I need to hear some good news about the off-year elections, because here in the Delaware County suburbs of Philadelphia, it was a little depressing last night. Do you have better news in your local elections to cheer me up? How's the 50-state strategy working where you are?
This is pretty solid Republican territory. The County Council had its last Democrat in 1980, when the charter was amended so that they weren't required to have a minority representative. Our local Borough Council has also been 100% Republican for decades.
But still, I had reason to hope. First, the county went 2/3 for Kerry in 2004. We voted out Crazy Curt Welden in 2006. And this year, the local Democratic party seemed really fired up. We fielded a strong ticket for County Council, led by David Landau who I saw everywhere campaigning his heart out. We fielded a full ticket for the Borough Council. All the lawn signs were blue, even the Republican ones. (I don't know about your neighborhood, but in my area you were hard pressed to find the word "Republican" or "GOP" on anything).
But it wasn't enough. We still have one-party rule locally on both Councils. Worse news, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports
Overall, turnout was light.
"As far as I can tell the turnout has been incredibly light and that does not bode well for Democrats in Delaware County," was an early analysis by Frank Daly, 58, the former Media mayor who was defeated in his run for a Common Pleas judgeship.
The situation was similar in Bucks, particularly in some Democratic strongholds, said former Republican congressman Mike Fitzpatrick. "A suppressed Democratic turnout is not good for the Democratic county commissioners," he said.
Surely the pendulum hasn't already begun swinging back, has it? I'm very surprised to hear about light turnout. There has been a genuine groundswell of excitement (and -- gasp -- organization) in the local Democratic Party organizations, something for which I give credit directly to Howard Dean and the 50-state strategy.
So tell me how the fallout was in your local elections. Any good omens for 2008?