I noticed right away Tuesday night that election results were being spun to present 2006 as the "Year of the Moderates" or even as a conservative win. I thought this hilarious (talk about sour grapes! I'm sure we'd all heard on TV how elite and out of the mainstream our candidates were!) until I started hearing it repeated everywhere! If it was within my power, I corrected the misperception. I came up against someone on a local board, though, who insisted that conservative principles won the day Tuesday night. I set out to prove him wrong.
His evidence was the ballot initiatives that won, including the many anti-gay marriage measures. Looking over
the list he linked to, though, I found other things.
Looking at the ballot measures you pointed me towards, I see that: Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, and Ohio voted to raise their minimum wage. That's a Dem issue. Missouri voted to support stem-cell research. Oregon voted down a parental notification measure. South Dakota voted down the abortion ban--56% doesn't seem that small to me. As I understand it from 2004, 51% is a mandate. It does look like all the gay marriage bans passed and even one against civil unions. As someone who treasures equality, this saddens me, but it doesn't indicate a sweeping conservatism to me or more Repubs would have won along with the measures. It appears we as a country are simply squeamish about teh gays.
The magnitude of the win Tuesday night was so great that I initially had a hard time believing it myself. That led me to look at the campaign websites of some of the winners. When my correspondent kept up his argument, I dived into the list of winners I found in
this diary. I read about many winners and their issues statements and endormsements, looking for "liberal" issues. Here's what I came up with:
Harry Mitchell, AZ--Front page is his commercial in support of stem-cell research. Top of his issues page is his endorsement from NARAL.
Jerry McNerney , CA--Says 'No' to social security privatization; supports federal funding for embryonic stem cell research; supports a woman's right to choose.
Chris Murphy, CT--Supports social security as is and would roll back tax cuts on the rich; supports stem cell research and health care reform.
Ron Klein , FL--Hard to pin this guy down as he doesn't have an issues page on his website but his bio does mention that, as a state senator, he sought a ban on assault weapons and streamlined the capital punishment appeals process. I find nothing untoward here.
Joe Donnelly, IN--Against social security privatization but overall, here's one of the "moderates".
Brad Ellsworth, IN--Against social security privatization but again, moderate.
Baron Hill, IN--Does not support social security privatization and believes abortion is a private matter. For the last year he was in office, vote-smart.org says Right to Life gave him a 45% rating and NARAL gave him 30%--nobody particularly likes him in this debate. He does seem to get good ratings for civil rights and education.
Dave Loebsack, Iowa--Lots of union endorsements and one from Planned Parenthood. Will work towards universal health care. Supports federal minimum wage hike. IOWA.
Nancy Boyda, Kansas--Raise minimum wage. Reform health system. Somewhat moderate, but it's Kansas.
John Yarmuth, KY--Supports immediately beginning troop withdrawals. Supports universal health care. Does not support social security privatization. Thinks NCLB was deliberately constructed to create "failing" schools. Serves on the board of Planned Parenthood. KENTUCKY!
Tim Walz, MN--Lots of union endorsements. Touts his ActBlue Netroots endorsement. Drop tax cuts for the richest 1%. Environmental preservation a big issue for him. Al Franken fundraised for him.
Carol Shea-Porter, NH--Right to privacy is one of her issue points, including no warrantless wiretaps for the government and the right of a woman to their own private medical decisions. Universal healthcare.
Paul Hodes, NH--Supports personal freedoms which he says includes a woman's right to choose and second amendment rights. Would amend Patriot Act. Would raise minimum wage. Recognizes global warming.
John Hall, NY--endorsed by the Sierra Club, Progressive Democrats of America, and numerous unions.
Kirsten Gillibrand, NY--Endorsements include numerous unions, NARAL, Sierra Club. Part of her healthcare plan includes insuring all America's children.
Heath Shuler, NC--Lots of union endorsements, but also pro-life endorsement. Rejects social security privatization. Vows to either fully fund NCLB or repeal it. Environmental issues are important to him. Another moderate.
Jason Altmire, PA--Strongly opposes any plan to place arbitrary financial caps on damages awarded in lawsuits where an avoidable error has occurred. Strongly opposes any plan to privatize Social Security. Endorses English as the official language--a mixed bag here.
Joe Sestak, PA--Many union endorsements. Sierra Club and Brady Gun Campaign endorsements. Support choice and federally-funded stem-cell research.
Chris Carney, PA--Several union endorsements. Lists endorsement from blogger Atrios. Believes government should enable good decision making, not legislate private action.
I only did the first 19 and then pooped out. I feel like it's a representative sampling, though, since they come from many different states and especially important as these folks beat incumbent Repubs.
The list was interesting because it made me feel more confident that this was indeed no furtive conservative revolution. It was also interesting for the glimpse of the spectrum of Dem beliefs it provides. And it is only a glimpse. I looked for key endorsements or issue statements but these candidates are all so much more than the few lines represented here. If you have the time, you should take the tour! Google is your friend!
It also made me think about what my correspondent was putting up against these beliefs: anti-gay marriage, anti-abortion and anti-affirmative action. Is this what conservatism has come down to? Dems have ideas--lots of them--but it seems the other side is only anti-stuff.
I doubt I turned the head of a died-in-the-wool Hannity listener, but I know I enriched myself with this exercise and I thought I'd share the list with you all. If you know a candidate and feel I've misrepresented them, please let me know. Again, this is only a slice of their issues, but those that I felt could turn back the "conservative" meme.
UPDATE
I think when Dems win with a crushing majority of the popular vote, this is also an indication of NO CONSERVATIVE TIDE.