Your daily jolt: Republicans absorb Tuesday’s lessons
The message from last night: The dynamics of Georgia politics haven’t changed much in four years. Republican Mitt Romney on Tuesday won this state (53.4 percent) by nearly the same margin as John McCain (52 percent) in 2008.
Here’s the county-by-county map of last night’s returns.
In fact, with the exception of D.C.-infected Virginia, Republicans won every state in the Old Confederacy, and a few border concerns besides. But 206 electoral votes won’t win you a presidency. Elsewhere, the GOP clearly needs to recalculate its audience and its message.
Republicans had bet the demographic changes measured in countless surveys and the 2010 census wouldn’t show up at the polls. They were wrong. The quick and simple from the Associated Press:
In exit polling Tuesday, voters mirrored the voting public’s makeup of four years ago, when Obama shattered minority voting barriers and drove young voters to the polls unlike any candidate in generations.
White voters made up 72 percent of the electorate — less than four years ago — while black voters remained at 13 percent and Hispanics increased from 9 percent to 10 percent.
That flew in the face of GOP assumptions that the fierce economic headwinds of the past three years and the passing of the novelty of the first African-American president would trim Obama’s support from black voters, perhaps enough to make the difference in a close election.
However, Obama carried Virginia, the heart of the old South, in part by having increased his record support from black voters there in 2008, which reached 18 percent, to more than 20 percent, according to Obama campaign internal tracking polls.
On CNN this morning, former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich simply said “I was wrong” when he predicted a 53 percent victory margin for Romney:
Said Gingrich:
“We all thought that we understood the historical pattern and the fact that, with this level of unemployment, with this level of gasoline pricing, what would happen….The country was looking at a different set of things than we were looking at.”
The miscalculations and misstatements – both Todd Akin in Missouri and Richard Mourdock in Indiana lost their Republicans campaigns – cost the GOP control of the U.S. Senate. Again, from AP:
In a somber statement, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Republicans “have a period of reflection and recalibration ahead.” He added that, “While some will want to blame one wing of the party over the other, the reality is candidates from all corners of our GOP lost tonight.”
Some will declare that Republicans were beaten because they weren’t conservative enough. A message from Jenny Beth Martin, the Cherokee County woman who heads up Tea Party Patriots, arrived just before midnight. It included this:
What we got was a weak moderate candidate, hand-picked by the Beltway elites and country-club establishment wing of the Republican Party. The Presidential loss is unequivocally on them….
We cannot change what the Republican establishment handed us tonight. We can stop Barack Obama from fundamentally changing the future and character of this nation. We can stop the mushy-middle, non-fighters in the GOP from rolling over and getting rolled, yet again by the Left.
Or you can simply move on. This voice mail from Republican Joe McCutchen, who lived and breathed Mitt Romney for 18 months, arrived this morning:
”I’m sorry about Mitt, but I’ve already gone to work on the next two-year election. I’m happy about my nephew Hunter winning. We’re going to take over the Senate in 2014. I’ve already started to work on the next election.”
***
In the passage of Amendment One the charter school measure, five counties in metro Atlanta provided 62 percent of the 625,133 margin of victory:
– DeKalb: Yes, by 81,784 votes;
– Cobb: Yes, by 83,204 votes;
– Gwinnett: Yes, by 74,626 votes;
– Fulton: Yes, by 111,733 votes;
– Clayton: Yes, by 39,503.
We’ve received one estimate that the charter school measure won approximately 65 percent of the African-American vote in DeKalb, 64 percent in Fulton, and 72 percent in Clayton. This despite concerted opposition from the likes of the Rev. Joe Lowery; state Sen. Emanuel Jones of Decatur, chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus; and state Sen. Vincent Fort of Atlanta.
This was the result that TSPLOST supporters wanted, but couldn’t get. Here’s a link to the county-by-county map of the returns.
***
A review of other Georgia contests worth noting this morning:
– Both Republican incumbents on the state Public Service Commission won re-election. Chuck Eaton (52 percent) beat Stephen Openheimer (43 percent), with Libertarian Brad Ploeger taking 5 percent. Notice that the results roughly mirrored the presidential contest.
