Nebraska and New Orleans - the most significant races in the first half of 2006
Lots will be said about today's victory for Ray Nagin, but not nearly enough about the incumbent and thus far unelected to Governor Dave Heineman of Nebraska.
Nebraska is one of those flyover states. No one cares about Nebraska. Except of course all the consumer goods manufacturers who test market new products there. That's because bland old boring Nebraska is a much more representative sample of American tastes than somewheres like Massachusetts or Oregon.
A diehard Cornhusker of my acquantance, whose political instincts I trust, once told me that he thought Tom Osborne, the legendary former coach of Nebraska, could merely announce his candidacy for Nebraska governor and then not run any ads or do anything but file the paperwork until one week before the election. "He would win in a landslide," my buddy said. I believed him.
A week or so ago Gov. Heineman, who is only in the office because his predecessor left to become USDA chief, clinched the GOP nomination by defeating Osborne. From what I know of the state's political preferences, I find it hard to imagine Heineman will lose come November. In any event, his defeat of Osborne is a powerful symbol of the current power of the incumbency. And then, tonight, Nagin wins reelection.
Those who feel that November brings with it a blowout for the GOP would do well to mark these recent results. Unless there is a sudden, sharp decline in the economic or social fabric, huge scandal or largescale terrorist/bad actor victory, the GOP is on track to hang on to Congress. Also playing in their factor is their (for now) success in generally positioning themselves as the party of immigration common sense.
What do the Dems have going for them? All the above factors are extremely fluid. But things will have to get much more "sour" for them to prevail.
Nebraska is one of those flyover states. No one cares about Nebraska. Except of course all the consumer goods manufacturers who test market new products there. That's because bland old boring Nebraska is a much more representative sample of American tastes than somewheres like Massachusetts or Oregon.
A diehard Cornhusker of my acquantance, whose political instincts I trust, once told me that he thought Tom Osborne, the legendary former coach of Nebraska, could merely announce his candidacy for Nebraska governor and then not run any ads or do anything but file the paperwork until one week before the election. "He would win in a landslide," my buddy said. I believed him.
A week or so ago Gov. Heineman, who is only in the office because his predecessor left to become USDA chief, clinched the GOP nomination by defeating Osborne. From what I know of the state's political preferences, I find it hard to imagine Heineman will lose come November. In any event, his defeat of Osborne is a powerful symbol of the current power of the incumbency. And then, tonight, Nagin wins reelection.
Those who feel that November brings with it a blowout for the GOP would do well to mark these recent results. Unless there is a sudden, sharp decline in the economic or social fabric, huge scandal or largescale terrorist/bad actor victory, the GOP is on track to hang on to Congress. Also playing in their factor is their (for now) success in generally positioning themselves as the party of immigration common sense.
What do the Dems have going for them? All the above factors are extremely fluid. But things will have to get much more "sour" for them to prevail.
posted by WinChoice | 11:09 PM
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