Political India: Engaging America

From The Hindu

In a string of shock victories, far-Right candidates supported by the Tea Party movement trounced official nominees in the Republican Party's primary elections across the United States this week. Major upsets occurred in Delaware and New York and a tighter-than-expected contest was on the cards in New Hampshire.

The Republican and Democratic parties are holding intra-party primary elections to decide their candidates for the mid-term elections to the Senate and the House of Representatives in November.

In Delaware, Sarah Palin favourite Christine O'Donnell knocked out Congressman Michael Castle. Mr. Castle, who has enjoyed success in elections for over 40 years, including two terms as Governor, garnered 47 per cent of the popular vote compared to Ms. O'Donnell's 53 per cent.

In New York, maverick and rank outsider Carl Paladino ended the hopes of Rick Lazio, who failed to capitalise on his party's backing. Media reports described the staunchly conservative newcomer as a man who had “forwarded e-mails to friends containing racist jokes and pornographic images, [and] espoused turning prisons into dormitories where welfare recipients could be given classes on hygiene”.

In New Hampshire, too, conservative candidate Ovide Lamontagne was closing the gap on Wednesday morning in the race with his mainstream Republican rival and former state Attorney-General Kelly Ayotte. Mr. Lamontagne was described as a devout Catholic, a fiscal and social conservative and a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage and abortion.

Even as news of their candidates' defeats streamed in, Republican Party leaders weighed in, fretting over the adverse impact this could have on the party's prospects in the November mid-term elections.

Karl Rove, strategist and advisor to the former President, George W. Bush, was quoted saying to a television channel, “We were looking at eight to nine seats in the Senate. We're now looking at seven to eight. In my opinion, this is not a race we're going to be able to win.”

There were however a few exceptions, particularly on the Democratic side. Congressman Charles Rangel of New York, described as a “legendary figure in city and state politics”, triumphed in a six-way contest despite being plagued by a raft of ethics charges.

Labels: Christine O’Donnell, U.S. primaries

From The Hindu

In stark contrast to the powerful anti-incumbency mood during the primaries held in May this year, political incumbents won resounding victories across several states this week.

In Arizona, Senator and former Presidential candidate John McCain defeated his closest rival, former Congressman and conservative radio talk-show host J.D. Hayworth. Mr. McCain won 52 per cent of votes compared to 32 per cent for Mr. Hayworth.

Mr. McCain was reported to have out-spent his rival, pumping close to $20 million into his re-election campaign. Mr. Hayworth, by comparison was said to have spent a paltry $3 million.

In the same state Jan Brewer, the Republican Governor — now famous for the controversial immigration law giving police wide-ranging powers to stop and search anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant — was also victorious.

Democrats also taste victory

Democratic incumbents too tasted victory in states such as Vermont and Florida. In Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy garnered a whopping 89 per cent of the vote, leaving his rival Daniel Freilich, a Navy veteran and doctor, far behind.

In Florida, Kendrick Meek, Congressman of Miami and one of the few African-American candidates for the Senate, scooped up 57 per cent of the vote. In doing so, he trounced Jeff Greene, a real estate magnate and billionaire who had vowed to spend “whatever it takes” to win.

In Alaska the contest in a sense pitted one incumbent against a newcomer with incumbent backing. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, whose family media reports said held a “decades-long grip on one of the state’s two Senate seats”, was locked into a close fight with Joe Miller, a candidate backed by both the Tea Party and by former Governor and political heavyweight Sarah Palin.

Although Ms. Murkowski significantly out-spent her rival, early results suggested that Mr. Miller was ahead by almost 3,000 votes and, according to reports, had captured over 51 per cent of the total votes cast.

With the Congressional elections less than three months away, Republican and Democratic candidates alike have taken up increasingly polarised positions on the two main burning issues of the day — the jobs crisis and the budget deficit. The tenor of the rhetoric has correspondingly become more strident, a trend that may well intensify as November approaches.

Labels: J.D. Hayworth, John McCain, U.S. primaries

From The Hindu

It has happened. The American election juggernaut has begun to creak into action six months ahead of its slated, official start.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, three states — Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Arkansas — faced primaries: intra-party elections in which candidates for the United States Congress from each party get nominated.

As one would expected in this feisty democracy — which could even compete with India in its degree of rambunctiousness — political pundits shifted into top gear as the results began to trickle in. Since then predictions have been flying fast and furious with all eyes on one variable — what does this mean for November?

While the answer is far from clear, one strong trend has become immediately evident: a powerful anti-Washington mood has gripped voters across the country.

In Kentucky, the fiscally conservative Tea Party movement scored a major victory — arguably its first in mainstream politics — when its candidate Rand Paul defeated Republican stalwart Trey Grayson, garnering close to 59 per cent of the vote.

Mr. Paul, the son of the former Congressman and Republican presidential candidate, Ron Paul, was swept to the forefront after months of wooing the conservative Republicans with a promise to attack the soaring budget deficit, eliminate congressional earmarks and institute term limits.

Tea Party gains
His success marks a key inflection point for the Tea Party movement, and will likely galvanise their grassroots efforts in primaries in other states. Or so some pundits argued.

Others, including Democratic National Committee chairman Tim Kaine, described Mr. Paul as an “extreme candidate” who “used a small part of the electorate to win over Grayson”.

For many Democrats then, Mr. Paul's victory would appear to improve their prospects in Kentucky.

In Pennsylvania, the sub-plot to the primary reflected the strong anti-incumbency mood more than anywhere else; heightening the risk that the November Congressional elections may be swept out of the hands of the Democrats.

In this state, it was a long-time Washington insider who lost his job. Senator Arlen Specter who, in a controversial volte face shifted allegiance from the Republican to the Democratic Party in 2009, was trounced by Representative Joe Sestak despite endorsements from the White House and leading Democrats.

Mr. Sestak, who took out TV advertisements criticising Mr. Specter's changing party allegiances, was quoted as saying: “This is what democracy looks like… A win for the people, over the establishment, over the status quo, even over Washington, DC.”

Arkansas also saw support for a Washington insider, Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln, wobble dangerously. She came away with a sliver of a lead over state Lieutenant-Governor Bill Halter. Too narrow a margin for her to avoid a run-off decider vote next month.

Observers cited a range of reasons why Mr. Halter did better than expected. While he had a reasonably solid support base — including labour unions, liberal groups and conservative voters in rural counties — it was too variegated to warrant any sweeping conclusions about his state-wide popularity. That conclusion, in turn, lends credence to the theory that the Arkansas result was principally shaped by a general air of mistrust surrounding Washington politics.

While Washington Democrats have held sway over Congress since 2008, they are in serious danger of losing at least a part of their control in November if this week's primaries are anything to go by. If it is not the far-right Tea Party, it may well be anti-establishment, local champions who oust them.

This would mean President Barack Obama would have a much harder time getting legislation passed.

Yet it is not all doom and gloom — Democrats and the White House have several powerful trends that may counteract the anti-incumbency mood, including improving jobs figures month-on-month, and possibly better healthcare outcomes in the aftermath of the hard-fought battle against insurance companies.

But these are hardly forces that Mr. Obama can rely on for success in November. If he wishes to save his Democratic colleagues from looming electoral defeat, he will need to continue reaching out to the American people to explain why their country is not as badly off as they think it is — and what he and Congress have done to help.

Labels: Democrats, elections, Republicans, Tea Party Movement, U.S. primaries, United States Congress