Stan Wise (66 percent) beat David Staples, who ended the evening as the state’s most popular Libertarian, with 34 percent – or more than 1 million votes.
– Democratic incumbent John Barrow finished off Lee Anderson with 54 percent in the 12th District congressional race.
***
Republican challenger Hunter Hill beat Democratic incumbent Doug Stoner in the race for District 6 state Senate seat. But Republicans will have to wait for a runoff and special general election contest in District 30 before they can claim a supermajority in the Senate.
State Rep. Bill Hembree, R-Winston, narrowly missed (48 percent) winning outright, and will face Republican Mike Dugan (24 percent) in December. The winner must still face an independent in January. Former House speaker Glenn Richardson finished third (15 percent) in the District 30 contest.
So the count in the Senate is 37 Republicans, 18 Democrats, and one race yet to be decided.
Members of the new Republican Senate caucus will meet next week in south Georgia at Little Ocmulgee State Park to pick a new leadership team. Do not overlook the fact that, at one GOP celebration last night, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle was introduced by state Sen. David Shafer, R-Duluth, who is likely to be elected Senate president pro tem.
***
Democrats this morning claim they have blocked a GOP supermajority in the state House, keeping Republicans to 119 seats of 180. Among those races:
– In House District 12, Democratic incumbent Barbara Reece of Menlo lost to Republican Eddie Lumsden (51 percent).
– In House District 16: Republican Trey Kelley trounced (69 percent) Democratic incumbent Rick Crawford of Cedartown, who had promised to switch to the GOP if re-elected.
– In House District 81, Democratic incumbent Scott Holcomb defeated (56 percent) Republican Chris Boedeker.
– In House District 96: Democratic incumbent Pedro Marin survived (55 percent) a GOP challenge from Mark Williams, who was hospitalized during a portion of the campaign.
– In House District 105: Republican Joyce Chandler of Lawrenceville defeated (51 percent) Democrat Renita Hamilton for an open seat.
– In House District 138: Republican Mike Cheokas of Americus barely survived (50.64 percent) a Democratic challenge from Kevin Brown.
– In House District 145: Independent incumbent Rusty Kidd (54 percent) defeated Democrat Quentin Howell. Despite their effort to knock him off, Democrats say Kidd’s presence in the House– plus their 60 members — deprives the GOP of supermajority status.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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335 comments Add your comment
Aquagirl
November 7th, 2012
1:19 pm
I’m getting a kick out of the neo-cons on here who all up in arms talking about “America is dying a slow death” and all that jazz.
The inner drama queen is bustin’ out all over. Let it all out guys or you’ll be prancing in front of RuPaul before you know it.
William Smith
November 7th, 2012
1:21 pm
Barry Goldwater voted against the Civil Rights Act in 1964. This was to bring the conservative south to the Republican Party. Now to keep the ultra right wing south the GOP is losing in every other part of America.
Maybe the GOP should endorse the Dream Act run the south off again and get back in the game.
JP
November 7th, 2012
1:21 pm
As a Republican I am very concerned about my party. I am sure Limbaugh and Erikson will tell everyone that the reason we lost was because we weren’t conservative enough. Lunacy. As if single females in the upper midwest and latinos in Colorado looked at the ballott yesterday and said “I don’t like Obama, but the Repulican candidate is too moderate. So I’ll vote for Obama.” What planet are you people living on? We better put the immigraion issue behind us, give those here a path to citizenship, and for god’s sake, drop the issue of abortion as a national political issue. It has been settled law now for almost 50 years. Get the hell over it. If we don’t do those two things, we are done. In two or three election cycles we are in danger of no longer having Texas in the bag if we don’t bring in Latinos. If that happens, we will be a permnent minority party. Deal with it.
RGB
November 7th, 2012
1:21 pm
You lefties got exactly what you wanted.
