November 6, 2002

NICE TIMING:

While Congress Is Sleeping . . . (PAUL GLASTRIS, November 6, 2002, NY Times)
Unless yesterday's still unresolved elections result in Republican control of both houses of Congress, the 2002 midterm elections won't matter much inWashington. In every other scenario, the branches of government will remain divided and gridlock will continue. The real importance of this election is not at the national level--it's at the state level.

This was supposed to be the official Democrat spin today, but they lost big in the Senate and lost many Governor's races they thought they had in the bag. Even worse, the big states--PA, MI, IL--that they thought they had walkovers in tightened down the stretch, suggesting that the GOP remains competitive in each state. The Times should have done Mr. Glastris a favor and shredded this one. Though if they did that with every column they receive that is utterly wrong they'd have no editorial page. Posted by Orrin Judd at November 6, 2002 9:02 AM
Comments

That is why the NY Post sells relatively upscale compared to other "subway rider" papers.

Posted by: Tom Roberts at November 6, 2002 11:52 AM

Every guy I know in NY buys the Post.

Posted by: oj at November 6, 2002 12:22 PM

Even back in the mid-'80's, when I was at law school at George Washington University, much of whose student body hails from NYC and environs, I hardly ever saw a student reading the NY Times - the hometown paper they bought was always the Post.

Posted by: Joe at November 6, 2002 3:46 PM

The Illinois situation is strange (I live in a Chicago suburb). On the one hand, Mr. James Ryan got a respectable vote against "Sonny Boy" Blagoyevich. Mr. Ryan had to compete in the shadow of the current, odious Republican governor, George Ryan, who is all but indicted on charges of bribery and corruption whilst secretary of state. But on the other hand, other statewide Republicans faltered badly. Lisa "Daddy's Girl" Madigan (daughter of the house speaker with no trial experience at all) won as Attorney General when she should have been shown the door. The Senate race was embarrassing. And democrats got a lock on the state house.



The reason? George Ryan made the republican party look despicable. And the republican state house leaders have been long-time, obstructionist hacks who are dirty as last months laundry. Given the relative lock republicans had on statewide offices over the past 20 years, it's been difficult for younger republicans to become recognized.



So what do you get when your veterans no longer can perform and you have no bench? You lose big. And you'll keep losing until you correct the underlying problem.



Hold out no hope for Illinois in the next eight years. It will become more democratic. The democrats will win 2004 here and probably 2006 as well.



Sorry to be the one to bear bad news.

Posted by: Steve White at November 6, 2002 4:10 PM

Forget the Post--now we have the Sun.

Posted by: someone at November 6, 2002 10:30 PM
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