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"It's not that Massachusetts has suddenly gone conservative. But in a two-party system, there's no better way to express one's displeasure with the party in power than to vote for the other party. The protest vote is a powerful phenomenon in American politics. Disgust with George W. Bush and Republican incompetence put Barack Obama in the White House, and barely a year later, disgust with the Democratic alternative put Scott Brown in the Senate.
Now that disgust threatens to spill over into California's upcoming Senate and gubernatorial races.
Both Democratic Sen. Boxer, who is up for re-election, and Democratic Attorney General Brown, who seeks to become governor again, enjoy leads among voters at large. Yet both are also struggling among white voters. And given that voter turnout tends to be lower in off-years - and that ethnic minorities are often the most disaffected by politics as usual - the Democrats' leads could be imperiled should Latinos, Asians and African-Americans decide not to vote, or even vote Republican."
In my fifty years of involvement in politics I have never seen such disgust and distrust of government, at all levels.
It feels like California will also get the "Scott Brown" treatment. The GOP will win the governorship and Boxer will have the time to spend her millions made off the special interest legislation she has sponsored.
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Now that disgust threatens to spill over into California's upcoming Senate and gubernatorial races.
Both Democratic Sen. Boxer, who is up for re-election, and Democratic Attorney General Brown, who seeks to become governor again, enjoy leads among voters at large. Yet both are also struggling among white voters. And given that voter turnout tends to be lower in off-years - and that ethnic minorities are often the most disaffected by politics as usual - the Democrats' leads could be imperiled should Latinos, Asians and African-Americans decide not to vote, or even vote Republican."
In my fifty years of involvement in politics I have never seen such disgust and distrust of government, at all levels.
It feels like California will also get the "Scott Brown" treatment. The GOP will win the governorship and Boxer will have the time to spend her millions made off the special interest legislation she has sponsored.
More...