Here’s a preview of the next four years:
Higher taxes on everybody
More regulations
More unemployed
Much more debt
More people on food stamps
More people on Social Security disability
More welfare spending
More government spending
More reduced rate loans to produce more college grads who cannot find a job
More demonization of business
Fewer doctors accepting new patients
More doctors retiring
More hospitals closing
Longer wait time for health care (MD, diagnostics, surgery)
Decreased access to healthcare
Higher healthcare prices
Higher insurance premiums
Higher inflation
Higher gasoline prices
Higher electricity rates
Higher food prices
Longer depression of housing prices
More foreclosures
More abortions
Higher incidence of child abuse and spousal abuse
More “free” contraceptives
More gays in the military
More gay “marriages”
More taxpayer “green energy” fiascos
More negative ROI high-speed rail projects
More shovel-ready jobs at $578,000 each
Fewer ships, planes, bullets, and troops for the military
Fewer allies
More countries ruled by Muslim extremists
Less investment by private business
More layoffs
More business closings
Fewer business creations
Fewer business expansions
More division by party, race, religion, income, and sexual orientation
Higher incidence of depression and suicide
More attacks on Americans overseas
More terrorist attacks in our homeland
Less religious freedom
Rampant criticism of Christianity
Smaller cars
Smaller homes
Smaller families
Higher prevalence of uneducated people who require government assistance
Higher incidence of non-English-speaking people
A lower standard of living
Diminution of America’s standing in the world by other countries
You voted for it and now YOU own it.
Auntie Christ
November 7th, 2012
1:21 pm
The Central Scrutinizer
November 7th, 2012
12:51 pm
We have seen the last of America as we know it…
cc
November 7th, 2012
12:47 pm
I was wrong.
I placed my faith in an America that no longer exists,
************************************************
You and the rest on here and elsewhere echoing this thought are exactly right, the America ruled by the angry, white, bible-thumping, homophobic male is gone with the wind. Finally, thankfully. At your own risk and detriment, keep nominating those who preach divisiveness, exclusion and stereotypes of lazy Black and Hispanic folks living off the hard-working White man. You will continue to be marginalized, and your days of influence outside of anything but rural, backward enclaves is over. So many of your ilk are threatening to “go galt.” Please do, and do it quickly. You’ll be shocked at how well we prosper without you.
This aint gloating, this is cold, hard facts. Get over it.
Donkey Kong
November 7th, 2012
1:25 pm
Don’t forget Democrat Kim Alexander beat Republican Bob Snelling in Ga House District 66. A big upset in Douglas/Paulding counties.
DJ Sniper
November 7th, 2012
1:26 pm
So true Hopper. All this whining and carrying on about how many stupid people voted and how America is on the decline is par for the course with them.
Hopper
November 7th, 2012
1:26 pm
RGB, get real, sir. Your narrow attitude and falsehoods show why the GOP lost. What you write is baloney, the ravings of a loser. Grow up; the country will endure in spite of you
On My Way
November 7th, 2012
1:27 pm
Thanks for the quote from Jenny Beth Martin. It meshes nicely with the statement that Republicans can’t win the White House by just winning the Old Confederacy. And that’s what this woman represents.
spec
November 7th, 2012
1:27 pm
Thanks Vince, it’s people with your thought process that cripple the Republican Party, God Bless you and We Need More Like YOU!
Bobby
November 7th, 2012
1:27 pm
Jenny Beth Martin represents what is so wrong with the GOP today. There are many GOP candidates who can win fiscally conservative votes without impeding on social issues. As long as Jenny Martin and the GOP only want white heterosexual male votes, they will continue losing and eventually become a party of true insignificance. Martin needs to take the log out of her eye.
Nopper
November 7th, 2012
1:28 pm
Obama would win in a landslide in Europe, Cuba, Venezuela and Kenya……
Spec
November 7th, 2012
1:30 pm
@RGB, well GWB can’t run again, you’ve painted a picture of America 2000 to 2008!
MR
November 7th, 2012
1:31 pm
The people of America showed Romney that they did not want an arrogant, out of touch, self centered jerk as President. He now has all the time he needs to resume doing what he probably does best, standing in front of a mirror and saying how great he is.
