Friday Ramblings with Robert

My Take on Virginia and New Jersey

This has been the hot topic of the week and I know it doesn’t really pertain too much to us here, but I think it gives us a good gage on how certain groups are feeling right now and what we may be able to expect in a year.  We are still a whole year away from the 2010 elections and a lot can change between now and then, but I think we are seeing based on the races this week that so-called independents have maybe moved back more red where they have been blue of late in elections.  Each party can get their bases out and vote but it is this large group in the middle that really dictates the results nowadays.  Critics will say Virginia and New Jersey are local races and have no effect on a national scene, but let’s keep in mind that these same folks who voted this week will vote next year on House and Senate races.  The big picture right now is that conservatives are motivated to go out and vote while key groups in the Democratic base could care less right now and that may be a telling sign in states around the country next year including ours. 

Childers Stays on Pattern

It should come as no surprise that Travis Childers is going to oppose the House version of a healthcare reform bill when you consider this statement from Steny Hoyer:

“We certainly have well over 218 people who say they want to vote for the bill”

As has been the case in the past Mr. Childers apparently will not be needed by his liberal colleagues so he has been freed to vote against it and hopefully save his hide in 2010.  Also, I think Mr. Childers may be fretting a bit from what happened in Virginia this week where so-called conservative democrats, like himself, were taken out behind the woodshed by Republicans. 

Fort Hood

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who were killed and injured yesterday at Fort Hood in Texas.  It is really sobering to think that nowadays you cannot even feel safe on a military base in our country.  We do not know much about the motives of the killer, a serviceman himself, and I don’t really want to speculate at this time.  It is a sad day today knowing that 13 people who volunteered to protect this country at all cost were killed by one of their own at a place where they should have felt safe and secure.