How to lose an election

[riverdog]

Allen vs Allen

. . . A former governor once popular for abolishing parole, Allen had once been expected to cruise to a second term this year as a warmup for a presumed 2008 presidential run.

His solid conservative credentials and his sunny persona invited comparisons with the archetypal Republican, Ronald Reagan. In late July, Allen led Webb by 16 points in the year's first independent statewide poll.

Then came Aug. 11, the day Allen pointed out S.R. Sidarth, a 20-year-old Virginia-born man of Indian descent working as a Webb campaign volunteer, and introduced him at an all-white rally as "macaca," an obscure racial slur that denotes a genus of monkeys.

Sidarth was tracking Allen across the state, videotaping his public appearances, and his video of Allen's macaca moment became a major national story and was grist for comedians and cable talk shows.

Allen eventually apologized to Sidarth, but not until the comment had already provoked widespread scorn. By then, the political damage was done, and more was to come.

In mid-September, Allen bristled at a reporter for "making aspersions" about his religion when he was asked at a debate whether his mother was Jewish. The next day, Allen, 54, who was raised Christian, confirmed that his maternal grandparents were Jews, but said his mother revealed the secret to him only in August.

Then came allegations from some former football teammates from the University of Virginia that Allen had commonly used a six-letter epithet against black people. Allen denied ever using the word, and other teammates came forward to rebut the claims.

As Webb tied Allen to President Bush and the deadly U.S. occupation of Iraq, Allen battled back. He accused Webb of denigrating women in a 1979 magazine article decrying admission of women to the Naval Academy. Allen later tried to portray sexual descriptions in Webb's six best-selling war novels as demeaning to women.

Webb, a Naval Academy graduate and decorated Vietnam veteran who served as Navy secretary under Reagan, bitterly opposed the war in Iraq and switched to the Democratic Party.

Allen took the low road in this campaign and it cost him the election. Arrogance.

 

[moewadle]

The arrogance of power has been amply displayed

in the last 6 years by the Republicans. I personally believe that political issues and elections are should be perceived by voters as more than a one-issue election, that is, more than just who will or will not support RKBA. Therefore, even as an NRA member and gun owner I had to vote for all the Democrats because of my concerns about the major erosion of our personal civil liberties under the the morally bankrupt, arrogant, and corrupt (to some degree) administration controlled by the Republicans. Read the other issues folks. It isn't specifically guns only, look at your loss of liberties under the Patriot Act, and other ways of spying on you used by the Bush administration. Your gun ownership is no safer under them than the Democrats. I am happy the election turned out the way it did and I hope the Dems get control of the US Senate also.

 

[50 Freak]

Therefore, even as an NRA member and gun owner I had to vote for all the Democrats because of my concerns about the major erosion of our personal civil liberties under the the morally bankrupt, arrogant, and corrupt (to some degree) administration controlled by the Republicans. Read the other issues folks. It isn't specifically guns only, look at your loss of liberties under the Patriot Act, and other ways of spying on you used by the Bush administration.

Ditto.........This election was not a one issue thing. I too have been really worried about the increasing power of "big brother" and the Repuplican lead houses bending over as Bush ramrod the Patriot Act on us.

It was a sad day...I'm a registered Republican and an NRA member too.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

It was a sad day...I'm a registered Republican and an NRA member too.

Me too.

 

[Leatherneck]

Allen took the low road in this campaign and it cost him the election. Arrogance.

Nah. Allen is naturally an affable, high-road sort. He did, however, surround himself with idiots who took the low road. And his "recovery" attempts from his gaffes were inept at best. Throw in that mix the rapidly changing demographics of NoVA and a liberal media in the area that thinks itself participants in, instead of reporters of, politics, and that's a recipe for defeat.

TC

 

[Manedwolf]

Nah. Allen is naturally an affable, high-road sort.

Yes. "Macaca" was really high road of him. And according to a family interview, he was such a vicious bully that he broke a sibling's collarbone because they woudn't go to bed, and threw another through a glass door.

Real high road. More like a school bully who never grew up.

 

[Waitone]

BushRove got away with their particular brand of politics by thinking the alternative to their brand was a version of the Democrat party and therefore far worse. BushRove was famous for asking, "Well, where they gonna go?" anytime their policies were challenged.

The answer to their question is quite simple. BushRove lost its rear end because the voter got PO'd and deemed their ideology unacceptable under any circumstances. I hope republicans have a come to Jesus moment and learn the error of their ways. I don't think they will.

 

[Robert Hairless]

moewadie:

The arrogance of power has been amply displayed

in the last 6 years by the Republicans. I personally believe that political issues and elections are should be perceived by voters as more than a one-issue election, that is, more than just who will or will not support RKBA. Therefore, even as an NRA member and gun owner I had to vote for all the Democrats because of my concerns about the major erosion of our personal civil liberties under the the morally bankrupt, arrogant, and corrupt (to some degree) administration controlled by the Republicans. Read the other issues folks. It isn't specifically guns only, look at your loss of liberties under the Patriot Act, and other ways of spying on you used by the Bush administration. Your gun ownership is no safer under them than the Democrats. I am happy the election turned out the way it did and I hope the Dems get control of the US Senate also.

Right on! Let's continue to send those Republicans a message that they can't push us around. In the next election let's vote for as many anti-gun candidates as possible. That will teach the pro-gun people that they need to support us better and should do so if they ever get elected to office again, but let's not let it happen.

How about if we start a "Michael Bloomberg for President" campaign. That would teach the rascally Republicans a lesson and show them that we want an honest man in the White House--someone who stands up for his beliefs and will spend his own money to support them. Best of all, he used to be a Democrat but is a Republican now, he says, so we can demonstrate the kind of Republican we'll support.

Enough of this pussyfooting around. Let's tell the world our belief that the politicians who will best support gun rights are those who are anti-gun. But let's hold out for a while until they promise to give us new tin beanies with propellors on the top so we get better reception in our teeth fillings. The static is really annoying.