MyDD :: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans

Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans

by Todd Beeton, Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:26:38 PM EST

Isn't it always?

In this case, the NRCC has managed to turn lemons into lemonade, spinning Cazayoux's 3 point win in LA-06 on Saturday as a disappointment for the Democrat who was up by 9 and 7 in the final 2 polls of the district. Specifically, the desperate NRCC is touting its ads tying Cazayoux to Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi as the reason for the gap's closing and putting Democrats on notice.

From CQ:

While hailing the simultaneous special election victory by Republican state Sen. Steve Scalise in the overwhelmingly Republican 1st District in and near New Orleans, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) contended that Cazayoux was actually a strong favorite to win the 6th District seat, despite its usual Republican tilt.

The NRCC continued that it had cut deeply into the supposed lead held by Cazayoux by running ads that sought to tie him to more liberal Democratic leaders such as Illinois Sen. Barack Obama , the front-running candidate for the party's presidential nomination, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.

"This should come as a warning shot to Democrats," the NRCC said in a post-election press release. "The elitist behavior of the Democratic front-runner and the liberal and extremist positions that he and his fellow Democrats in Congress have staked their claim to, do not appear to be as salient as they once hoped."

Pretty hilarious. They actually seem to believe their own BS or at the very least they're just showing their plumage for donors who've lost faith in the committee. Either way though, there's no doubt what the NRCC's 2008 plan for tough races in red districts is going to be, whether Barack Obama wins the nomination or not. I say bring it on.

Tags: la-06, nrcc, don cazayoux, barack obama, nancy pelosi (all tags)

Permalink :: 27 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (2.00 / 2)

Especially good for Rudy Giuliani!

John McCain: Healthcare for Kids? In America? No way

by bosdcla14 on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:31:19 PM EST

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (2.00 / 6)

So as long as the Republicans only lose these seats by a couple of points, thats a victory?

Well thats fine by me. I hope they rack up 10-20 of these great "victories."

by KevinT on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:33:20 PM EST

NRCC putting that out for a reason? (2.00 / 2)

To help the Clinton Gang to drag this contest out till the late-August convention?

Fwiw, here in Connecticut, our State Chair Nancy DiNardo pointed to those ads and the harm they were doing to down-ticket races as the reason why she had qualms about Obama and is waiting to endorese. This of course sounds like a Clinton talking point.

But bottom line is that a brokered convention is the GOP's best hope for a President McCain.

Clinton Democrats care about the same things I do, most importantly beating John McCain.

by TrueBlueCT on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:40:03 PM EST

Re: Nancy DiNardo (2.00 / 1)

Can't y'all up there get rid of her? I worked for Lamont in the primary, and I absolutely could not stand listening to her inanity.

GeauxBama!

by DailyKingFish on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:48:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Showing their plumage? (none / 0)

We'll soon have them pining for the fjords!

by RT on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:41:29 PM EST

It was (is) one of Rove's tactics. (2.00 / 1)

Spin a loss into a win.

Another one is attack the opposition for the very thing you have been found guilty of. I call it the PeeWee Herman tactic: 'I know you are but what am I?'

And of course the fallback straw man. Claim your opponent said (or did) something they never actually said (or did) and then mount a huge argument about what a bad idea it was.

The republicans have little imagination. They will recycle all the old Rove tricks, expecting to keep winning elections. They may win some that way but it's the old adage '...you can't fool all of the people all of the time' that gets them in the end.

Anybody got other Rovian tactics to share? Might be fun to set up a kind of Rovian bingo for the GE. Or has that been done already?

That One is the Right One for 2008.

by GFORD on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:43:22 PM EST

Re: It was (is) one of Rove's tactics. (2.00 / 2)

"Anybody got other Rovian tactics to share?"

Just google "2008 campaign hillary clinton."

Hillary: "Her dishonesty is actually honest." -- yellowdem1129

by Kobi on Mon May 05, 2008 at 03:29:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (2.00 / 1)

Am I the only one not celebrating Cazayouk's win? He basically ran as a conservative, pro-life, pro-gun, anti-Democrat, so I guess that's another reason why the GOP is claiming victory.

by wolff109 on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:45:06 PM EST

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (2.00 / 4)

Fewer Republicans...

Yes Cazayoux's going to be something of a Blue Dog. But that's still a move in the direction of improvement.

by ogre on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:47:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Don ran as an anti-Democrat? (2.00 / 3)

uhhh ... lose your stereotype, dude. Democrats are pro-life and pro-gun too. If we want to be a national party, we need to have a big tent. It's the attitude that you express that cost Dems seats in places like the South.

GeauxBama!

by DailyKingFish on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:50:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (2.00 / 2)

He never ran as an "anti-Democrat."

Will vote for Pelosi as Speaker.

Will vote for withdrawal from Iraq.

Will vote for the middle class on economic issues.

He's way better than the Republican and will represent his district well.

