According to Ballotpedia the 2016 NC District 9 race was won by Republicans by nearly 17%.
So why are we looking at Trump's victory margins?
The GOP can't be secure in the knowledge they slipped by 15%.
6
"...90% of Republican voters remain acolytes of this horrible man because ‘he thinks like me and talks like me,’ we are in desperate trouble."
The book "Escape from Freedom" would make an excellent read for this 90%.
Blindly following an individual who is a known serial lier, abuser of women, exploiter of his office for personal gain, and advocate of violence on those who disagree with him--this really does lead to fascism.
I've lived in a Christian fascist country. The upside is that you don't have to think or make your own decisions.
The downsides, however, were many--from a fine for kissing one's wife in public to a police beating on the head for attending a meeting of university professors.
Trump says and does things that consistently move our country in the direction of fascism. It may appear silly when he "corrects" the weather report, but it's at the core of totalitarianism that the leader is never wrong. The leader has special powers, something that Trump claims for himself over and over.
The religious Republicans must know--if it's a religious dictatorship, the leader is first, God second. The leader tells us what to believe about God, which is why I cringe inside when I hear the word "God" in Trump's mouth.
And like us, every nation thinks that it can't happen to them.
6
Given that Republicans rigged the original election, there should never have been a special election. Dan McCready should have been declared winner by default. Given the history of electoral hanky-panky in District 9 and North Carolina politics in general, I would not be surprised if we learn of irregularities even in this special election.We know Republicans, especially in the South, are very good at cheating by whatever means. Voter suppression, gerrymandering and intimidation are their favorite tools. The signs of change are coming and in time Republicans will come to regret that they have been on the wrong side of almost every important issue. Trump will be their albatross and they placed it on themselves.
5
It’s pretty frightening to watch a lawless president and a lawless party that only cares about serving the rich and promoting dictatorship North Korea style as patriotic to America holding this much sway in the country.
I remember when the country was marching relentlessly toward invading Iraq and how most of Americans, most news outlets, most pundits, and most politicians from both parties supported it. If you didn’t support it you were labeled “unpatriotic”, and asked why you hated America.
I also remember people being ridiculed for not supporting the Bush economic policies.
I sometimes feel that if you had the bad judgement to support the invasion of Iraq and the Bush economic polices, you shouldn’t be able to vote.
There is not a lot of “common sense” being used.
5
Did Bishop really win or was this just another Republican-style "victory" ?
5
A Huge GOP Win!!! Gerrymandering; fraud at 2018 election; $6.4 million spent; Trump/Pence Rally!! This was a Huge Win! Huge I tell you. Winning in 2020! Promises made; promises kept! Lock her up! Send the Squad back where they came from!
Democrats already hold the House. These results matter only if they indicate Democrats can take Tillis's senate seat in 2020.
1
By the way...Trump’s claim that Bishop came back from 17 points down looks like one more giant lie.
Gosh, I’m astonished. You too, I bet.
3
Wow, after all we've seen and heard from Trump. The GOP electorate is an abomination.
4
Values like tearing children from their parents at the border. No thanks.
3
It's the economy, stupid, and Democrats still lack a compelling message or the credibility with conservative voters to maintain or improve on the current economy under Trump, or at least the economy as perceived by these low information voters. The only thing that will speak to them is an actual, severe economic downturn that hits their pocketbooks so hard they can't ignore it, and that is what Trump is fighting to avoid by bullying the Fed. Everything else in the Democratic playbook just looks like giveaways, excessive spending and open borders.
8
I live in a rural area of what I call "dead cat Republicans." Meaning, you could list a dead cat on the ballot, but as long as it has an R after its name, most (white) people will vote for it.
6
Why was there even a special election?
Shouldn’t McCready have been sworn into office once it was proven that his opponent and the Republican Party CHEATED in the previous election?
Why did the Republican Party get a do-over?!
8
Our North Carolina brethren preferred a lawyer who wants to be a school bathroom monitor for Jesus,
rather than vote for a Marine Veteran who served in battle, rather than Congressman Dan.
7
The only reason this was close is because McCready is a former US Marine. If he had been a typical left-winger promising the whole gamut of handouts like the cast of characters running for the Dem nomination, it would not have even been close. Too funny.
2
I take it you’ve never looked at how Trump’s polling in the state, huh?
2
I thought everyone hated Trump and that included Republicans. Already the democrats are making excuses and trying to paint this as a positive.
At some point you would think democrats and the media would learn you never win by going negative at Trump. It's like feeding him a power source. So much time has been wasted when democrats should have been going positive with solid accomplishments.
Instead they are going into a convention with nothing to show and just a hate Trump campaign. Not a winning strategy and it will just feed Trump.
4
The 2018 result was overturned because of possible fraud. It had cost Democrat McCready the win by some 700 votes; by how much would he have won if there was no fraud?
This time, with no fraud, he lost to a different challenger by some 4,000 votes. Here's your Blue Wave.
Seems like you might have to wave "Goodbye" to your so desperately flaunted "Blue Wave."
@Diogenes
The district was still heavily gerrymandered.
That said, if Democrats don’t get out and vote, they will lose.
3
Special elections are like primaries, they always favor the republican candidates because of the demographics of the people inclined to vote republican. Old, retired white people have all the time in the world and the means to get to the polling places.
3
Although McCready only did a smidgen worse than in 2019, this election also showed how rock-solid Trump's base is. Here we had a Republican representing a party that had outright stolen a Congressional seat less than one year ago and yet the GOP won anyway.
The ”stop Trump” crowd, Democrat or not, had better troop to the polls in massive numbers next year because we can be absolutely sure that the MAGA hat wearers will.
Democracy schmemocracy; the loyal Trump base doesn't care a rotten fig about it.
7
Did any happen to read the margin of victory in the article? I saw the 905 vote margin from the thrown out election. So did the margin increase or decrease? Thanks,
The Vietnam War draft dodger and the Republican Party, true to form, and consistent with their collectively expressed dogma of playing the racial and anti immigrant card, once again showed that pandering to racial fear mongering, xenophobic apprehension, and LGBTQ+ loathing, they saved another GOP Congressional seat. The spineless GOP operatives only know one road: divide and distract. The draft dodger who prides himself by invoking national security and national pride as the instrumentalities to viciously demonize, denigrate, and malign those who do not agree with the Republican Party, justifies the offensive conduct as necessary to protect America from 'those people' who allegedly pose a threat. Bottom line is playing the race card, and the immigrant card, is just what the GOP desperately needs to remain in power. The Vietnam War draft dodger, though, should be worried. The GOP NC 9 'victory' portends harbinger of potentially adverse electorate consequences for him. Driving up his base through persistent scare tactics that 'those people' are taking 'your' jobs, threatening 'your' Christian values, 'your' way of life, and 'your' security has it limits, practically speaking. There are so many less than educated, blue collar worker, clueless Caucasians who lack multi diversity awareness, much less care, that can, and will vote Republican. The increasing presence of multiracial, multiethnic, and multiimmigrant voters are energized and will vote Democratic. Yes. Race matters.
2
What makes anyone think the Republicans didn't stack the deck again.
7
@Steve
They always will.
They just aren’t as blatant.
2
I wish the Times would stop running columns and articles gleefully predicting that the Republican Party is doomed. It's not working because the Democrats are unable to shed their image that they're a party of superior elitists who really think voters are deplorable. The Republicans have proved to be quite durable because they managed to survive political disasters such as the Depression and Watergate.
2
Dan Bishop was not the best person Republicans could have picked. Anyone touting their support for the NRA or proposing bathroom bills is the worst.
3
I'm concerned about the assumption that the "Democrats didn't do enough". Please see the attached article from the July 29, 2019 Raleigh News & Observer about North Carolina's voting machines under the headline; "NC elections board to reconsider voting machines after initial decision to delay"
Read more here: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article233278201.html#storylink=cpy
I'm not sure that these results are accurate.
2
This is horrifying to me.
4
NYT readers seem to be perpetually surprised when a Democrat loses. Maybe they should broaden their reading habits. the Democrat here campaigned for 27 straight months, with lots of outside money poured in and still lost. this district was never going to flip.
3
If America wants to continue voting based solely on their political affiliation, then America deserves what they get from this corrupt and incompetent administration.
2
After 20 plus years of FOX misrepresentation of news we now have people that believe just Hannity over any news anywhere. No one else. There was a war over slavery but these same people believe it was about pride. What could go wrong! AGAIN!!
2
We voters need to get out and vote in every election whether local, state or national. We need to restore civility, decency and respect for laws. Trump and his administration are working against the best interests of the American people. We need to hold the GOP-controlled Senate accountable and do their job. We need to restore our place in the international community and stop The chaotic governance of Trump and his administration. We need to pass laws that a sitting president is not above the law and make every vote count by eliminating the Electoral College. Our children and grandchildren deserve better then what we’ve experienced since the 2016 election.
1
@Georgy Morgenstern Who did force voters not to go out and vote ?
Isn’t this district one of the ones gerrymandered by that late Republican consultant? Shouldn’t the story state clearly that a Democrat almost won a district designed to hand the Republicans an easy win? And that in fact, the race was so close that the President had to make a last-ditch effort to rally the base? I find the angle on this story rather inexplicable. The gerrymandering of N.C. districts isn’t even mentioned. Nor is the status of lawsuit challenging the gerrymandering in state court. Has it all been resolved in favor of the current map?
4
"The 2018 midterm race for the seat, in which Mr. McCready barely lost against a different Republican, was in question for months because of evidence of election fraud on the G.O.P. side. The election was finally thrown out, an embarrassing conclusion for state Republicans who had carved the lines of the deeply red district."
Sorry, but Republicans obviously don't find getting caught engaging in election fraud "embarrassing." If they did, they might try to change their ways.
3
This was a very educational election and result.
On the one hand, a candidate who embraced the base, and took extreme positions.
On the other hand, a centrist candidate, who eschewed strong positions.
Look at who won (and this race happened twice), close both times, but in both cases a narrow win for the extremist.
Oh, btw, the same result happened in 2016 at a national scale. Close again, by some 100k votes in MI, WI, PA.
My conclusion, a centrist will have a tough time winning. Now I’m not sure if a strongly left candidate will win - but they will turn out the base better. And the dem base needs to turn out. And dems need to do whatever it takes to get every last member out. Or we are all toast.
2
Republicans should have won by 10-20 points! They didn’t, they barely won. Yes, a win is a win, but the fact that a Democrat came so close is a solid Red state should be seen as a hopeful sign. Last election in November that NC Elections Board found that the Republicans were cheating, is anyone checking the legitimacy of this election?
1
I like the comment made that if you give Republican voters a choice between a Republican and a moderate Democrat they will choose the real Republican every time.
