Florida congressional special election won by democrat

[RecycleMichael]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/14/democrat-wins-special-election-in-florida/?fbid=TrY_DwVeaJh

Democrat wins special election in Florida
Posted: April 14th,
From CNN Wire Staff


Democrat Ted Deutch won a special election Tuesday for a Florida congressional seat.

(CNN) – Democrat Ted Deutch won a special election Tuesday for a Florida congressional seat in the nation's first federal election since the passage of the Democrats' health care plan. Deutch held a sizable lead over Republican Ed Lynch late Tuesday night in the Palm Beach-area 19th District, prompting Lynch to concede. Deutch had 62 percent of the vote compared to Lynch's 36 percent with 97 percent of the precincts counted, CNN affiliate WFOR reported. The election was to fill the seat of Democrat Robert Wexler, who resigned at the beginning of the year to head up the Center for Middle East Peace


"I have never before felt the way that I feel at this moment," Deutch told his supporters, according to WFOR. "This is a victory for the community and it's a victory about issues." "We've heard for months that tonight ... is a referendum on health care, it's a referendum on the (Obama) administration, it's a referendum on what direction this country is going," Deutch said. "Let me tell you something, what we learned today is that in Broward County and Palm Beach County, Florida, the Democratic Party is alive and well."

The controversial health care reforms may have played a large role in the election results. Lynch said he wanted to repeal the new law. The 44-year-old contractor made opposition to President Barack Obama's health care legislation a major part of his campaign. Lynch was also critical of the federal stimulus program, and of the president's handling the war in Iraq. Deutch, also 44, supported the new health care law.

Deutch will serve the remaining months of Wexler's term and will have to run this November for a full term in office.


There have been six special elections for congressional seats since Obama became President. The democrats have won all six. Yes, they were safe democrat seats, but clearly the democrats have done very well.

[Conan71]

How many Senate special elections have they won? 

[RecycleMichael]

The democrats lost the only special election held for a Senate seat.

There is a difference. Most states have rules that appoint replacement for Senate seats.

Four Senators have resigned since Obama became President. Barak Obama (to become President), Joe Biden (to become Vice-President), Hillary Clinton (to become Secretary of State), and Ken Salazar (to become Secretary of the Interior). 

[we vs us]

I'm not predicting a rosy scenario for the Dems by any means, but I still think the Republicans won't do quite as well as they think they will.  There's a degree IMO to which they're believing their own press, and I don't think it's clear at all that the mood of the electorate is summed up by the Tea Party alone.

[nathanm]

I'm not predicting a rosy scenario for the Dems by any means, but I still think the Republicans won't do quite as well as they think they will.  There's a degree IMO to which they're believing their own press, and I don't think it's clear at all that the mood of the electorate is summed up by the Tea Party alone.

Agreed. I think there's a high probability that the Dems will lose some seats to the Republicans, but that's because midterm elections are almost always bad for the party that controls Congress. The Tea Party, despite the hype, is toothless. These are the people who have already been riled up by Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, Beck, and others for years. They've already been turning out for elections. Unless they somehow get an extra vote due to their enthusiasm?

[Conan71]

Agreed. I think there's a high probability that the Dems will lose some seats to the Republicans, but that's because midterm elections are almost always bad for the party that controls Congress. The Tea Party, despite the hype, is toothless. These are the people who have already been riled up by Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, Beck, and others for years. They've already been turning out for elections. Unless they somehow get an extra vote due to their enthusiasm?

I don't see how they are toothless.  No less than Stenny Hoyer is blaming the Tea Party movement for all the "retirements" from the House and Senate. Their ranks seem to keep growing and the media is giving them plenty of attention.

(CNN) – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer admitted Tuesday that the protests and rallies by Tea Party activists across the country are having an impact on lawmakers' decisions about running for another term.

