Yes, the North Country is centrist and moderate
One of the weird anomalies of last month’s Republican primary is that Rick Lazio — the GOP’s handpicked standard-bearer — did pretty well in the North Country.
While Carl Paladino pummeled him around most of New York state, Lazio actually won St. Lawrence County by a whopping 55-44% margin.
Lazio also won Essex County, albeit by a much narrower margin.
Given a choice between the safe, moderate Republican and the tea party’s firebrand Louisville-slugger-wielding outsider, this region’s voters went with the establishment pick.
The same held true for former Wall Streeter Matt Doheny, who edged out tea party favorite Doug Hoffman.
Those results were swimming around in the back of my mind as I re-read the recent Siena poll of the 48th Senate district.
The headline from that poll: Republican challenger Patty Ritchie holds a narrow lead over incumbent Democrat Darrel Aubertine.
But buried in the fine print was some interesting information.
Andrew Cuomo still has high favorables in the region, roughly 54% favorable. Barack Obama is also more popular here than in the rest of the US, with a 48% favorability.
By contrast, the tea party wins 42% favorability.
And many of the issues that tea party conservatives focus on — taxes, the state budget, and government reform — are eclipsed by one overriding desire: Government help on creating jobs.
A third of North Country people polled think creating jobs should be the top issue for Albany and Washington DC. That was more than twice the level of interest of the next highest issue (government reform).
Obviously, the North Country is no Democratic bastion. The fact that a relatively conservative incumbent like Aubertine is vulnerable — despite his relatively high personal favorability ratings — is clear evidence of that.
But this poll also strengthens the argument that this isn’t a tea-party-mad-as-hell sort of region.
That fact could make it harder for Republican candidates here to ride the national wave in November.
Tags: politics
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Some good points, though one thing I disagree with:
“Government help on creating jobs.”
There’s difference between jobs and government help on creating jobs. A lot of the “help” our state government provides is hindrance. All too often the state needs to get out of the way and just give businesses the opportunity to thrive. This, of course, involves less government. I think a lot of people recognize that now.
Lazio actually did better in St Lawrence county then he did in the Bronx. I would have though NYC would be an area he did well in. But Paladino didnt have much of a presence up here so maybe that was a factor. I don’t watch much tv but I don’t remember seeing any ads.
They aren’t paying much attention this year,but the national media and conservatives from other parts of the country really don’t understand the natureof the NY Republican Party or our district.
Is the North Country centrist? or is it about an even split of left-wingers and right-wingers? with the no-man’s land left barren?
Agree with Scratchy. An ambiguous question results in an ambiguous answer.