Maybe the Democrats should take a page out of Goldwater’s book, meaning vote your principles, lose big but get your platform into the main stream in the next election. That’s what the Republicans did. They lost big with Goldwater and have been here ever sense starting with Nixon all they way to Trump.
Warren in 2020!
2
Anyone who is still identifying as a Republican at this point is going to vote down party lines, no matter what. A “get-out-the-vote” campaign is the only strategy the Dems should be focused on. College campuses are a great place to start. Voter registration events should be a regular occurrence with a focus on absentee ballots for out-of-state students and once the Dems have a General Election candidate, EVERY SINGLE Democratic politician in Washington should be traveling to college campuses and swing states to campaign on behalf of the party. The environment and student debt are more important issues to young people than any other so the Dems should be hitting that hard. They should be activating social media influencers (they have massive audiences) to promote the candidate and encourage voting. Young people are hopeful enough to think their voices matters and that they can make a difference. It could be the difference for the Dems.
2
My question is how many of these votes were done on hackable computers and hackable scanners? This is a question I will continue to have until true election security becomes the norm, with PAPER BALLOTS. Folks, even if we have the bluest wave ever in 2020, what's the chance that corruption will reign, and Trump will "win" once again, via corruption? (Pretty strong if you ask me, where things stand right now.) Contact your congresspeople to insist on change RIGHT NOW, and insist upon paper ballots with auditing backups at all polling stations! Mitch McConnell and company want to make sure our system is, and remains corrupt, in their favor, and they will fight tooth and nail to prevent their own demise in 2020. There's no debating that, really. So it's up to us to do something NOW!
2
No matter who the Democrats elect to run, at any level, be it district, state, or national, Republicans will label them as socialists, and 99% of Republicans will buy it, without really understanding the policies behind the label. For most of them, the term socialist is abstract and means only one thing: Taxes and redistribution of their income to the “undeserving other”. When one’s party becomes a label, it is time to wear that label proudly, unashamedly, and with conviction, and yell to the top of one’ lungs: Yes, I am a socialist because Medicare is socialist. Social Security is socialist. Unemployment Insurance is socialist. A fair and living wage for fair labor is socialist. A well funded public education system is socialist. Not paying usury interest rates on your credit card debt is socialist. A well funded military is socialist. A revival of adequate pensions from your employer after a life of labor is socialist. Even going to the moon (yes, you paid for it) was socialist.
Be proud of it. Run with it. And if you still loose, keep yelling and try again. One may not be able to reverse fifty years of Republican brainwashing in one election. But keep trying we must.
2
@DJ Just a question: why should be "the others" brainwashed and not you ?
The only reason it was close for Mr. McCready was because he really ran as an independent, not a democrat. He was appealing because he wanted to work across the aisle. If he ran on the issues of the democrat presidential candidates, Bishop would have won in a landslide.
The same can be said for the democrats who won in 2018. They really had to straddle the middle. People may not like President Trump, but most despise the democrat platform--open borders, abortion whenever, government run healthcare, gun confiscation etc...
Unless the election was held with hand counted paper ballots, I suspect fraud. The republican penchant for stealing election sis well documented at this point.
4
@Baruch Would you have this concern had your party won ?
1
“In Washington, Mr. Bishop’s victory was not seen by Republicans as appreciably improving their chances of winning the House back in 2020. Indeed, his win came only after outside Republican groups poured over $5 million into the district.”
Cheap shot or the ugly truth about how our politics get hijacked again and again by the power of money?
1
You conveniently avoided mentioning that the other congressional race in NC was won by a Republican with over 63% of the vote.
3
As a voter in this district, the biggest issue for me is that half my neighbors voted for a man primarily because he supports a president who I consider to be a criminal and an incompetent. I cannot fathom how they arrive that this conclusion. I wonder if they will change their minds when Trump is wearing stripes for obstruction of justice, bank fraud and campaign finance violations, or if they will continue to back him nonetheless.
3
So the guy responsible for North Carolina's notorious 'bathroom bill' that cost the state $3.76 billion in lost business and the beneficiary of illegal campaign tactics plus gerrymandering is chosen over an honorable veteran and businessman who pledged to put country over party. Way to go N.C.
2
While Democrats seem to be encouraged by the 9th district loss, I am deeply discouraged. McCready lost by about 900 (corrupt) votes, I believe, in 2018, and by 3900 in 2019. Even by the awful standards of NC Republicans, Bishop is a shameful man. Yet, the combination of bigotry, racism, xenophobia, sexism, cruelty---the list goes on---of Trump and Bishop increased the margin, especially in small town and rural NC. And in the 3rd district, the Republican won by 24.3 %! He will replace Jones, who for a Republican was a decent man.
13
We have to thank Dan McCready for having the strength and commitment to take on this race and make it a challenge. He didn't win the election, but he won for democracy.
10
I’m sorry, what did democracy win? And why should we thank Dan for wasting a boat load of donor money that could have been used for better purposes? And if he had won, and been like a Manchin, how would that help anyone?
Came close! Democrats should stay with focusing on policies/programs and not just "never Trump" or mainly trying to appeal to the Trump/ Republican voters to change. There is a combination of "50 state" and "identity politics" that is the best overall strategy. I keep in mind that the heretofore non-voting trend has been among the majority of citizens, and I hope that if we all go out and vote, it will make a difference like in 2018. VOTE!
5
The Dem candidate was probably the best that could have run in this district, but a strongly red district is still red. The result was close, but not as close as in 2018, despite what happened in this district following the 2018 election and Trump's current standing. Two lessons for 2020--first, Dems cannot assume Trump's base, or a significant portion thereof, will desert him or the GOP next year and, second, the Dems will need the strongest possible turnout among their base.
11
@Want2know And third, Dems need to start engaging in election fraud, because it clearly pays off.
Or, to put it another way: "Dems Lose Again".
16
Republicans will always win when Democrats don’t vote.
15
@Grove Ask yourself why they don't vote !
1
Does it surprise you that North Carolina elected a Bishop? (apologies to any commenter who already used this.) (though he too should apologize)
3
Remember, this happened in a state where gerrymandering was done with "surgical precision." It wasn't simply a get out the vote exercise as some here would suggest. It is a heavily Republican district and last night's vote went double digits AGAINST the Republican lean (45 won the district by +14). Let them whistle past the graveyard. 2020 is coming.
14
@Cassandra
Amen, sister.
Why didn’t the Democrats run a Facebook, Twitter, etc online campaign to throw the election to their side? It’s completely legal. Or are the Democrats controlled by the Republicans?
2
Know what else his narrow victory means?
He won. She lost. Very reminiscent of 2016.
Democrats need to start accepting reality. Trump is a very formidable opponent. Keep concentrating on the plight of illegal "brown people" instead of the plight of struggling Americans and you will insure Trump's reelection.
16
Exactly!
The Democrats have forgotten how to spell UAW, AFL-CIO, SEIU, but the GOP hasn’t.
A win is a win, no matter how narrow the margin. Bishop should NOT have won that House seat but he did. This says a lot--and not all of it good--about people who blindly vote down party lines.
11
There is nothing good to say about people who, even at this late date, vote for Trump’s party.
EVERY one else has to vote in 2020. In every election, big and small, really. No excuses.
1
Not just the people who vote strictly GOP, but I want to know if Democrats got to the polls?
Yeah is says gerrymandering is alive and well in NC.
1
re Andrew Clark's comment - "We can't run Harvard-educated Mckinsey Consultants and say we're working for the working and middle classes because we look like disconnected fools (and maybe we are). We need real people to run who actually look like, and have similar backgrounds to, their constituents."
Wrong, wrong, wrong! Yes, we CAN and SHOULD run candidates like this - smart, educated and committed to their country. Think FDR! Was his background ANYTHING like the people he fought for? The poor? The uneducated? The helpless? He could have spent his life partying and playing, but noooooo - he did more for the "have-nots" in this country than anyone before him. So, PLEASE, stop thinking they need to be like "us" to fight for "us." I mean, you say this when Trump is in the White House? What??
12
So many posts here point out the same thing, unfortunately, that had Bishop won by even one vote it's still a Republican victory. As has been said, Republicans in the red states aren't going to vote for a Democrat regardless. The only hope for changing things in the White House is for the Dems to energize and focus on their own base. A sort of universal revulsion over what has been happening since 2016 by Dems, independents and new voters must happen in this nation--together with a determined, sustained effort to get out the vote will be the only way to avoid "four more years." Hoping that somehow, large numbers of Republicans will finally wake up is a pipe dream.
8
@CABOT
Hear, hear. Meantime, back in the Senate, Moscow Mitch squashes ALL measures to secure our elections. The REPUBLICAN PARTY wants our democracy to crumble. We are all going to lose big time. Let's call it by its real name, people. The dismantling of the United States of America.
3
Trump only sees the little picture. He will claim, and most rightly so, that his visit to North Carolina's Ninth District persuaded enough people to create the Bishop victory.
The larger picture will escape him. A 12 point 2016 NC 9 victory to a narrow 2 point victory yesterday.
Trump only sees today. He has no concept of tomorrow.
5
The Democrats have failed again. Both Pence and Trump campaigned for Republican. Where were the Democrats? It is failing even good candidates. It has no "SPARK'. Nothing to ignite the people. Nothing to inspire them. 20 Presidential hopefuls couldn't do it. Biden, Bernie and Warren are 'old politics'. That is why Trump got in... The people wanted change! Not same old, same old.
When a 44 year old women votes Republican because she wants to keep God in schools, regardless 56 yr ago school prayer and bible reading were outlawed... 12 years before this women was born. She supports gun laws, and sale of assault weapons, probably knowing some families who children were killed 7 years ago at her own high school? She is against abortion but may be one of the first to complain of her taxes supporting single mothers on welfare. Yet, knowing all the failures of this current Republican Party and Trump leadership, she still continues to vote Republican. Thereby endorsing all they have been doing. She thinks the economy is doing fine.... does she have $15,000 in the bank, no mortgage and $20,000 to finance her children's education? Does she have money invested in the stock market? If she doesn't when the China tariffs take hold and more people continue to loose jobs, the economy will sink. Economy = shopping.
Unfortunately the Democrats are failing to educate voters, rally around excellent candidates and continue to be DULL and boring at the Federal level.
7
@Peggy
I, too, could simply not understand that woman. Who ARE these people?
@Pegg Joe Biden campaigned for the Democrat. Why the press did not report this ?
I don't understand my fellow liberals and Democrats. The suburban moms, the Blacks, the Latinos, the youth, etc are not coming to our rescue.
We have a problem. Other than 2008 and 2012, the Democratic candidate for president has not won both a majority of the popular vote and electoral college since Jimmy Carter in 1976 (and he won only 50.1% of the popular vote).
What to do? We must convince millions of Americans that they can trust us to represent their interests. We must stop the relentless attacks upon President Trump; they only make his supporters love him more. No more impeachment talk, please.
