ELECTIONS MATTER: THE MESSAGE FROM ELECTION 2009

The November 3rd election carried two messages that were clear, unambiguous and most encouraging.

First the win by the Republican in the New Jersey gubernatorial race. It turned out to be not even too close to call. Consider the following forces in play there:

1. New Jersey is a Democrat party controlled state.

2. There are more than 700,000 more voters registered Democrat than Republican.

3. Obama personally stumped the state three different times for the Democrat candidate.

4. Acorn, the SEIU, the teacher's unions, multiple far left radical groups and others flooded the state from around that region in an effort to secure the win for the Democrat.

5. The Dem candidate spent multiple millions of his own money on his campaign.

In other words, the odds favored the incumbent as they most often do. So what does it say when the Republican wins by a margin not anticipated by any sane political observer?

Simple: the people of this country are unhappy with their government on all levels, be it local, state or federal. Voters are fed up with politics as usual and politicians in general. This vote is the first chance to express their displeasure and, as this situation would indicate, they have done so. Expect more of the same going forward.

Second was the win by the Democrat in the New York 23rd Congressional district. It is a relatively conservative district and the Dem party chose a moderate, middle of the road candidate to run. So did the Republicans.

But here is the wrinkle: a conservative got in the race as a third party candidate, picked up prominent endorsements from high profile conservatives across the nation and mounted a very last minute surge that literally drove the Republican out of the race.

Result: the Democrat won. Why: because conservatives believe they are the wave of the future. This race proves them dead wrong. Do not expect however that such an outcome will dampen their drive to become a national force. Like the far left, the far right are wedded to their agenda and nothing will cause them to budge even one inch. In fact here in California where the far right controls the levers of Republican politics, they only run candidates for statewide office who fully subscribe to their political dictates. Those candidates virtually never win.

But like all radicals they are so dedicated to their cause that they openly proclaim that they would rather stand on principle (theirs of course) than win elections. Thus the State of California has been dominated by the left for decades and the failures thereof are out there for all to see. To be radical is to be a slave to doctrine and a stranger to practicality.

The bottom line for this election: voters don't support radical moves, either to the left relative to taxation, the economy, health care and national security or to the right relative to uber conservative doctrine. Thus the moderates won across the board which makes sense since that is where the majority of Americans are found on the political spectrum.

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