The Right Stuff: Off-year elections, what could be more exciting?

Not much, if you’re a conservative hoping for a breath of fresh air. Most people don’t follow these things very closely, but off-year elections can be a good indicator of public sentiment. Chris Christie won the election in New Jersey for governor. New Jersey was carried by Obama in the last election by 15 points and a Republican hasn’t won statewide office since Governor Christie Todd Whitman was reelected in 1997. “Chris Christie secured a major victory for the Republican Party tonight,” said RGA Chairman Governor Haley Barbour. “Defeating a deep-pocketed incumbent in a Democratic state like New Jersey is a tremendous accomplishment and signals the beginning of the GOP’s comeback.” This victory may not be the only one, but as of this writing, not every state with elections tonight has counted all their votes.

The Virginia governor election also looks good for Republicans. From the AP, “Republican Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell’s victory in Virginia over Democrat R. Creigh Deeds was a triumph for a GOP looking to rebuild after being booted from power in national elections in 2006 and 2008. It also was a setback for the White House in a swing state that was a crucial part of Obama’s electoral landslide just a year ago. The president had personally campaigned for Deeds.”

Ouch, that’s gotta hurt! Look, I don’t want to make too much of this because you never know with electoral politics. The winds can change faster than I change lines out of frustration in the caf. However, there seems to be an awful lot of backlash out there and a lot of it probably has to do with health care. American people apparently do not think the time for debate is over, as our dear President has suggested.

We will have to wait and see how this plays out in the 2010 election cycle but for now, the President better watch out. He has not done a very good job of playing the post-partisan guy he claimed to be. Instead he has labeled opposition to his health care plan as hateful, he has tried to stifle the existence of Fox News, and he has insulted his opposition by claiming that Democrats are the only ones who think for themselves. When you are a President, you just can’t say things like that and not expect a reaction. Especially if you want your party to stay in power.