Instead, govern. Have new ideas. But not crazy new ideas.
And to the NYT and other liberal media. Stop covering President Trump. What he tweets is not news. Report substantive issues in America like the environment and the poor and the disadvantaged. Regain the confidence of those millions of Americans whose votes we need.
9
@Greg smith Thank you. That is the only way the Dems can win back this (life long Dem) voter who will enthusiastically walk away from them for good if they continue to push policies that hurt me, my family and the country.
Interesting that Bill Clinton doesn’t exist, and tiresome to be told that you get to decide what everybody says and what the news reports.
Ever think about what happens if FOX, Breitbart, Rush and all endlessly yack about trump, and nobody sane says anything at all?
1
@Greg smith
"..the Blacks, the Latinos, the youth, etc are not coming to our rescue."
I guess the promise of reparations, open borders and free college just isn't working. Toss them another bone.
The root-cause problem is that the elected officials see any victory, regardless of the margin, as a mandate to go full-speed-ahead on their agenda. That translates into ignoring and dismissing about half of your congressional district in pursuit of partisan goals.
To my understanding of the constitution, this is not what the founders intended. They wanted wise people who listened to both sides and did what is best for all, not just those who funded their campaign and party.
Unfortunately, we live in a country where money and might make right.
4
A win is a win: a narrow win in NC-9 and a landslide in NC-3.
This could be a preview of the 2020 presidential election. Republicans almost always win their districts and states by a lower margin than Democrats do.
The Democrat will win California by at least 30 points. The president will win Texas by 4 or 5 points. The Democrat will win New York by at least 25 points. Trump will win Florida by 2 or 3 points, and so on, and so forth. It means nothing now that any of the Democrat candidates is winning the national vote handily at this time. The presidential election is won state by state in the Electoral College.
7
I am not a pollster, a pundit or a political operative.
The results from NC-9 yesterday makes me worry that Trump will lose the popular vote by 5+ million, but be re-elected because of our electoral college system.
3
Without a doubt, Trump will be reelected. The democratic field is very weak and disjointed. The Dem candidates believe they are running against Trump, but they aren’t in the semi-finals yet.
So much of the buzz is with the far left candidates with only tepid support for Biden, a slow and old gaffe prone career politician.
You are right that Trump could very well lose the popular vote and win the electoral college. With the current election laws, that’s the only thing that matters to stay in the White House
4
And yet, back during the Midterm Election, we, Democrats were joined by Independents and some Moderate Republicans to flip the House of Representatives winning forty seats! Taking seats that were long held by Republicans!
Do not underestimate the Democrats success in getting the vote out, all over the country! Even though NC-9 went to the GOP, Democrats made headway in a Red state! This wasn’t the presidential election. But slowly, Democrats are making progress.
This election results mean absolutely nothing, and the media on both sides of the fence know it too, but that sort of thing doesn't sell newspapers and clicks. On these pages, the result is being presented as a warning for Trump, even though the Republican margin of victory was greater than a year ago in the same district. Over at Fox News, this is a vindication of Trump, because, well, just because everything is a vindication for Trump for those people. And it's all just blather.
275,000 people voted in this district in the 2018 election, and 185,000 voted yesterday. When Trump is on the ballot, and when the whole nation is energized by the 2020 election after more a year of intense campaigning, then we'll see who shows up and who votes. Then we'll see who has the money and the organization to bring those missing 90,000, and maybe more, to the polls.
7
Good point! Sad about getting only 185K to vote! I knew that if Democrats don’t get their base to vote, we lose. What gives me hope is the 2018 Midterm Elections! We flipped the House which the Republicans held for a decade.
This is a GERRYMANDERED district.
The headline is not that the Republican won.
It is that the margin went from 16% in 2016 to 2% this year.
This is why districts are carved out in just such a way by Republicans so that they cannot lose - no matter what the people want. This is why America is moving further from democracy with every second that a Republican holds power anywhere.
18
It shouldn't be surprising that right wing extremism isn't popular with suburban voters who received college educations. After all, right wing extremism is anti-intellectual the opposite of what college is all about. For many if not most people college is transforming. Many of the beliefs one grew up with are challenged and new views are often formed. I think it is unhealthy for politics of this country to now divide people based on whether or not they attended college but this is what it has come down to as the Republican Party is now appealing mainly to people who have never gone to college. It is attacking science by denying climate change and attacking history by playing down the role of slavery and attacks against the Indians in US history. Pitting rural America against metropolitan area America is not a good thing because this country needs to be united to some extent or it could be torn apart internally.
2
I live in one of the reddest counties in Florida and from my conversations with neighbors and from what I have observed working on campaigns, the majority of people here, including those who claim to be concerned about the environment, will never, never, never cast a vote for a Democrat, and there is nothing you can say or do, no position you can take, and no candidate the Democrats can run, that will change that. While a few might not cast a vote for Trump in 2020 out of sheer disgust (we can only hope), these people will always vote straight Republican down ballot, even for Republican candidates that don't campaign and refuse to debate. Districts like mine and NC 9 are a lost cause, and it's a miracle McCready came as close as he did.
99
@Richard Thank you. Your comment confirms the strategy of focusing on policies/programs and not just "never Trump" or mainly trying to appeal to the Trump/ Republican voters to change. There is a combination of "50 state" and "identity politics" that is the best overall strategy. I keep in mind that the heretofore non-voting trend has been among the majority of citizens, and I hope that if we all go out and vote, it will make a difference like in 2018. VOTE!
14
@Richard I think we are one or two election cycles from flipping these districts. Many of these straight-ticket Republicans are Baby Boomers and older and will be dying off in the coming years. I grew up in NC and can tell you the demographics don't look great for the GOP. This district was heavily gerrymandered and they still barely won.
16
@Kate, add to that the recent court victory throwing out the gerrymandering and requiring new election districts, 2020 could see NC much more representative of the population in election outcomes. Which means, that district could flip as early as 2020.
11
Why is it front page news when a Republican wins a seat in a red state won by Republicans since the 1960s? There are districts throughout the South just like this one that Republicans were winning long before Donald Trump was president. Trump and the Pence and the RNC just wasted their time and money campaigning for Bishop because the majority Republicans in that district would have voted for any Republican on the ballot no matter who was in the White House. I know all patriotic Americans are looking for hopeful signs that Donald Trump and his lackies in Congress are not "who we are" in our national soul. That is the only thing that made this election newsworthy and the Republican's narrow victory does give us hope. Thank you, Dan McCready, your family, supporters and volunteers, for your long and tireless campaign to restore the soul of America. You are true patriots.
83
@abigail49
"Why is it front page news when a Republican wins a seat in a red state won by Republicans since the 1960s?"
1. Because, in the era of Trump, everyone is looking for signs of a shifting electorate.
2. Because of what happened in this district in 2018 and the aftermath.
3. Because the results showed that, while the Dem did well in the suburbs, the GOP candidate held his own among rural voters, who carried him to victory.
4. Because the results indicated that Trump's base is mostly holding and Dems will need to get their base out next year in unprecedented numbers to win.
12
@abigail49. Because the Democrat was 17 points ahead in the polls, prior to the vote and democrats thought they had already won.
1
@abigail49 I keep in mind that the heretofore non-voting trend has been among the majority of citizens, and I hope that if we all go out and vote, it will make a difference like in 2018. VOTE!
2
Good result ... liberal judicial officials tried to overturn an electoral result, but voters held firm.
6
@BD
Sorry no.
Conservative judges determined the DEM won and re-held the election without jailing the men they proved committed election fraud so they could get the "right" result.
5
@magicisnotreal ... but voters held firm. Actually, Bishop's victory margin increased.
Well, another "high hopes" election that turned red. Sure it was close, but he depressing thing about the vote count was that over 83,000 North Carolinians voted for the Dan Bishop, and he eked out a victory.
More conjecture from the media portending trouble for Donald Trump in 2020 because, after all, Bishop should have won the election by a whopping margin.
In the end, the only poll that counts, the only vote tally that means anything substantive, is the one that coming down the pike in a little over a year from now. And my anxiety level will remain high, where it has remained since Donald Trump began to occupy the White House.
It will not come down until he is packing up the Oval Office.
2
Given North Carolina's history of voter suppression, how do we really know that results are legitimate?
4
@Iris Flag Would you have this concern had your candidate won ?
Why do people continue to analyze Republican wins by traditional standards?
"Democrats need to work harder." :Democrats don't understand that..." "How many registered Democrats turned out to vote?" "Democrats should run moderates." "Democrats should run progressives."
How does any of this make any difference if Republicans are simply getting better and better at cheating? At less and less detectable cheating? Why should they have stopped cheating?
Did Dan McCready REALLY lose again? I doubt it.
3
I understand that individual candidates need to raise money, but I'm wondering if we need to direct more and more money, and thus less to individual candidates, to helping get the vote out. A real national campaign with an effective message. The Democratic Party needs to focus on motivating its base, at every economic and educational level, to vote. The Fox News type are motivated to vote in every election, hence winning, gerrymandered or not.
2
Once again the polls are wrong because the pollsters ,media and politicians are out of touch. I also see post after post about Republicans cheating and it seems so many Democrats have forgotten cheating was a big factor in Hillary's loss. It is truly amazing how so many, including the media, like to gloss over Hillary's cheating during the 2016 primary. I wonder if one of the reasons is that some so called stellar members of the media were caught helping her cheat. I'm disgusted with both parties and I am not alone.
2
First, how were the pollsters wrong in this election? They said it was closer than it should have been, but the Republican was still favored, and that’s how it went. And by the way, the national polls weren’t wrong in 2016: learn what a “margin of error,” is, and what “probabilities,” are.
I think that what I’m most tired of with the followers of St. Bernie—beyond the smugness, beyond their ridiculous claims that everybody REALLY supports St. B, beyond their own sneaky little moves in places like Washington State and pious blattering about “cheating”—is that they have no respect for numbers.
See also “Medicare for All,” about which they generally know zero.
By the way—Trump says thanks.
3
@Hellen The polls had this race "too close to call" nad "leans Republican". Just checked them yesterday.
@Npeterucci
That's not what they were saying before. Originally there were proclamations it would go Democrat. Stop making excuses.
Another example of people who are willing to prioritize their wallets over the rule of law.
4
What surprises me is that folks would vote for a Republican after the Republicans committed blatant election fraud last fall. How does the saying go, 'fool me once ...'
12
A good old win for the Republicans! Count it!
4
Democrats: Repeat after me. 'These are the type of elections you must win'!
3
Put this election on the list of reasons not to live in NC, 9th district. Something in the water down there causes folks to loose their minds.
4
@RR
Since North Carolina is one of the fastest growing states in the US, most folks don't seem to share your views.
I do agree, however, that the 9th District is one of the worst in the state.
2
@RR
I’ll be sure to tell the multitude of Yankees who have flooded my 9th District over the last decade to avoid drinking tap water.