John McCain vows to overturn Roe

by soccerandpolitics on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:51:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (none / 0)

I'm not celebrating. From what I've heard he's a moderate (not completely insane) republican.

But he does sound a bit better than "Bloody Mary" Landrieu.

Hillary: "Her dishonesty is actually honest." -- yellowdem1129

by Kobi on Mon May 05, 2008 at 03:32:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (none / 0)

Uh, no he didn't.

And a lot of those issues you worry about won't be of importance with Democrats in control of Congress. They're not going to be bringing up any amendment to ban gay marriage in the House anytime soon (so long as we keep control of the chamber), so he can be pro-life to his heart's content, and it won't have any bearing on policy.

Please stop engaging in the Howie Klein litmus test. It doesn't help.

by BruinKid on Mon May 05, 2008 at 04:06:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (none / 0)

My disappointment to Cazayoux is based on my experience with the Democratic party of the 1980s and early 90s. We were saddled with many conservative/moderate Democrats who gave us a majority, but also undermined many attempts to get progressive legislation passed, and often prided themselves on bucking the national party (since the tactic played well at home and allowed them to claim they were mavericks). In fact, many of the Boll Weevil Democrats switched parties (Phil Gramm, Dick Shelby).

While I appreciate a big tent approach, and welcome conservative Democrats who wish to work constructively within the party, I do not welcome a candidate who openly disses the national party and its positions as the basis for his candidacy.

by wolff109 on Mon May 05, 2008 at 06:21:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Again ... (none / 0)

You're basing your feelings on conjecture. Don is a DEMOCRAT. He didn't diss the party. He ran the right race for this district.

GeauxBama!

by DailyKingFish on Tue May 06, 2008 at 12:56:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Polls (none / 0)

what a joke.

remember the MSNBC poll predicting South Carolina would be a relatively, close 8-pt outcome. Some even thought Edwards would pass Clinton and end up in 2nd place. In ended up in a 28 pt blowout..

"McSame: He's Constipated and Ready to GO!

by Al Rodgers on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:45:46 PM EST

Re: Polls (2.00 / 1)

More impressive than that. In 2004, John Edwards won the Palmetto State with 130,000 votes. In 2008, Hillary Clinton received 141,000 votes just to come in a very, very distant second. That's how big Barack Obama's win was in SC.

by Brad G on Mon May 05, 2008 at 03:24:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (none / 0)

Jenkins, Oberweis...where do they get these guys?

by Skaje on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:48:21 PM EST

I love it (2.00 / 1)

I can't wait to see their donor reaction when they're told that a loss in a district that favored them is good for them.

by southernman on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:55:36 PM EST

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (none / 0)

what's scary to me is how close their narrative is to the Hillary spin we've seen on here for months.

by alex100 on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:56:41 PM EST

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (none / 0)

by alex100 on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:56:50 PM EST

He's disappointed he won? (none / 0)

That's the spin for the day?

Queue the Black Knight....

"Mom, baseball, apple pie, and a unified Democratic juggernaut."

by Purplepeople on Mon May 05, 2008 at 03:05:44 PM EST

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (2.00 / 1)

In this case, the NRCC has managed to turn lemons into lemonade, spinning Cazayoux's 3 point win in LA-06 on Saturday as a disappointment for the Democrat who was up by 9 and 7 in the final 2 polls of the district.

Don't ya HATE it when politcal operatives try to spin the results?

Of course, if we don't and Hillary is able to keep him to single digits as the polls suggest, it should not be forgotten what a remarkable underperformance (of 20+ points) that would represent for Obama compared to how he did among similar electorates just 2 months before.

Hillary: "Her dishonesty is actually honest." -- yellowdem1129

by Kobi on Mon May 05, 2008 at 03:12:53 PM EST

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (none / 0)

. "The elitist behavior of the Democratic front-runner and the liberal and extremist positions that he and his fellow Democrats in Congress have staked their claim to, do not appear to be as salient as they once hoped."

Shouldn't this quote be attributed to Hillary? I mean, it's exactly what she's been saying for weeks!

Hillary: "Her dishonesty is actually honest." -- yellowdem1129

by Kobi on Mon May 05, 2008 at 03:19:35 PM EST

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (none / 0)

Um, it's exactly what Hillary's people do whenever she loses. Interesting.

by Becky G on Mon May 05, 2008 at 03:51:30 PM EST

Nothing says 'success' like failure! (none / 0)

Good going, GOP!

In this avalanche, the pebbles get to vote.

That One/Another Fella '08

by Dracomicron on Mon May 05, 2008 at 03:55:43 PM EST

Re: Don Cazayoux's Win Was Good For Republicans (none / 0)

Wow, Obama supporters never miss a chance to launch attacks on Hillary, do they? On every topic.

It's embarrassing how much their efforts have come to resemble campaigns for Treasurer of the 7th grade.

North Carolinians in particular should be proud of NC Obama's embarrassing, infantile performance booing Senator Clinton and their Governor last night.

by dembluestates on Mon May 05, 2008 at 04:52:16 PM EST

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