Unspinning The Election Headlines

COMMENTARY
No symbolic win here; the major election results retain the status quo.

Reuters news proclaims that the Dems sweep the races and stated, "the off-year election offered grim news for Republicans seeking clues to next year's political climate and the long-term effect of Bush's plummeting approval ratings, now the lowest of his presidency."

Well hello, the truth is the Dems didn't give up races for positions they already held. The governor's races were both won by Democrats, who kept the Democrats in office in those states. Mayor Bloomberg, a Republican, also kept his seat in predominantly Democrat New York.

Reuters also gave undue national political weight to defeats of California ballot initiatives, but buries the passing of a law in Texas banning gay marriage.

AP also proclaims, "Democrats cleaned up big," and re-framed the story by moving the regional California ballot initiatives to a frontal position in their article. Anyone who knows why Sacramento wants to keep spending like crazy should feel free to leave comments.

NEWSBYTES
Democrats sweep Virginia, New Jersey races
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats swept tough and sometimes nasty governors' races in Virginia and New Jersey on Tuesday, dealing a setback to Republicans and President George W. Bush ahead of critical congressional elections next year.

In Virginia, Democrat Tim Kaine handily defeated Republican Jerry Kilgore despite Bush's 11th-hour appearance on Kilgore's behalf. Democratic Sen. Jon Corzine (news, bio, voting record) beat Republican businessman Doug Forrester in a bitter New Jersey race featuring an attack on the divorced Corzine by his ex-wife. Read full story.

Democrats Win Elections in NJ, Va., Calif.
Democrats cleaned up big in off-year elections from New Jersey to California, sinking the candidate who embraced President Bush in the final days of the Virginia governor's campaign. They also turned back all four of GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's efforts to reshape state government. Read full story.

Political Tension: Status quo
Gravity: Divisive

Tags: current events, politics, News, Republican, Democrats, 2008, election