1
With Putin's involvement in America's elections, Red States seem apt. Just ask the American spy they yanked out of Russia.
4
Predictions are so easy nowadays. I did bet that if Bishop looses by few votes it will reported as a proof of Trump becoming a liability and calls by “well meaning media” for Republicans to abandon Trump to save themselves would be everywhere. And if Bishop wins, it will be pointed out he did not win by 12 points. As far as the suburban women commentary goes, that is baked into every story, win or loose.
So where does it leave us? This special election means nothing. The 2020 could be decided by Biden starting to ramble and free associate during a presidential
debate or African- Americans worrying about their recent economic gains and not connecting emotionally with her not turning out for Warren or correspondingly the economy tanking in the late Spring and the effects of which would be felt by the electorate in the Fall.
"American exceptional continuing into the indefinite future"? Lets see, getting us out of the Iran Nuclear Deal destabilizing the Mid East, idolizing authoritarian rulers, abandoning our western allies, threatening automakers and states for wanting to make autos more efficient, destroying the environment, and having most of his agencies headed by acting execs giving him absolute power. If that's exceptionalism I don't want it.
5
@Eugene Dennis
Rolling back provisions designed to bring America into the future when it comes to renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Calling for the Fed to drop the interest rate BELOW ZERO (yes, this is happening in Europe, but there are very specific reasons for that).
Stripping military funds appropriated by Congress and redirecting it towards his border wall, for which he has not yet acquired the land he'd need to build on (side note, a friend of mine is a water fitness manager in the Army and her facilities were slotted for much-needed improvements that would have cleared up environmental concerns in their poolhouse... well, they WERE slotted, anyways. Now those funds have been redirected to a wall that will probably never get built because it will spend years in the courts fighting for eminent domain before a new administration [of any party] is brought in and puts a stop to it.)
Making a minor mistake when talking about a hurricane and then, instead of owning up to it or just moving on, spending WEEKS trying to change reality to make it look like it wasn't a mistake at all, to the point that official maps were altered and there are now investigations into why NOAA went against the information provided by their own local office, as well as reports that peoples' jobs were threatened if they didn't go along with what the President had said.
I could go on and on for days, but there is a character limit.
1
So the Republicans got caught cheating in the previous election, and then they get a do-over? How does that make any sense?
11
Question: What is preventing every single politician from cheating the same way Dan McCready did? McCready will not even take the legal fall. His party got to rerun the race with another candidate.
5
@Andrew
McCready wasn't the one who cheated; it was his original Republican opponent Mark Harris. The NC Board of Elections voided the results when it was discovered that Harris had cheated.
Thus, the redo, in which the new Republican candidate won.
8
I had some hope for North Carolina when their “ bathroom bill “ Governor was defeated.
And seriously proud of the sports teams and corporations who vociferously came out in defense of those affected by that bill by boycotting the state.
And here we are back to square one with a newly elected regressive congressman who supported that bill.
As much as North Carolina moves toward modernity, it appears it just can’t help itself from allowing its ugly side to rear its head.
Back to vacationing and spending money in a more enlightened place...sorry to all the “ blue voters” there.
2
@It's About Time
So sorry that our beautiful beaches and mountains are not enough to overcome your exquisitely calibrated moral compass when it comes to your recreational dollars. I can assure you that NYC’s embrace of America’s most toxic racial provocateur (Rev. Al) has never stopped me from visiting and enjoying your fabulous city. Maybe that’s because I vacation to rest my soul rather than trumpet my virtue.
2
As they say, close don't count except in horse shoes and hand grenades. This is an example. If you have been following the news media, you would think the Republican would lose and a signal that Trump has lost his support before the next election. Good by Trump. But he didn't lose. So now they are emphasizing how close it was. But close don't count. Then they imply she was a weak candidate. Would that mean Clinton was a weak candidate? Even until the poles starting closing, we were hearing how she would win and as she said, bury him under a mountain of electoral votes. Is there anyone at the NYT that thought that Trump might win this far ahead of the 2016 election. Or, who thought Trump would defeat all of the Republican candidates and win. Elections are dangerous for news agencies to predict. That was was proven by Trump and of course Truman, who on the day he won, held up a newspaper with a headline in the Chicago Tribune, announcing Dewy had won.
35
@Ron
Points taken. Complacency is the worst thing that can happen to Democrats.
9
@Ron Close don't count in terms of who gets to sit in Congress but it most definitely does count in terms of what an election shows us about where the voters are at. Trump won the district by 12% in 2016 and now a Republican candidate has won by 2%. That's a fall of 10% any way you slice it.
If next year's election happened to exactly follow suit then Trump would lose by 12%. Which is quite likely to be about how much he will lose by.
11
@Ron Some really great points. The NYT should stick to reporting the news, and leave the interpretation to the readers. The editors and writers should also stop before making generalizations in their headlines along the lines of "what we know", and "what you need to know." Your readers are not children, and they don't need to be pushed in the direction of what you want them to believe. Especially when you have been proven wrong in the past.
7
@HipOath
What this means is, contrary to popular beliefs, people don’t really vote their pocketbooks. They vote on cultural issues and Republicans vote against the “party of women and minorities.” Sure, there are a few token black faces at Trump rallies, but everyone, including the black Republicans, knows it’s just a front.
And now that, as you say, Trump has run up the deficit where is the Tea Party? They were supposed to be the stewards of fiscal responsibility. But they are nowhere to be found. This is because that was all a facade. They were against Obama based on cultural issues, not financial. And that’s why they voted for Trump; cultural issues. And we all know what that means.
5
Harry Truman said that if you give the people the choice between a Republican and a Democrat that talks like a Republican, they will pick the real thing every time.
7
“First of all, he’s in my party. And I’m going to stick to my party right now,” Ms. Penland said of Mr. Bishop.
Nice. Party before country. Yes, we need to rid ourselves of Trump, but let's all remember: he is not the cause. He is the symptom.
5
How did suburban white women vote? If they voted for McCready, then the GOP’s goose is cooked for 2020. If not, then the GOP can breathe a real sigh of relief. But, it appears from the graphic that McCready won the suburban Charlotte vote overall. It went blue.
Why does this matter so much? Because...
The 2020 election will turn on the suburban white woman vote in just four states: PA,MI, WI and FL, and this election yesterday will be the canary in the coal mine for those states.
Let's see how the left will spin this loss! Let us count the ways, but in the end it shows the Dems just don't get it. Try selling the new and improved Democrat party, the one that says "you didn't build that" which means your wealth is now belongs to the Democrat party to "right" all the ills of our evil society. If if weren't for the greed of the wealthy and the retired old folks, we could have utopia on earth, no more poverty, hunger, illness, violence and homelessness. Really? If you take away the desire to create wealth, you won't have anything to re distribute. DUH
9
If anything, Bishop's ability to eke out a close win should be a warning sign to Democrats not Republicans. A loss, no matter how narrow, is still a loss. (Why don't the Dems get this?!) Hillary's loss was also quite narrow -- fewer than 80,000 votes spread over just three states made the electoral difference. Al Gore's loss was even narrower -- fewer than 1,000 votes in Florida helped put Bush II in the White House. (Oh, but if only Gore had won his home state of Tennessee! And, if only we elected presidents based on the popular vote! But we don't). And, every win, no matter how narrow, emboldens Republicans, while they seem to have the opposite effect on Democrats. And, let's not forget that presidential incumbents are notoriously hard to beat. So, the Democrats really have their work cut out for them in 2020, this recent close win/loss notwithstanding.
79
@Rhonda
"(Oh, but if only Gore had won his home state of Tennessee! ...)"
Has the book been written describing the myriad ways things imploded for the Dems in 2000? E.g., losing Tennessee (and Arkansas), arguably due to Bill's dalliances; Elian Gonzales; election day roadblocks by state troopers in central FL; hanging chads; jiggy ballot design in Palm Beach County; "overvotes" by (many first-time) black voters in Jacksonville; a flood of unsigned and un-postmarked -- yet counted -- ballots from overseas military bases in the weeks after election day; and ... THANK YOU RALPH NADER.
5
@Rhonda I keep in mind that the heretofore non-voting trend has been among the majority of citizens, and I hope that if we all go out and vote, it will make a difference like in 2018. VOTE!
2
@Rhonda I agree. The signal this election gave me is we are at a total ground game war. We MUST get Democrat voters out!
2
This small loss to a Republican may make Democrats feel good but it shouldn't. A loss however small is a loss which means another 4 years of Trump. It is time for us to use the Republican playbook. Tell them what they want to hear and then govern as we want when we win.
5
@M Vitelli
Actually that has been the problem with democrats. They say one thing and then never deliver when elected. Even their most loyal base is fed up.
3
@M Vitelli--thats more out of the dem playbook that the rep one. Trump is trying to stay true and fulfill his promises that dems hate and therefore block his every move, condemn his every utterance and hate every breath he takes.
Do you honestly think secret wall street Hillary was going to make good on promises she made? How about Obama's promise of "hope and change" where by the closing of his presidency we were just "hoping" to still have some "change" left in our pockets.
4
a win is win whether it is by 2% or 20%
reading into why people voted one way or other is rarely clear cut.
6
The real tragedy here is in the numbers. 80,000 less people bothered to vote than did a year ago in the original election. And we know which groups stay home. Not the old Trump voters.
6
An intrepid reported should look into any ongoing “irregularities” Chances are there were many. The margin was very small and shouldn’t be considered as a GOP win. A good presidential Democratic candidate could *take the state. Clearly, “corrupt centrism” is not want voters are looking for.
@Ted Of ourse "corrupt" does apply, by definition, only to the other side !
Very convenient....
If you are wondering why the numbers look low: this was a scheduled primary election for local seats on the County Board of Commissioners and the Democratic Mayoral candidate, which historically draws fewer voters than the Presidential or Governor/Mayoral/Federal elections. The fact that there was a re-do on the Congressional seat drew more voters out for this election than would otherwise have been seen. The small area of Mecklenburg County (south Charlotte) in the 9th Congressional District is typically a Republican stronghold (think bankers & business people), but guess what? Almost every precinct in that area flipped blue for Dan McCready. In my precinct, there has been a rise in folks registering as "Unaffiliated"---not just GenZ kids, but professionals & retired adults who formerly registered as Republicans. Our Democratic party was actively working to educate the electorate in this community. It worked. The issue is the gerrymandering. During the last round of voting for statewide House & Senate seats, Democrats won 50% of the votes but only 23% of the seats. (The current gerrymandered lines were put into place in 2010 by the Republican controlled legislature. Prior to that, the Dems gerrymandered map was struck down as unconstitutional as well.) Although the state Senate & House are currently working towards drawing new maps, it is unlikely that this gerrymandering issue will be resolved before the 2020 election cycle. This red state is turning purple.
