Election Day Roundup

Yesterday's elections yielded some interesing results in South Carolina, Arkansas, Nevada, California, and Iowa.

In South Carolina, State Rep Nikki Haley won 49% of the vote for the GOP nomination for governor, just short of the 50% she needed to avoid a runoff with Congressman Gresham Barrett.  The winner of the runoff will face State Senator Vincent Sheheen in November.  Keep in mind that Nikki Haley is a teabagger fav, endorsed by Sarah Palin. Don't think for a second that I support her. But this is South Carolina, people.  It's been years since a Democrat had a shot at the governor's race. Unless Haley really did sleep with every closet case in the GOP, she'll win.  Speaking of which, French Lieutenant's Woman Lt. Gov Andre' Bauer came in a distant 4th behind Attorney General Henry McMaster.  Too bad, so sad Andre'.  No word on his former aide Larry Marchant whom I would like to imagine waking up this morning with a thunderous hangover after drowing his sorrows in too many Creme de Menthe Frappes at PT's Cabaret.  I'm sure that's not true. 

On to Nevada where another teabagger fav, Sharron "Two Rs" Angle beat Chicken Lady Sue Lowden for the GOP nomination for Senate.  Two Rs will now face Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the general election.  In fact, Two Rs isn't just a teabagger fav, she's an an actual teabagger herself.  You better believe Harry Reid was popping the champagne corks over her win.  There's all kinds of crazy for him to exploit (she supports "phasing out" social security, she supports storing nuclear waste in Nevada, and on and on).  The teabaggers just handed Reid his only (slim) chance of winning in November.

Crazy Nevada Republican Governor Jim Gibbons became the first sitting governor in state history to loose a primary.  Why?  It could have been the sexual assault allegations (never proven) or the luxury cruise paid for by a defense contractor.  He also pushed through a provision that requires a 2/3 majority of both houses of the legislature for any tax increases.  This is the same sort of provision that has all but wrecked California.  In other words, Nevada was fucked by Jim Gibbons. 

In Arkansas, Blanche Lincoln somehow pulled out 51% of the vote, avoiding a runoff with progressive Lt. Gov.  Bill Halter.  She will have a tough battle against Republican Congressman John Boozman in November.

In California, it was the year of the unqualified women CEOs.  Failed Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina won the GOP nomination for Barbara Boxer's Senate seat.  Former EBay CEO Meg Whitman bought won the GOP nomination for Governor. She'll face former Governor Moonbeam, Jerry Brown, in November.   Meg spent $71 million of her own personal fortune to get this far.  We'll see if she can buy the governor's mansion.

Also in California, birther-in-chief Orly Taitz lost her bid to be California Secretary of State to former NFL player Damon Dunn who never even voted until last year.  There was speculation that she could win which would have been a huge embarassment to the Republican party.

In Iowa, some rabidly anti-gay bigots lost big.  Bob Vander Plaats lost the GOP nomination for governor to former governor Terry Branstad.  Branstad is not exactly a friend of the gays, but Vander Plaats tried to make marriage equality the major issue of the campaign.   In a state house race,  Ako Abdul-Samad won the Democratic primary against minister Clair Rudison who ran with the full force of the anti-gay Iowa Family Policy Council.  Like Vander Plaats, Rudison vowed to make marriage equality the decisive issue.  I guess Iowa voters were more concerned with issues that acutally have an effect on them.