So what to make of Republican Bob McDonnell’s very easy win over Democrat Creigh Deeds in Virginia or GOPer Chris Christie’s close upset in New Jersey over Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, who outspent Christie 3 to 1 and practically lived with President Obama the final week of the campaign? The White House wrote off Deeds a long time ago but Obama expended a lot of political capital in a failed effort to boost Corzine. Here’s a few observations:
1) Independents, who mostly supported Democrats in 2006 and 2008, are swinging back to the GOP. McDonnell scored 63 percent of the independent vote; Christie nabbed 58 percent. These numbers reflect independents’ concerns over the White House spending plans. There are dozens of Democrats in House districts that John McCain carried or Obama carried very narrowly in 2008. I can’t imagine these pols committing political suicide by supporting measures in 2010 that include a cap & trade energy bill or a Democratic-sponsored immigration reform bill. Frankly, I think chances to pass health care insurance reform have dipped. Certainly, the Pelosi bill will have to cede ground to the Baucus Senate bill.
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