1
there has never been a more dysfunctional and divisive administration in the white house than now, yet trump was apparently able to bring out the vote for the candidate of his party. that says that against all common sense, 2020 may go to him again.
2
Where WERE the Democrat big shots?
A seat held by Republicans since 1963 was up for grabs and not one of the candidate hopefuls could be bothered to come in and support McCready?
That is truly pitiful. This kind of apathy will lose the 2020 election just like it lost the 2016.
5
Let’s face it folks. The South is Republican since they all bolted from the Democratic Party in the wake of the civil rights policies of LBJ. And it will remain that way for a long time unless our young voters decide to change their country.
Judging by their zeal and courage to challenge the NRA (and the politicians in bed with them) I have a lot of faith in our younger citizens. I hope they can change the South.
2
The comments about how this is proof a moderate can't win are ridiculous. The fact that McCready lost by two percent is exactly why a moderate is best. This was a very red district, how exactly do you think a Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren would have fared there? They certainly wouldn't have won and they wouldn't have lost by two percent. They would have gotten--maybe--2 percent of the vote.
28
@Morgan Oh c'mon. They would get about 40%. Possibly as low as 30%, but 2%? Ridiculous. Very red doesn't mean 100%. 60% is enough to call a district very red.
Try actually thinking for a change!
3
@Morgan What proof do you have that this is true? The trouble is, Democrats always scare themselves into submission and run moderate candidates in Republican leaning districts, so we have very few, if any, real test cases of running a progressive in a red district. Maybe we should actually give it a try? Don't forget, the left and right wing factions of both parties actually agree on many things (like the negative consequences of free trade; their loathing of elite establishment figures, etc.). Let's try something new!
5
@Morgan
Sanders might have done well. His anger and blunt talk and his authentic forty years of work to better the lives of ALL working people, and record of fighting against trade deals and useless, debt creating military adventurism has resonance with some Trump voters.
2
Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States, campaigned in North Carolina the night before this election. He spoke to an overwhelming crown in Fayetteville, a city steeped in patriotism since the American Revolution. Now, home to Fort Bragg, it stands on the forefront of defending Freedom. I watched President Trump's speech on Fox News. I try to watch all the President's speeches on Fox News. I find each and everyone them to very inspiring; his words remind us of what it means to be an American. In fact, there has never been a better time in the nation's history to be an American than now in the Age of Trump. Obviously, his message of hope and patriotism resonated with the people of North Carolina, who prevented a representative of the opposition from taking yet another seat in the House. For the sake of America, the opposition must be defeated. Thank you.
7
@Southern Boy - REALLY? Inspiring? I feel sorry for you - and will also feel sorry for you when you wake up under the bus he has thrown you under.
Sorry but I don't trust Mr. Trump's words - they don't mean much.
7
I completely agree that “his words words remind us what it is to be an American”, except that the reminder is that most of us represent values that the president doesn’t, such as integrity, honesty and inclusion.
2
Dan Bishop made a good observation in an interview on CNN this morning, namely that the two US political parties have reversed roles since the election of Donald Trump, namely the Republicans have become the party of the "working man" and the Democrats have become the party of the elites. Of course with their proposals relating to healthcare, free education etc. Sanders and Warren would disagree, but the public has heard that stuff before and the Democrats never deliver, the average American sees no improvement. On the other hand they see Trump maintaining a strong economy and fighting for issues they care about. I am no fan of Donald Trump, but I think he will be back for a second term.
11
McCready won the first election which was tainted by GOP vote fraud. Instead of invalidating it, the commission should have ordered a recount in which the fraudulent votes would have been thrown out. McCready would rightfully be in the House and all that money would have been saved.
Once again, the GOP benefitted from their own illegal activities. It gets very tiresome.
25
@Beth He did not in, he lost it by 905 votes.
We all make choices when we enter the election booth. NC chose. They went with Trump and the GOP, and they knew who they were voting for. Good luck with that. Some others have a different mind set. We'll see how it all turns out in November 2020. So far, we're (still) called a Democracy.
5
@Oisin--actually, we are a Republic that employs democratic principles. Sorry to burst your bubble
This is proof that the doom of America is real. After all this, a republican still wins. As usual , the democrats gloat on the thin margin and how this is a huge threat to the trump administration. It is not. Get ready for 4 years and beyond of destruction of democracy.
12
@ Gp Captain
Thank you for framing this result in stark terms. It makes you wonder if the Democrats should, on pragmatic grounds, nominate a centrist. McCreary is a centrist and he lost. What does this tell us?
But let us not forget that NC is a purple state that is 42 percent Republican while Democrats are 41 percent. Is America purple?
3
So Donald Trump went to North Carolina to rally support and get out the vote for Dan Bishop. And where was the Democratic "leadership"? Where was Joe Biden? Where was Barack Obama? Missing in action. Until the Democratic Party pulls together and fights a consistent and coherent fight, we will keep losing important races like this one.
21
@Christopher Joe Biden campaigned for the democrat at least in two occasions. Why the press is silent on that ?
Every time a corporate Democrat loses to a Republican, the Times tells us the only way to beat Republicans is to vote for corporate Democrats in primaries.
So whose side is the Times on?
11
Dems outspent Republicans by $8 million in this race and still lost.
Maybe people reject the Democrat message.
13
What they reject is the caricature of the Democratic message. People believe that the GOP promise of their capitalist system, which isn’t capitalist at all, will give them plenty and cost them nothing through the magic of the market. What they don’t get is that the GOP is really giving them is a predatory system designed to transfer wealth upwards. And the GOP will portray anything else as socialism. Even policies that actually create a more stable capitalism.
My fear is that the people will only learn after there is a cataclysm. And what we get after that event is anyone’s guess.
2
“the idea of American exceptional” — how? That anyone, of any race/ethnicity/religion, can become a fully accepted American? That it’s a refuge for the world’s oppressed people? That it holds itself to exceptionally high moral standards? I just don’t see the “exceptional” anymore.
6
@Ilya Shlyakhter
Sure, the US of A is exceptional - an exceptional farce, that is.
1
@Ilya Shlyakhter--because we now allow people to come into the country without expecting them to assimilate into the overall "American" culture. That means in many immigrant heavy communities, the immigrants dont learn english and they maintain only their own culture and mores. As a result, they never become "Americans". When my family came here from Ireland, they didnt want to be irish, they wanted to be "American" and as such gave up much if their irish culture and tradition to adopt American culture and traditions. The new crop of immigrants will not put the country first in their minds and their hearts. They will never be able to rally around the flag as "Americans" did in 1941 because they dont consider themselves American. Just whatever they are, living here in America. I live in a suburban NJ where our HS is 50% Asian. My kids have some Asian friends, but their parents speak little to no english.
They have set up a separate "asian" PTA to deal with their kids issues only. My kids tell me one of the cafeterias in the school is "unofficially" designated as the Asian Cafeteria because they all eat there and interact very little with the other non-Asian students. This behavior is true across the country , across many immigrant ethnicities now. How can we have "American Exceptionalism" when millions living in the country dont even consider themselves "American"?
2
You can spin this anyway you want, turning it into a harbinger of doom for the Republican Party, but there are a few things you cannot spin, all of which augur poorly for the Dems...
1) The Republican candidate, a dyed-in-the-wool Trump acolyte, won the election. With Trump's support, advocating Trump's policies, as an NRA darling... with all the things we keep saying are the poison pills for any Republican candidate, he still won.
2) The first election, which the Dems also lost, was thrown out and ordered to be redone by a North Carolina court because even they couldn't stomach the level of fraud involved. With this "victory" in hand, the Dems promptly went out and lost the election again. One would have thought that having a North Carolina court denounce the Republican machine as corrupt would have given the Dems all they needed to sweep the "pro-Trump candidate" --- a moniker that is synonymous with political corruption --- out of office. This is like blowing a 9 run lead in the 9th inning.
3) Dems seem content to either win or nearly win formerly rock hard red districts, even if they lose the election. This is not the kind of foot-on-throat electoral operation that's going to take down Trump, a man who clearly sees one thing the Dems clearly do not: You either win the election or you lose the election. Moral victories have no seat in Congress and no voice in running this country.
22
As disappointed as I am by the results, I'm not surprised. One only need look at the counties in which the 9th district (currently) spreads across. I wish I could post a diagram in the comments to show how my own city, Charlotte, was carved up to lean conservative. The tail end of the 9th is comprised of south Charlotte and Myers Park, which are home to the wealthiest people in the city. To Charlotte's credit, we seem to have moved solidly in favor of more moderate candidates, and the sliver of Charlotte in the 9th favored McCready by a decent margin. But then you look to our neighbor, Union County, the second largest county in the district (the entirety of which is in the 9th), which chose Bishop by nearly 20 percentage points. Those of us who live here knew this was a likely outcome.
7
Indeed. As a kid growing up in Charlotte we knew Union county (MONroe) was Klan territory and avoided it. Passed through the area several years ago on the way to Mount Gilead, where my dad was from, and it was all right wing hate radio. No surprise at all.
5
Corruption in the North Carolina election process is a tradition and if you concentrate what it is now it may drive you crazy. But the state is changing and we must pin our hopes on that.
Just one more thought. Dan McCready as a moderate Democrat needs to run for the US Senate in 2020 against Senator Meadows, a GOP attack dog and Mitch McConnell's yes man.
11
The Germans were able to start the process of reconciliation for the crimes of their parents after WWII. America has never reconciled for anything; Slavery, Vietnam, Red-Lining, Native American genocide, etc. Liberals (especially northern Liberals), never seem to understand that Americans that look just like them hold such vile beliefs in their hearts about their comfort and support of racism, sexism and authoritarianism.
Leaders in newsrooms, classrooms, and boardrooms often assume that fascism doesn't exist in America, and they are always shocked to discover it. The Right Wing has won the hearts and minds of many Americans, and Liberals often deceive themselves in thinking that regressive beliefs are things of the past. This is an ideological struggle that will never go away.
9
@Uptown Guy
I wish I could recommend this comment a million times. Spot on and well said.
1
Well said. There is lack of education regarding our past. If we place a mirror in front of us, we would not like what we see, so we just avoid the mirror and delude ourselves with the notion of “exceptionalism”.
2
I would have loved to see McCready win and flip this district, but despite the disappointing loss there is still reason for Democrats to be encouraged by these results. This is a district that Trump won by 12 points in 2016. Today the GOP candidate only won by 2 points. So what happens if Trump also only gets a 2 point margin among the voters in this district in 2020? North Carolina becomes a much harder state for him to win.
4
I just keep wondering how it is that so many Democrats are under the impression that Clintonian centrism is the answer. After all, that's been the party line for forty years and yet we now find ourselves at this miserable point. Nervous nellies in the Democratic Party are slouching toward Biden "the sure thing" hoping that he can put the nation back on life support - if only he could stop slurring his words. McCready's "centrism" managed a razor thin margin. Unfortunately Karl Rove proved long ago that you can run the country - into the ground no less - with a margin of only 50% + 1.
