidential candidate McCain in 2008, only in 2008, Timmeh was too inexperienced to hide his gushing enthusiasm for RW candidates. Ludicrously asserted that college students loved McCain "because he's just SO authentic."
Last night, he masked his semi-insane bias behind a somber look, but a smirk did sneak through now and again.
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)he was doing so much advertising for her.
He also said she would never commit to McConnell as SOTH and mentioned she was a Cruz follower. That should make for an interesting situation.
She will be the darling of Congress until they get to know her better. I'm sure the Koch bros. are happy with their creation. God help us in Iowa.
merrily
(45,251 posts)saw and heard the same thing I did.
And that was MSNBC, the station that pretends to be left. I don't even want to think what was on FOX last night.
rpannier
(24,338 posts)I was stunned that Rick Scott got re-elected
As to the polls showing a close race, I've seen polls get things dramatically wrong both for and against candidates I was supporting.
merrily
(45,251 posts)You KNOW they're dead, but they just keep coming at you to eat your brains.
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)--no understanding of what is 'just right' to turn out the base.
Not democratic enough to appeal to reluctant dems, and not republican enough make motivated republicans switch and make up the difference.
At least here, I think it's time to admit the opposition is entrenched in a popular culture of "me" and dems cannot shake off the identity of "we".
Maybe it's time to quit the charade and embrace our "we-ness" and look more like who the base really is. A time to quit discouraging our own and enjoy the numerical advantage that we have around popular progressive positions.
Their most popular positions are "Enable rich people to break-away wealth and hate the lazy people who eat up tax dollars",
IMO, no point for a dem to try to emulate that.
merrily
(45,251 posts)To think: supposedly the bluest state in the nation sent the slow, but greedy, Scott Brown to the United States Senate--to fill Ted's Kennedy's seat, no less.
Without Koch money, that never would have happened. They brought people in from the West Coast to show what a phenom Brown was, to create buzz for a lackluster state senator. And our bought and paid for local media played it like it was all authentic.
ucrdem
(15,512 posts)And more to come.
ladjf
(17,320 posts)The same goes for Ohio and Indiana.
demwing
(16,916 posts)but the margin
ladjf
(17,320 posts)But, in the past few years those states seem to be just some additiona red necked states joining the secessionist states.
exboyfil
(17,865 posts)Branstad is actually a pretty moderate Republican (he may be the best Republican governor in the country which isn't saying much though). My other post talks about what happened to Braley. The open House seat was always a coin flip. It actually got drowned out by the Senate campaign.
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)There are plenty of well educated & cultured people in every state, even the farthest red ones. But are all those people voting? If not, why not? If they are, do you expect they will all vote for Democrats? For those who don't, why not? We can't just insult, we have to self-reflect, learn, and change.
ladjf
(17,320 posts)won the election and that it was similar to other states with histories of voting against their best interests.
bullwinkle428
(20,630 posts)huge upset victory over the "inevitable" Hillary Clinton, so there's that!
ladjf
(17,320 posts)HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)What would you do to relieve your fellow Iowans of their ignorance?
ladjf
(17,320 posts)Senator Harkin and Lt. Gov. Pederson. Today I was just venting my disappointment that the less educated faction of the electorate carried the day. I don't think there is anything any one person could do to improve the situation. All over America the mean, crooked and greedy Republican politicians are getting voted in. Our population has been brainwashed by professional propagandists.
madville
(7,412 posts)Polls had it as a tie and then Roberts wins by 11%. McConnell was up an average of 5% in Kentucky polling, then beats Grimes by 16%. Georgia polling had their Senate seat and Governor all tied up for months, then both Republicans win by 10%.
demwing
(16,916 posts)2. The polls were wrong - across the board. | Possible, but why?
3. Fraud. | 10% aberrations across the board deserve investigation
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)The old meme that high turnout -always- favors Dems is no longer true.
The tea-party is a populist party. Its populism is largely based on the virtue of selfishness and the goodness of forcing the needy to be self-reliant or die, but that's all currently fashionable.
lancer78
(1,495 posts)but republicans did and that made a high turnout number maybe?
reports I saw stated very high turnout.