Auntie Christ
November 7th, 2012
1:31 pm
Patriot #1
November 7th, 2012
1:14 pm
It was a tragic day for the US. One day the morons and deadbeats who voted for Democrats will understand the consequences, but it will be too late to save the country then.
**************************************
It was a stupid comment when you posted it at 1:03. Did you think it would be less stupid if you posted it again?
DJ Sniper
November 7th, 2012
1:37 pm
RGB’s last comment is full of statements that can easily be disproven. He is doing nothing but parroting the same laundry list of talking points that that GOP has been drilling home for the past 4 years.
Ga Noid
November 7th, 2012
1:38 pm
ps the blue states are net financial givers, the red states financial takers, how about that?
Auntie Christ
November 7th, 2012
1:39 pm
RGB
November 7th, 2012
1:21 pm
Good job on listing those pox news talking points. You forgot to mention though the plague of frogs, incurable boils, rivers running red with blood, locusts, hail and thunder, and death of the first born
Brad
November 7th, 2012
1:41 pm
self reliance and personal responsibility lost last night.
deegee
November 7th, 2012
1:41 pm
That was funny, RGB. Your prediction for a higher incidence of depression and suicide started around 11:00 last night.
gsb
November 7th, 2012
1:42 pm
I’m reading and hearing over and over that it was “demographics” that defeated M. R. and elected Obama. That is of course nonsense. The demographics are what they are, and did not change at the last minute. The fact is that the Republican party adopted positions and policies that are unappealing to the majority of citizens, and no amount of rich man’s money could overcome that fatal flaw.
Auntie Christ
November 7th, 2012
1:42 pm
Nopper
November 7th, 2012
1:28 pm
Obama would win in a landslide in Europe, Cuba, Venezuela and Kenya……
You’re so right, but the only thing that matters is he won in the USA! Get over it!
mv
November 7th, 2012
1:42 pm
Hey Robert E. Lee. Any state that wants to secede should. That’s less federal money spent on a lost cause. Go for it.
Hollywould
November 7th, 2012
1:43 pm
@llgary, blacks account for 55% of spending. Are you insane or just delusional with your rambling?
Donna P.
November 7th, 2012
1:43 pm
Obama’s victory is only going to hurt his supporters in the long run. Companies will have to lay off workers to accommodate Obamacare costs. Doctors won’t be taking new Medicare patients. I saw many people crying last night during his acceptance speech. It’s too bad they didn’t stop to think what was going to happen in his next four years and how every American will be adversely affected.
gsb
November 7th, 2012
1:48 pm
To Donna P…
So it would be better to go back to the 1950s per Mitt Romney and the Republican’s vision of America. If so I hope you have your dish towel and apron ready, and take off those shoes!
deegee
November 7th, 2012
1:49 pm
I’m anxious to hear the Romney campaign post mortem over the next few weeks. I understand that Mitt the Twit took a hands-on approach to the daily operations, i.e., Clint Eastwood taking the spotlight at the convention. If this is true, we can certainly be happy that he lost. The last thing we need is someone that can’t leave it up to the experts to do their job. Mitt was certainly no expert at politics. Some of the smartest businessmen are the stupidest SOBs when it comes to politics.
WorriedAbouttheFuture
November 7th, 2012
1:53 pm
Frankly, I don’t like either party. I always feel like I vote for the lesser of two evils. I am not a fan of the Democratic Party nor Obama because many of their/his ideals are too “socialist” in nature for me. While I am all for safety nets for the truly needy, by in large, I hate the new healthcare legislation and am worried we have yet to see how it will impact the nation. For instance, for the life of me, I cannot understand why a 26-year-old should be considered a dependent and can/must be covered under the new healthcare legislation…At 26, I had graduated from college, was married, was working, and had bought my first house without any help from family! My company has had to fork out several hundred thousand dollars to cover this new group of dependents.