16
So these North Carolinians rejected a moderate eager to work with Republicans to choose another extremist? We'll remember that when 2020 rolls around.
10
Trump is counting on poor voter turnout by Democrats.
7
We were close means nothing but it will be the same headline used after democrats again lose to Trump in 2020. The problem is with democrats and they don't have enough time to repair the damage inflicted on their own base.
Democrats have ignored citizens to champion illegals, ignored police brutality to cater to police unions, ignored infrastructure while catering to rich developers seizing land, ignored communities grappling with issues of clean water while giving big lectures on climate change, ignored important issues pertaining to healthcare while passing nonsensical feel good fluff legislation and many voters will ignore democratic pleas for votes.
Sure it will be close but Trump will still win and democratic leaders can blame themselves.
6
McCready should have already been declared the winner because he won a year ago after discovering his opponent was hiring people to collect ballots and destroy the ones that voted for McCready. Why they allowed a do-over is disgusting. McCready should have been declared the winner last year. How do we know if Bishop didn't also hire people to tear up ballots?
4
Almost only counts in horseshoes.
11
When people vote for the GOP, they're showing you how dangerous the Trump cult is.
The North Carolina GOP has engaged in racist gerrymandering, and the GOP's hero, Grifter Trump, is robbing Americans by using the presidency as a cash machine.
And yet these feckless cultists continue to vote Republican, and there's not much you can do to deprogram a cult member if they don't want to be deprogrammed.
I'm sad for America.
14
Unfortunate! heart broken!! but not shocked or disappointed. It is RED district. It is not easy to change mind of the voters in red districts. They believe Trump is like a prophet, God's chosen figure sent to White House as a blessing.
4
So, this race is not important now? A few days ago, according to East Coast news outlets, it was a “bellwether.”
11
If the Democrat had won, would you have used the adverb “narrowly”?
11
This just goes to show that P.T. Barnum was right - a loud and bizarre circus clown can sometimes be more effective than a legitimate actor (paraphrased).
That same white, uneducated, racist, xenophobic, hate-mongering demographic still buys Trump's lies and hyperbole. They will never learn. Shiny objects, fake glitter, hatred and empty promises will always appeal to those who do not care.
9
NYT and Dems whistle passing another graveyard. Obvious answer to them: go harder left. Keep it up. I'm sure the trend lines will work out one day.
6
An appalling appeal by a lying, racist, brain-damaged grifter for support of his delusional base. This tribal Republican response, without thought or ethical concern, is a disgrace to all the wonderful people of North Carolina. They should be much more careful what they wish for - any vote for a Trump-supported candidate is a vote for Trump, the most clear and present danger this country has had since Pearl Harbor or the Cuban Missile Crisis.
We do not need the Taliban or ISIS or Alkaida - we have Trump and his army of spineless rejects to split our nation and hand it over to Putin on a gold-plated platter.
9
#45 should be very worried, in one of the counties he won by 3 percentage points in 2016, the democrat McCready won yesterday by 12 percentage points, that's a 15 percentage point swing. Plus the Republican Bishop only won by 2 percentage points overall, in an election he should have won by a landslide. The momentum seems to be changing with more Americans by there votes telling "#45 he is not suitable to be in the White House. I also say where bone spurs called his own appointed Fed chairman and staff boneheads. Keep talking and texting #45, it will be your downfall.
3
" As with so many races last year, a centrist Democrat raised significantly more money than the Republican candidate. " My take is that centrist Democrats mastered the art of attracting money, but they lack on crafting a message that resonates. More precisely, many voters expect some boldness from the candidates, while "centrists" fish for the safest causes to champion, and they do in in a "moderate way". The other lesson is that after reaching a sufficient amount of money to spread the message there is a saturation effect.
3
I find it so very depressing to realize where people are. Is this the price we pay for under valuing education? Ethics, principles, morality tossed to the curb as well. We are a very sad species.
14
This was a contest in a heavily gerrymandered district, overseen by a corrupt Republican Party. The fact that a special election was held after evidence of fraud by the Republicans is evidence enough of the unscrupulous methods they'll sink to. McCready should have been declared the winner the last time. What a hollow win for Bishop, tainted as it is with continuing questions about the fairness of North Carolina's election procedures.
18
The Republican won. But barely. And it’s warning signs. If the reporters believe this was a slam dunk, why was there so much media attention?
1
@Shamrock. Except it won “bigly” in the second special election. There was so much media attention because they wanted Trump to fail.
4
@Jackson Exactly !
McCready ran pretending he wouldn't be a Democrat. When Warren or Sanders run they will run as Democrats. I suspect the results will be different. All I heard that this was a key race, now it isn't. Funny how that goes in the NYT.
5
It would be almost funny if it were not so annoying that it was just yesterday that Stanley Greenberg wrote an article in this newspaper, entitled "The GOP is Doomed". What kind of doom is this?
8
NYT presenting the usual hopeful spin right there in the sub-head, of the sort that contributed to voter complacency in 2016. The warning signs apply to democrats, and the party's propping up of an out of touch centrist. (Can Biden even be called a centrist today?)
4
It was a good fight but
At the end of the night
Guess Dan McReady
Wasn’t ready
Went down to defeat
Did not win the Congressional seat
He got beat by Dan Bishop
Who may be religious
He could meet Dan McReady
In the confessional
The Republicans were litigious
President Trump was elated
About winning the seat
He sent out a tweet
The President has great appeal
His appeal is real
In many parts of our nation
It defies explanation
Just a warning
This morning in North Carolina
Where things could be finer
For Democrat Dan McReady
He got beat
Republican Dan Bishop
Wins the seat
2
96000 people voted for Bishop/Trump and I just don't understand. The Republican party has refused to tackle the gun/assault rifle problem. It shifted a huge amount of wealth to the 1%. It has added close to trillion $ to the deficit in this year. Trump spiked the economy by giving most adults a $500 to $1000 credit card so they think "great!" Trump is trying to bring back coal, a dying fuel, that dirties the air and causes black lung. Trump has gutted the EPA which means unsafe water, foods & air. Trump has made a complete hash of foreign policy. He's overspending on the military budget. His stewardship will lead to a recession as sure as night follows day. Trump uses the U.S. to bail out his son-in-law's bad investments. His latest scandal is the diversion of military aircraft to Scotland so servicemen can stay at his resort. Trump spends most of his work time watching TV and otherwise he golfs. It has cost 100 million to fly him to his resorts to golf over 3 years.
What planet do Bishop/Trump supporters come from? In what world do they live? Would they ask an ignorant mechanic to work on their car? Would they ask a 10 year old to bake their daughter's wedding cake? Do they really believe than an ignorant man can manage the United States with all its complexity? Put an ignorant person in charge of a complex system, and disaster will result. They use experts in their own lives, everyday. But they think it's ok to have a dummy in charge of the US?
12
I fear that despite all the evidence, all the analysis, and all the grift/corruption will never change how a significant portion of our fellow citizens decide to vote. Tribalism on the right is the answer to all your questions. It has to be, because nothing else makes any sense.
4
Congratulations to Dan Bishop. Win is a win. Are there warning signs for president Trump in 2020? Yes the warning signs were first manifested in the mid term election of 2018 when the Republican party lost the house to Speaker Pelosi and the squad. There has been a ferocious attack on the president since his election and there was Mueller futzing around tried to deliver to the Democrats grounds for impeachment. Additionally the press and main stream media has been unfairly and mercilessly attacking the president. So yes Trump will have a difficult task in 2020. On the other hand the dysfunctional and self destructive Democratic party is his best ally. Unlike 2016, Trump will have a record of being in the white house for 4 years and there are many accomplishments that he can stress on during his campaign.
Today as we remember those precious lives lost on 911 at the beginning of this century, I will not list all the accomplishments of the Trump administration but stick to just one significantly lesser terrorism in North America, Africa and Europe in the past 30+ months than the first 16 years of this century.
24
@Girish Kotwal
How many years was Trump President over that time frame?
And since it's 911 I won't list all of the Trump administration failures, and I'll stick to just one significant increase under his watch.
White Supremacist have killed more people in the US than terrorists.
78
@Girish Kotwal
Bishop had lost the first vote but for GOP vote fraud.
23
@Girish Kotwal If you call rolling back the clean air act, relax air pollution controll for oil refineries and the like or allowing more oil and gas explorations in Alaska's Wildlife Refuge, trying to force automobile manufacturers to retool their machinery in order to make cars less fuel efficient and increase air pollution by doing so or on the international stage antagonize our allies and pull the US out of varies treatis accomplishments, then you are right and I respectfully disagree with your assessment. Trump has no moral compass, is a liar, selfish, selfabsorpt, a bully, narcistic and does not care one iota about ordinary American citizens.
33
Why did we not see a single high level Democrat in North Carolina? When the President , VP were there to support their candidate, where were our nominees and where were other well known Democrats? If their eye is only on the general election then Good Luck , RIP Democratic party. This strategy of not helping the fellow democrats in a special election like this one is not going to work for you in 2020.
10
Late yesterday I saw Tweet endorsements from two of the Democratic presidential candidates. I too wondered why there wasn’t more “heavy hitter” support from the party. I thought Eric Holder and Barack Obama’s Organizing for America had NC on their short list of states to focus on for voter activism.
3
@Emme, I hope the democratic party focuses equally on these special elections. Sometimes they lose sight of how equally important these elections are.
1
@ALN Biden campaigned for the democrat at least in two occasions, ask the press why is silent on this
Look at the money the RNC was able to throw in , and realize that the Democrats are at a strong dollar disadvantage.
A D-uber or D-lyft program needs to be in place to get every possible democratic voter to the polls.
This was a failure of the national democratic party to take this opportunity seriously, and get out four thousand additional voters.
Some one running for president as a moderate tracking poorly had an opportunity (you Amy) to make a name for herself.
Candidates need to step up and offer their help. If declined, at least they made the offer.
Enthuse the people and get out the vote.
4
@Lawrence how much did the Dems spend? The story is silent.
3
Ft Philip Berrigan: "If voting mattered, it would be illegal." We talk a lot about votes, elections, and money but far less about healthcare, war, and housing costs.
1
Republican charges of voter fraud are pathetic bordering on the sublime when it comes to North Carolina and the rest of the country. Republicans load up on gerrymandering, voter suppression and purges and looking the other way on election interference. Serveral in this comments section have said that the Republicans don't care about the law or how it is executed---they are right.
As for last night's results, voters in the 9th seem to have a very short memory when it comes to remembering that it was the Republicans that have committed real voter fraud. Shame on them.
They still want to take the country back to the time of "hard working white people", that women were in the kitchen, not recognizing people of color or different gender id.
