The Long Island GOP got
walloped:
The Democrats' dramatic gains in Tuesday's election signal the end of decades of Republican domination of Long Island politics, experts in both parties say.
"The days of monolithic Republican control are over," said John V.N. Klein, a former GOP Suffolk County executive. "In the past when this kind of thing happened, I'd say give it a couple of elections and we'll be back in charge again. We can't count on that anymore."
Judith Hope, former state Democratic chairwoman, said the suburban swing toward the Democrats amounted to a "seismic change" in the state's political landscape. "For generations, Long Island was the heart and soul of the state Republican Party," she said. "But this election was so decisive, it shows that Democratic gains in recent years are not an aberration."
While Democrats Bill Clinton and John Kerry have won Long Island in their presidential bids, local Democrats for the first time Tuesday consolidated their gains - winning control of the legislatures in both counties as well as the offices of county executive and district attorney.
Those gains come on top of Democrats' control of four of the Island's five congressional seats and the September special election of Marc Alessi to the State Assembly. "Only a few years ago, this kind of thing would have been unheard of and undreamed of," said Hope, an East Hampton resident.
In Virginia, the Moonie Times blames Bush for Kilgore's loss:
President Bush's sinking popularity helped seal Democrat Timothy M. Kaine's victory in Virginia's gubernatorial election Tuesday, politicians and pollsters said yesterday.
"We know that George Bush is just killing us," said Delegate David B. Albo, a Republican who narrowly defeated his Democratic challenger in Fairfax County. "His popularity just brought the ticket down. There's no other way to explain it." [...]
Scott Rasmussen, president of the New Jersey-based polling firm Rasmussen Reports, said the voters who made up their minds just before Election Day -- about 12 percent of voters -- favored Mr. Kaine by 15 percentage points.
That suggests some voters were turned off by a last-minute visit by Mr. Bush on Monday on Mr. Kilgore's behalf. A Rasmussen survey of Virginia voters found that 51 percent approved of the president's performance. Nationally, Mr. Bush has registered a 37 percent approval rating.
And looking ahead to 2006, more people want to get rid of their local congressman than ever since the 1994 which swept out the entrenched Democratic majoirty and began the Gingrich revolution.
WSJ/NBC poll (PDF). 11/4-7. MoE 3.1% (10/2005 results)
In the 2006 election for U.S. Congress, do you feel that your representative deserves to be reelected, or do you think it is time to give a new person a chance?
Deserves to be reelected 37 (49)
Give new person a chance 51 (34)
