Democratic Party Win: “Beyond Historic”
Right after the Democratic party regained control of the House and Senate after twelve years of abysmal Republican domination, many mainstream media types pushed the idea that conservatives had won the election for Democrats. However, as noted here, that is just one more myth about the 2006 elections.
Additionally, even though the mainstream media and establishment insiders in DC refuse to acknowledge that, in fact, the Democratic party, with a generally liberal agenda, won the election; it is encouraging to read that one of the old DC insiders, the Dean, as some call him, is coming around to the reality that what we saw this past November 7th, 2006, was nothing more than a Democratic tsunami. The Dean, David Broder, writes:
Buried in the news of the national Democratic midterm election victory was an even more dramatic power shift in the state that has become famous as the site of the first presidential primary in each cycle.
In the words of veteran New Hampshire Republican leader Tom Rath, it was "beyond historic" when the Democrats took complete control of the handsome state capitol in Concord for the first time since 1874.
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New Hampshire was not alone. Iowa, whose presidential caucuses come even earlier than the New Hampshire primary, also elected a Democrat as governor and saw both houses of its legislature flip to the Democrats.
Democrats now control both houses in 24 states; Republicans do so in 16; and nine states have split control. (Nebraska has a nonpartisan unicameral legislature.)
These numbers become more important as we approach 2010 and another census, which will provide the raw material for the next round of line-drawing for congressional and legislative districts. If Democrats can maintain their legislative advantage along with their new 28-22 lead in governorships, they will be in the driver’s seat on that redistricting.
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The force of the movement spared no one. Peter Spaulding, a longtime member of the Executive Council and a leader in John McCain’s victorious 2000 New Hampshire primary campaign, lost his seat to a 71-year-old opponent who barely made any effort and who was vacationing in Belgium when the election returns came in. Dozens of longtime citizen-legislators, serving part time for $200 a term and rarely having to bother to campaign, found themselves voted out of office.
"The only successful Republicans were the ones who were not on the ballot in 2006," such as Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu, Rath said.