Again, shame on the North Carolina 9th.
For all the talk of the New South, they are still stuck in the 1950s.
7
Gerrymandering voters need to be disqualified and this election needs to be investigated. Such GOP corruption. They cheated on the last election so that is how we got to this special election.
3
@D.j.j.k. - We should all expect and prepare for GOP cheating in elections. They've learned that they cannot win elections without cheating in some way. Look at Mitch McConnell's abysmal approval ratings. And look at his actions. Does he behave like a man who believes his job is in jeopardy? He openly commits to inaction on the issue of gun-control legislation, and thumbs his nose at all who fiercely complain about his unwillingness to allow a vote to secure our elections from interference. McConnell and the Trump Party welcome foreign interference in our elections.
3
Commandment #8: Thou shalt not steal.
I'm sure god didn't mean elections, though.
2
The Republicans threw in everything including the kitchen sink to barely eak out a win in a blood red congressional district? I'm starting to feel a lot better about November '20.
5
Once again, my fellow North Carolinians have disappointed me by their choice at the polls.
2
This is not very comforting. Imagine the headline next November: TRUMP NARROWLY WINS THE PRESIDENCY. What good is that? Democrats BEWARE!!
5
NYT missed the point. a moderate Democrat lost.
Radical left wing candidates would get a drubbing.
12
This narrow victory suggests that McCready has a chance of turning this seat over to the Democrats in 2020. I hope he continues his campaign right now. While Bishop can't do much damage in the next year and a half having such a stalwart Trump supporter in the House cannot be a good thing, particularly with an impeachment looming.
2
@EMiller McGreade was ahed by 17 points just a few weeks ago !
1
All North Carolinians should be scared out of their minds that another Republican Trump sycophant has been elected to Congress. HE WILL DO WHATEVER TRUMP WANTS - lie, cheat, steal, undermine the Constitution, destroy the rule of law - all for the sake of money and power at any cost.
The lies and deception that come from his mouth mirror those of Trump and willed to further disgrace for everyone in NC. His misrepresentations and fear-mongering have made him an ethical pariah on any political stage.
9
Now we will need to decide which bathroom he needs to use.
2
How much did the democrats spend on their lies and distortions of fact...and they still lost. Seems to me they are the ones with the problem...they may fool some of the people some of the time...but they ain't gonna fool enough people on election day.
7
Elections have all of their own individual issues and complications. But in s generally conservative area, it is certain that some of the Dem positions (eg, taking away all private health insurance and opening our borders) that even very liberal opinion editors at the Times believe are too radical may have made the difference here.
3
The shame for NC is that he won at all.
3
So in other words, Democrat loses special election.
8
As a lifelong Democrat, weasley articles like this make me sad.
Why exactly was the democrat up by 17 points but lose?
This is like 2016: the NY Times is pretending its good for democrats to lose close races.
Until the Democrats see and fix their failures, it won't get better.
14
So the lesson here is even if you cheat in North Carolina you win. Corruption, gerrymandering and GOP patronage plague the state.
8
Lost again. Does anyone see a pattern?
5
Your dishonest front page headline on your dishonest story: "Republican narrowly wins North Carolina Special Election." Honest headline: "Republicans sweep Special Elections in North Carolina." When America elected Donald Trump because they were fed up with politics as usual, the Democrats launched into a tantrum and continued with their resistance histrionics. So, we will show you once again in 2020 even more convincingly and with greater zeal that we have had enough.
15
As always, each election to a great extent is sui generis. The democrats fielded a weak candidate who ran a lousy campaign. He lost even though:
-potential fraud on the Republican side caused the do-over election.
-the state Republican chairman was indicted in another scandal
-his opponent was the author of the famous “transgender bathroom bill.”
Democrats are not as strong in NC as we’re being told. Also, the Squad and positions of the presidential candidates are having an effect.
2
Sad and scary. Whether or not it’s voter suppression and gerrymandering doesn’t matter since a Republican is in office. No need to believe in poll numbers because the orange dictator won the presidency and he still has people cheering for him.
I hope people get out and vote in 2020 because it’s essential to get Trump and his crooked cronies out of office. Everything that comes out of Trump’s mouth and tweets is a viscous lie or a nasty admonishment about anyone who speaks against him. Freedom of speech is almost a thing of the past unless it is in full support of our dictator. The government is threatening lawsuits against everyone else.
We need to get this psychopath out of office.
3
Begging people to vote? Guess they aren’t that upset with “him”.
2
Democrats are their own obstacle for control of the White House and Senate. They leave the perception any poor illegal immigrant is not only welcome here but we might even build luxury hotels and welfare checks to incentivize them. Population could double in no time as if we don't have any poverty and crime issues here.
4
I still don't believe it. Anyone really think the Republicans didn't pull any shenanigans again to steal this election too? They just keep getting better at not getting caught - using it as a learning experience. They were getting openly reckless before.
Indeed, I don't trust any election in which Republicans win - they have corrupted the democratic system so much.
Besides, as a poll observer here in the 3rd District which also had a special election, the people voting seemed to be bosses who vote Republican and can take time off from work and not their minimum wage employees who tend to vote Democratic and cannot take time off work without losing pay. Election day should be a holiday that allows hourly voters to vote without losing income.
8
@PAN How about voting by mail? Can't you request an absentee ballot online?
1
@Miklos Bona
Not in 2020 when a photo ID is required.
Try affording internet access and the equipment that goes along with it on $7.25 an hour wage. Some non-millennials may not have the education or proficiency to navigate today's technology.
Limiting this vulnerable working group that tends to work multiple jobs just to stay afloat to requesting an absentee ballot and mailing it in is an unfair obstacle while others have the convenience and PRIVILEGE of taking time off work for early and on day voting in person. How do these people find out about voting by mail - it's not that well publicized to this group - try finding reliable information on line? Only this year did the NC Board of Elections finally publish the correct polling address for my district - NC 3rd - after years of listing the wrong one when under Republican control.
It's just another obstacle conservatives with the wealth impose on those without wealth.
1
Not surprising, but still really disappointing how so many Trump-brand patriots were so quick to smear a Marine who fought for our freedom, a man who led fellow Americans into battle, in favor of someone who attacks the foundations of our democracy (e.g., a free press) and wants to treat some Americans as second-class citizens (or worse). A shameful episode in American history.
5
When will Christians realize that this is a secular country, facts not faith should be taught in schools and that if they really are "pro-life", they would care more for the living children - nearly a quarter of which live at or below the poverty line and lack adequate housing, food and health care. To me, support of Trump in order to legislate religious beliefs is the height of hypocrisy.
5
Elections are about winning and losing. "Moral victories" are for underdog college football teams that almost beat a big guy i.e. Army vs Michigan last week. Republican margins may be smaller, but they got to keep the seat in Congress. Unfortunately, the Democrats will not learn this lesson. They appear to be getting ready to nominate a guy whose memory lapses are alarming in somebody of his age or hypocrite from Mass. who is a chum of Hillary Clinton, the most inept and unpopular party presidential nominee.
2
We are constantly force fed the narrative that moderate democrats are the only candidates that can win. This moderate, boring, milquetoast candidate had the support and financial backing of the democratic party and couldn't win! Maybe if, for once, a progressive candidate with a populist, fighting spirit were given the backing of the party (or at least not attacked and undermined by the party establishment), we could truly test the theory of what truly captures the enthusiasm of the voting public.
3
@Jane What support? Trump and Pence showed up for their guy, no Democrat of national stature showed up for theirs. Was there nobody who would have played well in this district?
4
@Miklos Bona
Amy would have played well.
1
@Miklos Bona no. There was not.
1
While McCready won handily in the urban areas of Charlotte, the showing in the more rural Union County was what carried Bishop. To the Republicans’ credit, they campaigned heavily in the rural, blue collar areas. They brought in Trump and Pence and ran hardball advertising. As usual, the Democrats did not have the interest in winning Trump Democrats or turning the red leaning areas that made the difference. Dan McCready would be an excellent congressman. He is a moderate, former Marine and promotes country over party. The Democrats gave this away and now we have Dan Bishop in congress, the man who wrote the ‘Bathroom Bill’.
As a friend who is a politician once said in private, not mean enough to be a Republican, not stupid enough to be a Democrat. It seems to be true. Perhaps it is time for the majority of voters who are Center, Center Right and Center Left to form a new party. The two we have are worthless.
3
Is Bishop's "narrow" win a warning for president Trump or Speaker Pelosi? McCready used the same formula successful house democrats used in 2018, touting himself as a moderate. Since 2018 Pelosi has treated every one of them like unwanted step children while elevating loud mouth radicals like AOC. Perhaps the electorate is on to her scam.
1
Despite the liberal media's attempt to spin the results of this pivotal election as trouble for Trump, the fact of the matter is a Republican won; that is all that matters. That is the truth; that is is the reality; the only reality. Anything else is spin, or as our President calls, fake news. The media needs to report the facts in a straight forward manner with spin, without injecting its bias. Leave opinion for the op-ed page. Thank you.
9
So the Republicans supposedly cheated, and now they win by more. This is a setback? Interesting.
1
So ... what are the odds the Republicans cheated in this election, too?
6
Had this been only a few short months ago during the 2018 elections, I believe Mcready would have won. Unfortunately, the fractious Democratic debates,which adulterated their focus on issues like health care, and the prominence of "the Squad," which Republicans may contniue to portray as the face and future of the Democratic Party, have had a negative effect.
1
@Alan J. Shaw I'm sorry, but the opposite is true. A few months ago he lost by a deeper margin - not counting the phony ballots. It would appear that unapologetic liberalism is actually working.. After all, if Clintonian centrism was such a success story, why are we in the miserable position we are today?
1
@Gary FS
I was not aware of that fact. However, I wonder what you mean by "Clintonian centrism." Are you referring to Bill Clinton's presidency, or Hillary? What about Obamian centrism, or was that progressivism or socialism via the ACA as the Republicans would have it?
I fear North Carolina voters may have accepted as normal corrupt voting practices in this state and perhaps other places across the country and we will receive no help from a GOP congress that sees this as the only way to win elections. Further, the Supreme Court has sanctioned corruption with their ruling on gerrymandering.
On the brighter side North Carolina has a democratic governor showing that state wide elections can favor democrats. The closeness of this election in a place so Republican in 2016 shows that Trump can not count on winning again here in 2020. We can win this state with an effort to get out the vote and by monitoring our election process carefully.
2
"All politics is local." I think the media's insistence on establishing a national narrative regarding ideological views of active twitter members, talking heads and protesters is what lead to the election of Trump. People may eschew national Republicans, but they like their local Republican Congressman just fine because he shows up to chamber meetings, barbecues and soccer games (same for Democratic, just less so in some areas). "America's heartland" mentality is not just mid-western values; I think if you ask any voter in any region, you'll end up noticing that most feel incredibly removed from the Washington establishment (even those residing in the Washington suburbs) and that's why tying presidential and elections to statewide--especially in this climate--is problematic.
