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Election Eve Potpourri
Written by Jeremy Jacobs on November 2, 2009, 3:55 PM
With less than 24 hours until Election Day 2009, we'll keep you updated on the most interesting developments in the races that will grab the most headlines. Since we focused our October issue on GOTV, we'll highlight any techniques we see the campaigns using as well as any polling and notable ads.
New York Special House Election
New Jersey Governor
Virginia Governor
The Obama administration has been more reluctant to get involved in the Virginia governor's race, as it looks like Republican Bob McDonnell will run away with it. Organizing for America, Obama's political arm, did email its supporters over the weekend asking them to make calls on behalf of Democratic nominee Creigh Deeds.
New York Mayor
Getting back to robocalls, don't miss this AP story on Michael Bloomberg's extensive and expensive – does he ever do it any other way? – robocall and targeting plan for Election Day. The story also breaks down Bloomberg's impressive cadre of consultants.
Jeremy P. Jacobs is the staff writer at Politics. He can be reached at jjacobs@politicsmagazine.com
New York Special House Election
The White House continues to wade cautiously into Tuesday's marquee races. Vice President Joe Biden was in Watertown on Monday stumping for Democrat Bill Owens in the upstate New York House special election. Never one to hold back, Biden said that Rush Limbaugh "handpicked" conservative candidate Douglas Hoffman. Hoffman is the GOP's best shot at winning the seat now that prior nominee Dede Scozzafava has dropped out of the race and thrown her support to Owens.
Scozzafava also campaigned with Owens on Monday and recorded robocalls for him.
The latest polling in the race (PDF): Hoffman leads Owens 41 percent to 35 percent. Stu Rothenberg shifted the race from tilt Demcoratic to pure Toss Up.
(A side note: In all of this race's chaos, is there anyone this looks worse for than Newt Gingrich? Gingrich stuck his neck out early in the race and endorsed Scozzafava, who is now an apostate of the national party, because he said she was the practical choice. Gingrich is now backing Hoffman, of course, and told the AP that he was "deeply upset" about Scozzafava's decisions.)
New Jersey Governor
President Obama went back on the trail with New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) over the weekend. The latest Quinnipiac poll shows Republican Chris Christie holding a statistically insignificant two point lead. Two more new polls also show the race to be a toss up.
Virginia Governor
The Obama administration has been more reluctant to get involved in the Virginia governor's race, as it looks like Republican Bob McDonnell will run away with it. Organizing for America, Obama's political arm, did email its supporters over the weekend asking them to make calls on behalf of Democratic nominee Creigh Deeds.
Not all the big names are staying out of that race, though, and look for Republicans to make a big deal out of McDonnell win. Sarah Palin, who hasn't been involved in the contest so far, recorded a robocall that is running in Virginia. Palin urges voters to "vote your values" in the call and – somewhat curiously - doesn't mention McDonnell's name.
McDonnell, meanwhile, isn't embracing Palin's efforts, telling ABC News that he didn't know anything about the call.
More Palin...
Can't get enough Palin? She also engaged in a verbal back and forth on Monday with Joe Biden. (Yes, I know this has will have nothing to do with the elections tomorrow, but it is too entertaining.) In his appearance with Owens on Monday, Biden appeared to mock Palin's "Drill, baby, drill" energy mantra last year. "It's a lot more complicated, Sarah," Biden said.
More Palin...
Can't get enough Palin? She also engaged in a verbal back and forth on Monday with Joe Biden. (Yes, I know this has will have nothing to do with the elections tomorrow, but it is too entertaining.) In his appearance with Owens on Monday, Biden appeared to mock Palin's "Drill, baby, drill" energy mantra last year. "It's a lot more complicated, Sarah," Biden said.
Not to be outdone, Palin took to her own bully pulpit – her Facebook page. "There’s one way to tell Vice President Biden that we’re tired of folks in Washington distorting our message and hampering our nation’s progress," Palin wrote. "Hoffman, Baby, Hoffman!"
New York Mayor
Getting back to robocalls, don't miss this AP story on Michael Bloomberg's extensive and expensive – does he ever do it any other way? – robocall and targeting plan for Election Day. The story also breaks down Bloomberg's impressive cadre of consultants.
Jeremy P. Jacobs is the staff writer at Politics. He can be reached at jjacobs@politicsmagazine.com
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