"Do I think that negative atmosphere that's been created by the Tea Party and by others certainly goes into the thinking of Members? I think it does. I think you honestly have to point out that it does," Hoyer told reporters at his weekly pen and pad session in the Capitol.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/13/hoyer-tea-party-having-an-impact/?fbid=nlLcf2XUv_B

Take a look at mid-term '94 and mid-term '06.  This administration's progressive agenda has been such a sharp departure from previous agendas, I think the back-lash could be huge.  The political atmosphere is volatile enough right now, it may be bigger than anyone could imagine.

[we vs us]

Someone more organized than I am should put together a pool for this. 

[Conan71]

Someone more organized than I am should put together a pool for this. 

Could we do like a fantasy HOR and Senate league? 

[nathanm]

I don't see how they are toothless.

The people who are attracted to the Tea Party movement are mostly the people who would have turned out to vote for Republicans anyway. They're already engaged politically.

They have been getting a lot of media attention. Fox has been pushing them like they're the second coming of Christ, but again, the people who watch Fox are the people who were going to vote Republican anyway.

There is also a flip side to all the media attention. It will likely encourage more Democrats to get out and vote, as the media is providing the impression that the Tea Party is going to help the Republicans mightily.

[guido911]

The people who are attracted to the Tea Party movement are mostly the people who would have turned out to vote for Republicans anyway. They're already engaged politically.

They have been getting a lot of media attention. Fox has been pushing them like they're the second coming of Christ.

But of course the media completely ignored media attention whore Cindy Sheehan when she was dogging President Bush, whom I believe thought she was the second coming of something.

[nathanm]

But of course the media completely ignored media attention whore Cindy Sheehan when she was dogging President Bush, whom I believe thought she was the second coming of something.

They pushed Sheehan because just about everybody thought she was nutso, thus allowing them to appear like they were covering the anti-war movement in a reasonable way while actually undermining it, to the profit of their corporate masters.

The mass protests, marches, and that sort of thing got hardly a peep from the media.

[Conan71]

but again, the people who watch Fox are the people who were going to vote Republican anyway.

There is also a flip side to all the media attention. It will likely encourage more Democrats to get out and vote, as the media is providing the impression that the Tea Party is going to help the Republicans mightily.

Interesting you say that.  My more liberal friends can tell me a lot easier what went on with Beck, Oh Really, or Hammity the night before than my more conservative-leaning friends can.  I seldom watch Fox and you'd be more likely find me watching CNN or MSNBC and I'm going to have more of a tendency to vote R in national level elections.  I guess I've gotten used to lib-speak and I simply apply a reverse filter to it to figure out what the truth is 

I think there's a certain amount of voyeurism out there where one wants to know what the opposing party is up to, so I don't necessarily believe that it's only strict followers of conservatism tuning into Fox or libs tuning in MSNBC.  Outrage will sell ads just as easily as people who tune in to agree.

I also note that there've been libs on here in the past who seemed to follow KFAQ a whole lot closer than myself.  It's all about advertising.  You win whether you piss 'em off or they love you.

All that said, I think there are a number of people out there who are discounting and marginalizing the Tea Party who are going to be surprised at the influence they are weilding.  Obviously people are worried about it and think there is a threat when they spread misinformation and mischaracterizations of who these people are and what the mission is. 

[guido911]

They pushed Sheehan because just about everybody thought she was nutso, thus allowing them to appear like they were covering the anti-war movement in a reasonable way while actually undermining it, to the profit of their corporate masters.

Care to source any of that nonsense? Oh, have you resorted to channeling fotd? Because after reading that I nearly busted out the industrial strength bong pic.

[nathanm]

Care to source any of that nonsense? Oh, have you resorted to channeling fotd? Because after reading that I nearly busted out the industrial strength bong pic.

It's speculation, but grounded in the way the anti-war movement was covered by the media. They ignored the mass protests, and instead chose to focus on the trainwreck.

[guido911]

It's speculation, but grounded in the way the anti-war movement was covered by the media. They ignored the mass protests, and instead chose to focus on the trainwreck.

You were SERIOUS before? "[C]orporate masters" stuff and all?