Davis ran away from his base. He allowed Sparks to be the one defending the health care bill. He modeled his campaign organization on Obama's (even adopting similar campaign imagery), but sought no presidential endorsement. Meanwhile, he was losing the grassroots organizations that still dominate Alabama's Democratic Party.Steve M. expands on this too. Running for the far, far right of the box is a losing proposition. Remember this guy?
The takeaway for Democrats still facing primaries around the country? Despite all the tea party noise, even a red state Democrat can't win if they ignore their base or run towards an imaginary center. You must still shake the most hands, cultivate endorsements, and energize your party to choose you over the other person. You don't get there by pushing the Democrats or their principles away.
Commissioner for agriculture and industries GOP candidate Dale Peterson's Internet popularity did not translate into votes in Tuesday's primary election.Oops. Dale came in third in the GOP primary. Apparently being all REAL AMAIRIKUN failed to help him actually win the election. The lesson Steve draws?
John McMillan and Dorman Grace appeared headed for a runoff for the Republican nomination to the post.
With 61 percent of the vote reporting, McMillian had almost 38 percent of the vote and Grace had 35 percent. Peterson trailed with a little more than 27 percent.
I don't want to leap to the conclusion that voters dislike jerks. I think a lot of angry voters really appreciate jerks. But they want candidates to be jerks without seeming like jerks. They want at least a veneer of even transparently phony niceness (that's how Bush did as well as he did for so long).Just so.
In a related note, congrats to Matt Osborne there, who's going to Big Orangepalooza thanks to Democracy For America and the fact he kicks some ass.
The real lesson here is that by Hal Sparks running to the liberal left, he won his primary only to doom himself in the general. No matter who his primary opponent is in the runoff, Sparks will lose by double digits.
ReplyDeleteDefending Obamacare in Alabama? Hell, he may not even get 40% in the general.
The truth is that Republicans are going to run roughshod all over liberals in the election in November. Retaking the House is assured, the Senate all but so.
When the GOP Congress then defunds hundreds of billions, if not trillions in wasteful spending, then we'll get our country back on track.
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ReplyDeleteCenterist Craig Deeds punked out on his base in VA, and they did not show up for him, even though Virginia went blue in the presidential election.
ReplyDeleteNow look what they got, a Governor Ken doll and an AG that is spending taxpayer's money in frivolous federal lawsuits, all the while making UVA produce all the research of a prominent global climate scientists, right after many colleges in Virginia raised tuition to meet expenses. Glad they got them another " Fiscal Conservative".