I also think Obama has worked very hard to start a class warefare, especially along racial lines, and that scares me. If American is going to become a great nation again, we all must work together whether we are black or white, rich or poor…While I don’t consider myself to be poor, I don’t exactly think I am rich. But, I don’t begrudge the wealth that others have as long as they have worked hard to earn what they have and its not my business to determine this… I don’t expect these folks to hand over half of what they have to me just because they have more.
On the other hand, I like the concern the Democratic Party seems to have for the environment. Global warming is real and it has to at least be partially caused by mankind. We are only going to see more and more of the massive, destructive storms like Sandy as the years roll on. We need to start doing something now about global warming or its only going to get worse. We need the EPA and goverment regulations to keep companies in check when it comes to emissions, etc.
With regard to the Republican Party, I like many of their economic and foreign policies (though we should never have gone to war with Iraq…big, costly mistake) but hate how they constantly inject rape, their social ideolgy, etc. into politics. As a woman, I find much of their rhetoric frightening…Women are not farm animals and we can get pregnant when we are raped! Over the years, they have let right wing nutjobs hijack the party from the middle and its got to stop or the whole GOP is doomed.
I feel like I am a middle of the road voter without anyone I can vote for…Today is not the time for Democrats to celebrate Obama’s victory nor is it it a time for Republicans to start campaigning for the next election…it’s time to get to work bringing this country together and working on real solutions that will benefit all American citizens.
honested
November 7th, 2012
1:54 pm
Donna P.
Au contraire.
I am planning to HIRE more employees now that I have access to a greater number of insurance alternatives.
Now if we could only get a Public Option and be free from the bony grasp of the for-profit health insurance industry, that hiring could increase further.
You see, covering the healthcare costs of Employees is and always has been A COST OF DOING BUSINESS!
Arlito
November 7th, 2012
1:54 pm
Now, Miss Jenny Beth! What are you doin’ back out of bed?! Did you take your medications? You jus’ go lie down like the nice doctors said.
East Cobb RINO, Inc. (LLC)
November 7th, 2012
1:55 pm
Mitt will approach the post mortem the same way any CEO would….blame the underlings.
Donna P.
November 7th, 2012
1:56 pm
GSP; how was Mitt taking America back to the 1950’s? Women are so stupid if they thought that.
honested
November 7th, 2012
1:58 pm
And, to the text and video of the article, can we just forget that noot getrich exists?
He is always wrong and has nothing of value to add to the discussion.
If either party bases their policies and strategy on those with nothing to offer, how can anyone be surprised when the result is a massive failure?
Donna P.
November 7th, 2012
1:58 pm
Honested, your insurance costs will be enormous under Obamacare. Glad you think you will be able to hire more employees. Georgia hasn’t even started their state exchange yet.
deegee
November 7th, 2012
2:01 pm
Another interesting statistic is that there are only 8 percentage points separating Obama and Romney in Georgia. If you look at the county map you can see that there is a potential for that swath of real estate that extends from Augusta to Columbus to turn completely blue. Gwinnett, Meriwether and Henry counties are now peach rather than red. It might not be too long before Georgia is a swing state.
http://www.bing.com/elections/state?q=elections+2012+presidential+ga&form=MSNEL6&state=ga#13001
Bobby
November 7th, 2012
2:03 pm
@Donna P. The US will survive just fine. We will continue to move forward in the correct direction the next four years.
Scott
November 7th, 2012
2:08 pm
The Republicans lost, but won 57 milion votes out of 117 million voters. The GOP controls the House and is close in the Senate. There are more Republicsn State Governors than Democrats. To act as if the entire GOP message must be changed is wrong. Half our country votes GOP.
llgary
November 7th, 2012
2:13 pm
That long list of what democrats voted for is crazy. Just SS disability alone – first do you even know the process and trust me paying someone 1200-1600 is not making the debt go any higher let alone allowing someone to live off of it. SS denies more claims then you ever know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Party of One
November 7th, 2012
2:13 pm
What is a secular, fiscal conservative, anti-public sector union, pro-science guy supposed to do? The party of Michael Moore and the party of Mike Huckabee don’t represent me.
