Election Day, November 7, 2023—“Team Blue” Wins “Bigly” November 8, 2023
Remember the phrases I always emphasize on this blogpost? “It’s turnout, turnout, turnout,” “and when Democrats vote, we (the USA) win.” While too many in the media spend their time doing their level best/worst to trash President Biden over his age and just about anything else they can think of, on November 7, 2023, Democrats voted in droves throughout the nation. The result? “Team Blue” just about “ran the political table” at all levels of the national and state ballot. And frankly, if Biden was so unpopular, as the polls supposedly say, his party would have faced a “shellacking,” like Obama’s Democrats did in 2010 and 2014. It didn’t work that way even in “bright Red” Kentucky, home to Senator Mitch “obstructionist” GOPer McConnell. And, once again, as in 2022, voters upended the “conventional wisdom” that in off-year elections, the party in the White House gets pulverized. This time, the party in the Oval Office was rewarded “bigly.” Here are the key results from Campaign 2023.
Let’s start with KY, the “Bluegrass State,” now, a “Redgrass State.” Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear defeated GOP Attorney General Daniel Cameron 53%-47% to win a second term. Cameron, an African American, was constantly touted as one big “up-and-comer.” He wasn’t. Despite what pundits say, abortion or a woman’s right to choose is a major issue even in “Red” States. The repeal by the Supreme Ct. of “Roe v. Wade” has been absolute POISON for the GOP. Popular Beshear, the son of a previous KY Dem. Governor, didn’t duck the abortion issue in “Red” KY. He ran ads hammering Cameron’s support for a near total ban on abortion. Beshear’s ads paid off. In fact, last year, “Red” KY voters, by a similar 52%-48% margin rejected an amendment that would have decreed that judges could not interpret KY’s constitution to protect abortion rights (kos.com, Staff, 11/08/23).
And let’s travel eastward now to the Old Dominion, Virginia. Since his surprise 2021 victory, analysts were pushing GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Mr. fleece coat ”moderate”(NOT), as VP and even presidential timber. Why? Because Youngkin “pretended” to ignore Demagogue Donald, but still governed like him. Radical Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) was even in his corner when he ran in 2021. Youngkin joins Cameron as another Campaign 2023 “bigly” loser. Youngkin, strongly promoted a 15-week abortion ban as his campaign centerpiece. The result? Democrats won full control of the VA legislature. They kept control of the VA State Senate and flipped the VA House from “Red” to “Blue.” VA Democrats, unlike in 2021, came out in droves to protect women’s rights (kos.com, Staff). In PA, preserving abortion rights again played a key role in a State Supreme Court race. Democrat Dan McCaffrey defeated Carolyn Carluccio 53%-47%. PA now has a trifecta, with a Democratic Governor, legislature, and a solidified 5-2 Supreme Ct. majority. Should the governorship or legislature turn “Red” in the future, the Keystone State Supreme Ct. will overturn any abortion restrictions (kos Staff, 11/08/23). And, yes, Ohio, unfortunately, is a GOP-trending state. However, in another closely watched abortion fight, Buckeye voters, by a 57%-43% margin enshrined the right to an abortion into their state constitution (kos Staff, 11/08/23).
On 11/07/2023, in Rhode Island, Gabe Amo, whom I previously wrote about, clobbered his GOP opponent Gerry Leonard 65%-35% in a special congressional election to replace former Democrat David Cicilline. Amo, the son of African immigrants, will be the first person of color to represent RI in the House. RI, therefore, will continue its long tradition of accepting people from all over the world, one that started in colonial times with Roger Williams (kos Staff). In fellow New England Granite State, New Hampshire, Democrat Paige Beauchemin beat GOPer David Narkunas 61%-39% to keep this state House seat “Blue.” The NH GOP now has just a 198-197 edge and Dems have a good chance to take the last two vacant seats. In New Jersey, the GOP thought it could retake one chamber. That was a pipe dream. In Allegheny County, PA, home of Pittsburgh, Democrat state Rep. Sarah Innamorato beat super-financed GOPer Joe Rockey. In Indianapolis, Indiana, Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett won a third term by clobbering businessman Jefferson Shreve 60%-40%. Shreve put $13.5 million of his own money into this contest in the GOP-leaning Hoosier State (kos Staff).
Of course, in politics you can’t win everything. Tupelo, Mississippi native Elvis Presley may have crooned “Don’t Be Cruel,” but Magnolia Staters were cruel to the “King’s” second cousin, Brandon Presley. In racially polarized MS, scandal-tainted GOP Gov. Tate Reeves beat Brandon Presley 52%-47%. And in Manchester, NH, that state’s largest city, GOPer Jay Ruais flipped that city into the “Red” column beating his Democratic opponent 51%-49% (kos Staff, 11/08/23).
Again, pundits called the 11/2023 races strong indicators for 2024. Of, course, they called Biden, the leader of “Team Blue” nearly a “goner” in 2024 as well (cnn.com, nytimes.com). This is ridiculous. Biden has yet to start his 2024 campaign in earnest and has quite a record of domestic achievement with a closely divided Congress. Inflation has gone down and Biden is handling foreign affairs, including Ukraine and yes, Israel’s war against barbaric Hamas quite well. Polls, this far out mean absolutely nothing. The “likely voters” polled are often oversampled Republicans. For once, listen to conservative commentator Joe Scarborough. He has said not to underestimate Biden’s support and that if Biden fights back against Trump, he can prevail (See cnn.com, 11/08/23). Abortion rights will also be a winner for Democrats as we saw on 11/07/23. Biden must hit this issue as well as his economic record hard to win. He must attack Trump endlessly as a threat to democracy. And, remember Trump is facing numerous trials. If he is convicted in any one of these judicial proceedings and sent to prison, he loses to Biden, according to that NY Times Siena Poll that allegedly has Trump winning swing states. Trump, just a few years younger than Biden, is the one truly unable to make decisions on both minor and major issues. All he wants to do is win the White House again to wreak vengeance on his “enemies.” Democrats came out in droves in the November, 2023 elections. In 2024, we must do the same for Biden. We must also add seats to the Senate and take back the House. The future of our democracy depends upon it.
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