I'm interested in seeing your data...
exboyfil
(17,865 posts)thinking that Harkin's seat was going to be handed to him. He made some huge gaffs during the campaign season and never presented a coherent reason to vote for him. My wife and I voted for him - he is our Congressman, but I do not feel he earned our vote. Except for pockets of urban areas and surprisingly, the north central rural area, he was defeated across the rest of the state (think farmers who don't understand why a long time sitting Senator is not capable of chairing any committee including the Judiciary committee - say that in front of a fancy rack of booze and the image is even more terrible).
Then you have the anti-Obama head wind and the ceaseless negative ads. I can see 10 points. Even if you disagree with Ernst's politics (and there is a lot to disagree with), she does have a fine record in the military and growing up on a farm in Iowa is always a plus in this state. The big joke about castrating pigs is actually pretty serious here in Iowa where pork production is one of our leading industries.
Braley is the first national level politician i have ever interacted with. I liked him personally. His sister-in-law taught my daughters. I think he would have been a good senator (far better than the alternative), but he does not seem to be much of a campaigner. He can come back in two years and challenge Grassley for his seat. He better get a better playbook though.
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)"a long time sitting Senator is not capable of chairing any committee including the Judiciary committee"?
exboyfil
(17,865 posts)being only a farmer chairing the Judiciary committee if the Republicans won control of the Senate. It was very insulting to farmers and played a huge role in the election results.
Add to the fact he said it in front of one of the most disliked groups - trial lawyers in front of a fancy cart of booze. It was his 47% moment.
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)I thought he was supposed to be insulting farmers. Now you're saying he was just insulting Grassley, but that his insult was portrayed as an insult to farmers. What I take from this is that Democrats suck at spin. Again. Still.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Also because the senate race got close in KS it caused the gop to spend more money there.
If the senate race was not close I think Brownback would have lost.
ucrdem
(15,512 posts)By: Justin Baragona
Tuesday, November, 4th, 2014,
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/11/04/record-early-voter-turnout-iowa-good-news-democrat-bruce-braley.html
This was the story all over the country including where I live. But in Calif Dems won. Why? We've got a Dem governor and Dem Secretary of State. When that's not the case, we get "anomalous" GOP governors. Call me a conspiracist but I think it's pretty clear what's going on.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Also our candidate insulted farmers and that poisioned the well.
maced666
(771 posts)10 pts.
oh boy.
librechik
(30,676 posts)good thing there's no corrupt election officials in the exceptional nation.
libtodeath
(2,888 posts)no motherfucking way.
madville
(7,412 posts)polls have them all tied up for months, then Deal wins by 10%
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)We will have to see exactly what happened. I think Democrats did not turn out and when that happens, the gift you get for a low turnout by your party is a big win for the other side.
ucrdem
(15,512 posts)The news last night was high voter and early voter turnout all over the country including Iowa. Voters turned out.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)ucrdem
(15,512 posts)OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)The answer is more centrism" meme started yet?
You know it's coming even though there were virtually no progressive Senators running (save Merkley, who won), marijuana was legalized in OR and DC, the fetus = person amendment was defeated, and the minimum wage was raised everywhere it was on the ballot.
Yeah, progressivism is a real loser.
Bring it on Third Wayers, bring it on.
n2doc
(47,953 posts)truebrit71
(20,805 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)I mean, how fucking stupid is that?
bklyncowgirl
(7,960 posts)I've never been to Iowa but I know they have plenty of farms--and people who own them and work on them.
Orsino
(37,428 posts)Did Obama-will-kill-you-with-Mexican-MOOSlim-Ebola trump Obama-who?
Kaleva
(36,343 posts)Calista241
(5,586 posts)Kaleva
(36,343 posts)My ex, who was watching with me, told me to change the channel as she couldn't stand her laugh.
DesMoinesDem
(1,569 posts)I know a lot of people here just dismissed the poll because they didn't like the numbers, but rational people knew she was going to win, possibly by a lot.
BTW, Erst won by 8.5%, not 10%
librechik
(30,676 posts)cuz we've had em for decades and nobody has made a single move to get rid of them.
librechik
(30,676 posts)I overstated when I said nobody is doing anything. I meant no one is doing anything significant as yet.