Governor Elect Chris Cristie Right, Rush Limbaugh Wrong
As a conservative resident of NJ, I think I have some insight into the election that just took place unseating Jon Corzine from office.
Today Chris Cristie was quoted as saying that the Republican win in NJ was not a reflection on Obama, while conservative guru and talk show king Rush Limbaugh gleefully declared the opposite. Christie is right, but there are underlying warnings for Obama and his crew if they are really paying attention.
Corzine was kicked out of office primarily because of taxes. This election was not referendum on the horrendous garbage coming out of Washington. As I said in my last post, the famous cliché is that all politics are local, and that's an axiom as much as it is a cliché. In New Jersey, the tax structure is a mind boggling mess, with a very heavy share of the tax base carried by property owners. Fundamentally this election was about the high cost of living in this state, and the recognition that Corzine didn't have the chops to deal with this issue in a meaningful way. It didn't help Corzine that he as the charisma of a toad, but his loss is directly tied to the massive disaffection residents of this state had for him over the issue of taxes. There are many other problems in this state with how Government functions, or doesn't function, but taxes were THE issue of the election, and Corzine could not disguise his lack of success or even interest in driving a paradigm shift in state finances and spending.
So there you have it. We understand why Rush would try to extrapolate this loss onto Obama, but it really had nothing to do with him. I know of a number of people in this state who (inexplicably) like Obama, and turned their backs on their Dear Leader to vote against Corzine.
The larger implication for Obama is not that the left leaning state of New Jersey signaled a rejection of Obama's policies per se, however, it does provide a warning: There is a limit to how much Obama can drive up taxes to fund his socialist agenda before the liberals at and near the center will balk, and then there will be a direct rejection of Obama.
We share Rush's hope that Obama will be a one-term President. And we hope there will be enough America left to salvage three years from now. But national conservative leadership is still lacking and they need to get their act together, and fast. For the sake of us all.
Today Chris Cristie was quoted as saying that the Republican win in NJ was not a reflection on Obama, while conservative guru and talk show king Rush Limbaugh gleefully declared the opposite. Christie is right, but there are underlying warnings for Obama and his crew if they are really paying attention.
Corzine was kicked out of office primarily because of taxes. This election was not referendum on the horrendous garbage coming out of Washington. As I said in my last post, the famous cliché is that all politics are local, and that's an axiom as much as it is a cliché. In New Jersey, the tax structure is a mind boggling mess, with a very heavy share of the tax base carried by property owners. Fundamentally this election was about the high cost of living in this state, and the recognition that Corzine didn't have the chops to deal with this issue in a meaningful way. It didn't help Corzine that he as the charisma of a toad, but his loss is directly tied to the massive disaffection residents of this state had for him over the issue of taxes. There are many other problems in this state with how Government functions, or doesn't function, but taxes were THE issue of the election, and Corzine could not disguise his lack of success or even interest in driving a paradigm shift in state finances and spending.
So there you have it. We understand why Rush would try to extrapolate this loss onto Obama, but it really had nothing to do with him. I know of a number of people in this state who (inexplicably) like Obama, and turned their backs on their Dear Leader to vote against Corzine.
The larger implication for Obama is not that the left leaning state of New Jersey signaled a rejection of Obama's policies per se, however, it does provide a warning: There is a limit to how much Obama can drive up taxes to fund his socialist agenda before the liberals at and near the center will balk, and then there will be a direct rejection of Obama.
We share Rush's hope that Obama will be a one-term President. And we hope there will be enough America left to salvage three years from now. But national conservative leadership is still lacking and they need to get their act together, and fast. For the sake of us all.
This is how political opinion writers should be. Balanced. The writer clearly admittedly conservative, but it isn't disrespectful or shrill. To be "credible" you must be the un-Carvel. You can clearly be in a left or right camp, but you must be not obviously spin doctoring. American know when they are being spinned, especially if ever bought a car. At little bad, a little good. Acknowledgment differing opinion, but never should you come off as someone who is telling you up is down and night is day. If you listen to Beckel, Obama is the greatest president. Just intuitively, you balk. Isn't that a judgment of history? If you listen to the anti-Beckel's, Obama will destroy that nation. A clear democratic loyalist doesn't speak to independents. A right winger won't capture the attention of the college kids. You need to be a wise cynic in the center. All those that don't vote, who have given up on the political process or just do a defacto vote into Status Quo, need to reached. The nature of country is on the line. Either we will become a Europeanized America, which many believe in, or we will stay the Unique Leader of the Democratic World.
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