Republican Karen Handel declared a hard fought victory in a Georgia special congressional election over liberal Democrat Jon Ossoff… who didn’t actually live in the district. That might have been a fatal flaw for the filmmaker, in a race that served as a proxy battle for republicans and Democrats trying to assert dominance in a post-Trump election world.
In South Carolina, Republican Ralph Norman, won a special congressional election against Democrat Archie Parnell.
Of course, this only comes a short couple of weeks after the Montana election where a body-slamming Republican Greg Gianforte defeated Democrat Rob Quist.
Maybe Donald Trump isn’t as much of a point for Democrats to campaign on as they’d hoped?
Pat, ssssssshhhhh. We have a good thing going. Trump Derangement Syndrome is not a governing strategy.
Notice how the narrative is set up: The election is a “Trump-slayer”. If the Democrat wins, its a rebuke of Trump. If the Republican wins, well nevermind, we move on to the next election.
Prime opportunities being squandered by self inflicting wounds with misguided policy.
When are the rest of the Republicans in Washington going to get the hint and quit squandering precious time? Time to do all the things you campaigned on, I’m looking at you Thune, Rounds and Noem.
As much as some Republicans don’t like him (Trump) they would not be in power without him.
In April, everyone said that Ossoff had to win then because he could not win in June. Then he loses in June and somehow some think it is a big defeat for Dems,
explain how?
The real canary in the coal mine, however, is the South Carolina race, which was a sleeper, that the Republicans almost lost, but should have won easily.
The Kansas race, even with Republicans holding onto that one too, if extrapolated out gives the Democrats a potential 100 seat gain in the US House for 2018.
And for the Montana race, well, are you really proud of a “body slamming” persona? And there again a race, which should have not have been as close as it was.
Republicans are winning where they should, but not by the margins they should. Trumps popularity is not going up, it will continue to go down and so will Republican hopes in 2018, and especially after the people really, or finally, get to see TrumpCare. You just watch….
A LOSS is a WIN…Keep thinking that way…
We’ve always been at war with Eastasia
The loss was in April, not June.
0-4 extrapolates to 100 seat gain??
Well polls still show Hillary would beat Trump and Americans are in love with Obamacare.
You must be a special kind of stupid.
Not 0-4, the Kansas numbers do, however.
I haven’t seen a recent Clinton/Trump poll. But recent polls do show a majority of Americans do support Obamacare.
Instead of calling people names maybe you should deal in facts. Oh, I forgot, facts aren’t as fun as opinions for someone like you, right?
Dynamite strategy. Akin to leading from behind I suppose? Makes perfect sense.
I’m sure the GOP will be happy to continue to lose through winning.
EC,
It is a big defeat because Dems spent $50mm on a candidate who in the end got the same % vote as Hillary while the GOP candidate got more than Trump got (more candidates in Presidential race. Thus, the Dem. premise Trump is a millstone is not supported by evidence.
Huh, the Dems spent $ 25 million and so did the Republicans in Georgia 6. And Hillary did much better than the 2016 Democratic congressional candidate in GA-6 because Trump was not popular. And if Trump was popular in Georgia 6, then the special election in that congressional district would or should have been a cake walk for the Republican nominee. Not to mention, that everyone on both sides of the aisle said in April, that the only way Ossoff was ever going to win is if he won in April, because a June run-off was not doable for him. But sadly, many came down with a case of amnesia on both sides, when it comes to Georgia-6, and began to display what Alan Greenspan would call an “irrational exuberance.”
But what about South Carolina? You guys won, but barely. Isn’t that the home of Strom Thurmond and Jim DeMint?
Yeah, right.
Don’t let the South Carolina nightmares get the best of you…. 😉
Dan M,
Whileyour confidence in the skills of Senators Thune and Rounds to move the entire Senate is quite a compliment to them, they have at least six of their colleagues not yet on board to pass repeal and replace. Three think the current bill does too much and three think it does too much.
In a democracy, one needs a majority. Too bad in the past the right wing nut jobs hadn’t insisted on running crack pots or we would have enough to move forward without these 6. Actually, without what these nut jobs did, Oba,acare never would have passed.
Anyway, I am sure the Senators appreciate your confidence in them and both are doing all they can to bring at least four of their colleagues around. We just have to remember they are mere mortals and don’t have super hero skills.
Correction: 3 think it does too much and three think it does too little.
EC,
We are both off. Spending is roughly $30m for Dems and $20mm for GOP. But relative amount isn’t the point, or ratio. You spent a ton, positioned it as a referendum on Trump and opportunity, and yet didn’t move the needle from what HRC got despite the hope/assertion Trump was albatross/burden. Heck, he couldn’t even get a higher percent from the primary when there 15 or 16 more candidates. It is almost like you are stuck in place no matter what you or we do.
Regarding the comparison to Prices last race where he was well-funded incumbent vs. under-funded unknown token, if you get consolation from that, I am glad for you. Get it when and where you can.
In April, everyone knew that money was a possibility for June, yet, in April, most pundits from both sides of the aisle agreed, that if Ossoff didn’t win in April he certainly was not going to win in June.
The moving of the needle was done in April. After April, it was all done and most agreed it was, except for some in the left that began to practice “irrational exuberance” until the ballots were counted and now the right is practicing “irrational exuberance” since the ballots were counted.
Let us not forget, we are talking about a congressional district that the Democrats have not won since 1976. My guess is that that Democrat in ’76 was conservative and he probably benefited from Carter’s coattails, especially as a fellow Georgian.
Also, don’t forget that in 1976, Carter received a majority of the christian fundamentalists’ vote that year and was the last Democratic presidential candidate to receive a majority of the white vote in the US too. I am sure all of this played to the Democrats favor in GA-6 back in ’76.
Republicans are 4-0. #Winning!! Democrats should campaign for more progressive ideas, this could help turn around their losing streak.