Anti-Incumbency Fever Set To Hit PA, AR, KY

It's a cool, rainy and most likely uneventful political day in New York. All eyes will likely be fixed on the primary elections in nearby Pennsylvania, and Arkansas and Kentucky as well. Two incumbents are looking at serious challengers and after Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT) was booted by a more right-wing Republican, the situation has become quite serious. Two of today's races are contests on the left, while the other in Kentucky pits a teabag backed candidate versus the Republican party's choice to take over for resident loon Jim Bunning (who has spurned the establishment and backed the teabag-friendly Rand Paul).

From The Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is not on the ballot in this week's primaries, nor is Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican Senate leader.

But both have a stake in intensely competitive Senate races in three states, contests testing the strength of the tea party among Kentucky Republicans and the durability of incumbent Democratic Sens. Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas and Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania.

In a fourth race of national significance, Republican Tim Burns and Democrat Mark Critz battled to fill out the term of the late Democratic Rep. John Murtha in a congressional district in southwestern Pennsylvania. Both political parties reported spending roughly $1 million to sway the race, turning it into a laboratory for the fall campaign, when all 435 House seats will be on the ballot.

Laboratories aside, the biggest issue here that isn't mentioned in the article is that turnout will likely be extremely low. Any kind of defining moment, or partisan revolution, will come from a small minority of voters who are either fearful of new blood or sick of the same old politician and wish to make a change. Of course, there'll be a big headline on every paper tomorrow morning proclaiming a mandate has been stated by the American people (living in PA, AR and KY) regardless. The truth of the matter though, is that most people simply do not care about these contests and do not see a point in bothering to make it to the ballot box.

Pledged Delegates? Check!

Last night Oregon and Kentucky cast their ballots and the former went to Obama and the latter to Clinton. Looking through a narrow window, you could say that it is a split, some sort of balance or even a sign that the primary must go on. To go on national television last night and use that as your justification to keep running without looking at the big picture would be disingenuous...and Hillary Clinton did just that.

As Obama has said, she can keep on going as long as she wants. Yet this race is not about her, nor is it about Barack Obama. This primary race is about the Democratic party and our nation, and millions have spoken out already and have decided on a nominee. The voters have given Obama the majority of pledged delegates and most are already moving to rally behind him.

Then at the end of the night the April fundraising numbers came out. Obama raised over $31 million. Clinton took in an impressive $22 million and both beat out McCain's personal best of $18 million. However there is much more to those millions. Clinton is still in debt, reportedly that number matches what Obama raised in April. That is the picture of a failed campaign, a candidate with that much debt isn't going very far in the general election, even if the opposition is John McCain. Not only has our party begun to rally behind Obama in spirit, our pocketbooks have been backing him for quite sometime (not paying millions to Mark Penn helps too).

Though Montana, South Dakota and Puerto Rico are still coming up on the primary calendar, it is not a race solely about those two states and one commonwealth. If the race were truly neck and neck Obama would not have begun to secure the majority of superdelegates to finish this thing up for good. Yet, it is coming and in less than two weeks we will have our nominee, though we already know his name.

Another Election, Another Democratic Romp

Although 2007 is technically an off year in politics, there were still a few races around the country yesterday. Just as the national polls have shown, the results reflected the mood that people want change from what Republican power has done to America. With a President that has the worst polls ever, people are electing Democrats by and large to try and combat the mess that Repubs have put us in.

In Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher was easily defeated by Steve Beshear. When you google Kentucky and corruption, Fletcher is all over the place. From now on, googling Governor and Kentucky will give you the Democrat that hasn't been in office in twenty years. Cheers to Kentucky for making the right choice.

Down in Virginia, the red state turned purple is becoming increasingly blue. Democrats took over the State Senate last night, sweeping out a few incumbents in the process. Next year should be even better, as Warner (R) retires, it is looking a lot better for Warner (D) to take his seat, especially with the success he had at his previous job.

Here in New York Democrats fared pretty well despite all the controversy surrounding Spitzer and his drivers license fiasco. Both sides are claiming victory, but what really counts is next year, when we take back the State Senate from the hands of the corrupt Joe Bruno. As The Albany Project put it, the GOP's perfect storm fizzled.