IWins for outsiders Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman, centrist Blanche Lincoln, and Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle—plus a runoff for Nikki Haley—are a clear sign of voter desire to shake up the good old boy network.
Voters in 12 states expressed their anger with Washington and special interests Tuesday night by defeating a $10 million union campaign to unseat a senator who had the courage to stand up against their special interest legislation, promoting women outsiders who have run public companies but never held office, and supporting candidates aligned with Tea Party values.
And as clear evidence of voter desire to the shake up the good old boy network in politics, women ruled the night.
The public’s frustration has reached the boiling point: 67 on a 100-point index. Just 27 percent believe Congress knows what it’s doing when it comes to the economy. And the number who approve of their own representatives has fallen below 50 percent for the first time since 1994.
While Congress dined on smoked salmon with President Obama and the first lady at a picnic on the South Lawn on Tuesday evening, the voters spoke. The message is clear. The party is over.
The clear message from voters Tuesday night: “establishment and special interests beware” and “we demand to be heard.”
In the runoff election in Arkansas, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D), in office since 1998, ran against and beat more than just her opponent, fellow Democrat Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. She also ran against a powerful, well-funded special-interest group. In the three weeks since the May 18 primary, organized labor spent more than $10 million against Lincoln, a moderate who dared to oppose union’s pet issue card check legislation.