BoPeep
November 7th, 2012
2:14 pm
I agree that the GOP needs to embrace how diversified the demographics are in the country now. It’s not enough to pretend you care about poor people by showing up and washing two pots! The sad thing is Paul Ryan will probably never return to that soup kitchen…EVER!!!!
The Central Scrutinizer
November 7th, 2012
2:14 pm
To Auntie…half the country voted against this person. Some mandate, huh? I respect your right to express your opinion as well as your right to disagree with me. For now, at least, I have the same rights. Keep the racist garbage to yourself. You are your “ilk” are why there will never be constructive cooperation in this country.
Stop all the crying
November 7th, 2012
2:15 pm
Living in GA with all the bigots, rednecks, and racist is so funny. I hear people talking about how they are going to move out the county and go to Europe. LMAO!!!
Doug
November 7th, 2012
2:16 pm
The GOP needs to figure out how to get the uneducated women vote.
Coleman Frazier
November 7th, 2012
2:16 pm
All you knuckle-draggin’ mouth-breathin’ Southern Republican cancers might as well form your own party because you 100% certainly will become the scapegoat for the national party.
You ruin everything with your sheer lack of anything to offer.
Trust me, as long as you are part of the GOP they are dead in the water, and they DO NOT WANT you anymore.
So go back in your hole until you identify yourselves as something other than the party of Lincoln and John McCain and Mitt Romney – because those are all decent intelligent figures.
And you can’t even spell “Constitution.”
Voter
November 7th, 2012
2:18 pm
There’s no lesson to be learned. Most people, includes some politicians, won’t just say whatever they want to be elected, like the Democrats will. Especially hussein obama, who will say anything. Look at all the promises he made in 2008. Gas prices were $1.80, now $4.30+. Say whatever you want about the economy but that has nothing to do about getting a budget and spending less government money. That’s all on obama and his czars. We’re now at $16 trillion. At some point the people who voted for obama will realize what a “liar” he is. He has received a free education and now will receive a free job and retirement for the rest of his life. He learned well from his “socialist” teachers. The problem is eventually the money runs out. Look at greece, look at the the former soviet union, look at europe. it doesn’t work. taxing the rich more will not help. wake up people!
Voter
November 7th, 2012
2:21 pm
@Bobby. We are not fine. How can higher gas prices, rising unemployment be fine? Here’s a lesson in Econ 101. less jobs means less taxes into the government. Hiking the taxes on the rich will not pay for the amount of money the government is spending. The US will survive just fine? Wake up!
Nopper
November 7th, 2012
2:22 pm
With Obama’s election the Dow continues to plummet from fear of the same Obama policies.
deegee
November 7th, 2012
2:23 pm
A public option would also encourage people to break the shackles of their employer based insurance coverage and start up their own business. I know people in their late 40s and 50s that would love to retire early or branch out on their own, but they don’t want to give up their health insurance. The problem for young people and corporate America is that older people are hanging on thereby making it impossible for young people to get hired. While corporate America enjoys the benefit of the older workers’ experience and productivity, they are missing out on young ideas and energy.
Silver Classic
November 7th, 2012
2:24 pm
Liberal Lefty. You are quite correct re bigotery and hate…..That 90+ % of black voters would vote for a black person rather than a white person when the overall vote reflcected a 52-48 split leaves no doubt that bigitory and hate are clearly in play.
I am already over the result of the election but continue to be concerned about the consequences of the election. Oh well, we survived Jimmy Carter and I suspose we will survive Obama as well.
Your headdline for this article is misleading. If you look at a national county by county vote you will find that the vast majority of the map will be red with blue limited to high population centers. That may be the locations where the 47% live.
it is not the same country as my parents
November 7th, 2012
2:25 pm
My opinion is the Democratic and Republican Party should not worry about abortion, definition of a marriage and other laws to regulate morality. With 7.9% unemployment, budget deficit of more than a trillion dollars, a national debt of 16 trillion dollars, I believe there are bigger fish to fry.
The President is not solo responsible for previously mention. The Congress is focus on the moral issues; their primary job is not being accomplished, such as creating a budget. I cannot run my house without a budget, how can this country run without a budget.