America’s bipolar political disorder
The “story” out of the recent governors’ races in Virginia and New Jersey is that independents “moved over” into the Republican camp.
The idea that they are showing displeasure with Obama or the public option or cap-and-trade is ludicrous. They simply preferred the Republican candidate in a state-level contest.
Certainly in the case of New Jersey, it was not because they wanted to vote for a Republican to send Democrats a message. Former prosecutor Chris Christie was a plausible candidate in a state pained by indemic corruption. The Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine, meanwhile, had not performed particularly well in a very difficult time.
But putting such political dissections aside, isn’t it odd that between elections decided by independents, independents have almost no presence on the squawk shows. It’s always Fred from the Right or Lilly from the Left. Independents are quirky and they have no choir, only millions of voices singing their own songs.
Tags: Democrats, independents, New Jersey, Republicans
November 6th, 2009 at 8:36 am
David Brooks makes the same point in his op-ed piece today, that independents are not represented by think-tanks, and are left to fend for themselves, which they do by switching sides.
November 6th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
“It’s always Fred from the Right or Lilly from the Left.”
I’m told that it makes for ‘good’ TV, having tin-foil hat screaming at someone who’s foaming at the mouth. It certainly does give a distorted picture of any situation.
I’m not sure about Virginia, but Governor Corzine lost his election more than Gov-elect Christie won. And if New Jersey is true to form, all that will change is that Republicans will be the ones indicted for corruption this time around instead of the current Democrats.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Vivek, I completely agree with David Brooks on this.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Peter, I make the same reading of the New Jersey race.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
so, the independents will keep throwing the bums out till the message starts to sink in…
January 20th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
I call it a bipolar political disease which makes the electorate vote for the other party so that the President’s are tied.