A Northeastern bloodbath for moderate Republicans

Republican Sandy Treadwell spent roughly $72 per vote out of his own wallet trying to unseat Democratic incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand.

The millions he spent must have looked like a good investment a year ago. The 20th CD has been a GOP stronghold since the GOP was created.

Surely a moderate, well-funded Republican candidate — with strong credentials and decent name recognition — could threaten a first-term Democrat who slipped into office on the strength of a scandal?

Uh, no. In percentage terms, Treadwell barely outpolled Democrat Mike Oot, a political neophyte who challenged Rep. John McHugh in the other North Country House district.

So what’s the deal?

Fred Barnes, conservative writer with the Weekly Standard, sings the blues of the Northeastern moderate.

With the defeat of Republican Chris Shays of Connecticut, Republicans now have no House members in New England. Before the 2006 election, they had five–three in Connecticut and two in New Hampshire.

And Republican trouble continued as well in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and extended into Ohio and Michigan. Republicans thought 2006 was a bad year in New York, but their losing streak continued with the three more House seats going to Democrats.

What triggered the bloodbath, in Barnes’ view?

Two things. The first is the party’s image, which has suffered because of an unpopular Republican president, scandals in Congress, and a party the media claims is too conservative. The other is the sour political mood in the country caused

by a weak economy, the financial meltdown, and the feeling the nation is headed in the wrong direction.

Barnes suggests that Republicans place some moderates in national leadership positions, in an effort to help candidates like Treadwell. The problem? As he writes today, “there are no longer many [Republican centrists] to choose from.”