I have a question for anyone, will the congressional districts look different in North Carolina in 2020? Didn't the North Carolina courts just throw out the gerrymandered maps and order new ones drawn or am I confused because there have been so many decisions regarding North Carolina and gerrymandered maps?
6
@CMW Yes the North Carolina Court of Appeals has required new district lines here, a good thing, but don't count on that going through the Supreme Court which believes gerrymandering is something that should be controlled by state legislatures not courts. Like Pontius Pilat they have washed their hands of the issue and are likely to do so again.
No, the republicans are operating completely in bad faith when it comes to redrawing. They’re just antagonizing and have no intent to end their cheating. They have no other way to win.
1
@just Robert Thanks Robert...I thought the Supreme Court said state courts should fix this, perhaps the SC won’t take the case?
A foreshadowing of the national election. Unless Dems come up with a moderate candidate, moderates will vote for Trump. The problem with the two party system is that both parties are controlled by the radical left, Dems, and radical right, Reps. That why Trump won and will win again.
6
@Kent Kraus This is a district that your President won by double digits. You think a 2 percent win is a real win in a solidly red district after $5 million in attack ads and a visit from him? The truth will set you free.
@Kent Kraus
McCready is a centrist and he lost.
@Kathleen kinda feels like Republicans won.
It would be nice if one story covered both sides. How Fox writes it: In a major victory for both President Trump and national Republicans, North Carolina GOP state Sen. Dan Bishop was projected to win a fiercely contested special U.S. House election for the 9th District that was widely seen as a bellwether for the president's chances in the 2020 election.
And another Republican House candidate, Greg Murphy, decisively won a separate special election in North Carolina's more solidly GOP-leaning 3rd District earlier Tuesday evening — frustrating Democrats who spent millions trying to make a splash in the state.
Even Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chairwoman Cheri Bustos acknowledged that the president contributed to Bishop's win, writing in a statement, "We fell an inch short tonight, but it took more than $6 million in outside Republican spending and a last-minute Trump rally" to seal Democratic candidate Dan McCready's fate in the 9th District.
3
@William
Bishop won by a hair. Indicator of GOP potential vulnerability.
McCready won decisively as expected. Indicator of not much.
Many organizations all over the country worked together to get out the vote for McCready. We wrote letters, made phone calls, and canvassed registered Democrats, urging them to vote. This election was a test of those efforts and the result is disappointing and sobering. Our candidate was moderate and appropriate for the district. He lost by a much wider margin than he lost in November 2018. We lost ground there, not gained it.
I dread the Democratic debate tomorrow night. I expect another display of left-wing policies that will handicap every other Democratic candidate on the ballot in 2020, regardless of their moderation.
Don’t get me wrong. I would like most of those left-wing policies, but I know that most Americans are not willing to give up their private insurance, or decriminalize all border crossings, or provide medical insurance to undocumented immigrants, etc., etc. Wake up, Democratic candidates! This special election was a reminder of how conservative this country is.
17
This election remind Dems how unelectable moderates are. They are OK in year of excitement generated by left-wingers as in 2018, but they are useless without this excitement.
20
@Yellow Dog I agree. However it's strange to continuously hear someone who supports law breakers being labeled progressive.
2
@yulia I disgaree. I think Dems are very smart to run moderates. The problem is with the candidates themselves. We can't run Harvard-educated Mckinsey Consultants and say we're working for the working and middle classes because we look like disconnected fools (and maybe we are). We need real people to run who actually look like, and have similar backgrounds to, their constituents.
29
She voted Republican while on maternity leave from work. And we all know the long history of the Republican Party in fighting for women’s rights to work, for maternity leave. But she’s a fiscal conservative. Waiting for that tax break to trickle down.
7
@Jo Williams
Still wating for my beautiful tax break. I'll be waiting a long time.
1
Actually, she voted for the Democrat.
Arrgghh! My bad! Misread that sentence. Maybe there is hope that Repubs will see the light. Thanks for the correction.
Whether its by one vote or thousands. All that matters is who wins, never by how much. Trump has the balance of this term plus 4 more years as long as the economy stays strong. By then he will find a way to be granted an additional two years due to the phony Russia hoax.
1
@Thomas Lashby
How much matters if it indicates a trend on the way to another election. Otherwise Kelly Conway would be flipping burgers.
If progressives think narrow losses are somehow victories then they’re going to be really tired of winning in 2020.
5
@Roger
Narrow losses in 2017 Special elections did become victories in 2018, Say Hi to GA 6 and few others in PA,CA etc.
In 2019, the Democrat lost by 1,000 votes. In 2019, the same Democrat lost by nearly 2,000 votes. In 2018, he got around 131,000 votes. In 2019, he got 91,000. Do we need any greater proof that the votes are there, and that the problem is getting them to the polls? DNC should put all of its money on this crucial
point.
3
It was a narrow victory for Bishop, but it was a victory. Too many Democrats are expecting a huge "blue wave" in November 2020. After all, haven't enough Americans come around to recognize that Trump is vile and must go, and that the Republican Party is out for their own best interests? Clearly not. Democrats still have not made enough of an impact on voters. I largely blame our Democratic "leadership" ... Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. These are not bold, strong, compelling leaders who motivate our Congressional Democrats, and thus, our base. And they fail miserably to get much needed media attention to issues. McCready should have won this special election. My party fails me once again.
3
@ToTom
I've seen the media fail to clarify qualifications for candidates and policies at my state level. Mass media's total goal to make money interferes with the role of educating citizens with clear facts on important issues. I don't blame Chuck Schemer and Nancy Pelosi. I blame Citizens United primarily. Our country's failure to serve all of us is the depressing, dismal result. We must all DO whatever we can to insure a Democratic administration in 2020.
2
I bet Russia’s voter interference unit is happy to see how easily Americans accept GOP narrow “victories”.
We all heard the dire warnings from American intelligence agencies that Russian interference on behalf of Trump and the GOP is pervasive and effective.
The Republicans should not be granted a do-over for one simple reason - it encourages illegal behavior in the future. This is the reason most important reason we have laws. If you rob a bank and get caught and society allowed you to simply put the money back, then there would be not downside to attempting to rob in the future.
There is another remedy. The House can simply vote not to seat Mr. Bishop. However, I would recommend against this. This is such an extreme measure it should be reserved for only the most odious candidates or the most dire situations. For example, if there had been no do-over, and Mr. Harris had been awarded the ill gotten seat, I would say yes; don't seat him. Democracy must be protected.
1
I think a lot of people who are still voting Republican don't personally know anybody who has been negativity impacted by Trump.
If your friend group is all white, all Christians, and above the poverty line Trump's -isms are largely abstract.
@Eli I am not white, am not a republican and am not Christan. I agree with a majority of Trump's policies and oh yeah I am not alone in my beliefs
4
@Eli
I work in the financial world, I am in the majority as a liberal/dem, in fact I can count on one hand the people I work with who share the same views as myself. As a group (albeit a very small one) we collectively detest bone spurs. The people we work with.....mostly white males adore the guy, because as they say "it's the economy". They don't' care that the repubs want to take away women's rights, foul the atmosphere and stack the courts. It's an uphill battle that I fear the Dems will lose if they don't get on the same page. And promising illegals the right to free healthcare and free federal jobs for all and free college is not the way to win the hearts on the Indies, most Dems and certainly not crossover repub votes. Wake up Democrats because if you lose in 202 you will have yourselves to blame forget about the Russians.
In his opinion piece this morning, David Leonhardt analyzed Bishop's win. One sentence in the piece summed things up for me.
"Their (Dems) attempts to investigate Trump for his many scandals have been unimpressive, disappointing their loyal voters and failing to persuade more swing voters that Trump is unfit for office."
Bingo.
There are a lot of liberals out here who are disgusted by the Pelosi strategy. Witness the low turn out in N.C.
Your base, Speaker Pelosi, gave you the gavel in 2018 and you have done nothing with it except get out-maneuvered by Trump and GOP.
If Pelosi blows her chance to use all Constitutional remedies to rid us of Trump, I fear the effect on 2020 turnout. If progressives are kicked aside ala 2016, I fear for turnout.
2
Back to business as usual for the dems. "We lost, but the way that we lost shows that maybe we can win!"
4
Bishop won and the polls seem to indicate the last minute visit by Trump was the key.
I live in North Carolina. Trump is very popular here. Bishop was an unknown - but he was blessed at the last minute by Trump and won.
That tells you a lot.
Trumps supporters turn out when he tells them to. His message sits well with the southern states that are still highly racist and clearly still segregated. (school districts, churches - even funeral homes). Lots of single issue voters - NRA crowd, Religious Right, confederate flag waivers. They are all here in real numbers.
The GOP has been very successful at gerrymandering the districts and suppressing the black vote. They have been very successful at driving home wedge issues to the single issue voters. They can herd squirrels and cats.
Simple fact is Democrats need to get out and vote.
5
So the Republicans subverted our democracy by trying to steal an election....and North Carolina voters rewarded them with a seat anyway.
The biggest threat to our democracy isn’t slimy politicians. It’s the public’s indifference toward such tactics.
6
Bishop and the GOP threw the kitchen sink and everything else they had at McCready to squeak out this "victory".
It took Trump, Pence and Trump Jr to pull this off.
The Republican Party knows they are in trouble. This election was a bandaid for a gaping wound.
A nice piece of news for their nervous donors but don't start counting the hatching GOP chickens just yet.
Trump has not added to his "fan club" and his minions in the Senate know it.
If more republicans from the House of Representatives jump ship, it's going to put a lot of pressure on the party to fill in the blanks which the GOP dreads during Trump's siege battle to retain the presidency.
4
This is how they behave in NC:
“I propose that we draw the maps to give a partisan advantage to 10 Republicans and three Democrats because I do not believe it’s possible to draw a map with 11 Republicans and two Democrats,” David Lewis, a Republican state representative who led the redistricting effort said.
7
Although the 2% margin is closer than McCready's loss in the last election, it is still a loss. In addition, I have heard reports saying that McCready's tally was less in the blue collar rural counties in the district. Finally, on the issue of passion, it is essential for winning the elections, a point thus far lost on too many of our national Democratic candidates for 2020. Trump came into North Carolina Monday and inflamed his base to impel them to vote for Bishop. Sadly, it worked. Democrats, take note. Position, yes, but passion and message as well.
32
@CP
Passion for what? What did Trump have to say anyway, was it coherent?
2
@ARL, I doubt it was coherent or contained more than the usual "content," but what I heard was supercharged with his usual condescension, vitriol, hatred and incitement to action for his loyal sheep. Sadly, these days, that's enough.
1
@CP No, the 2% margin is not closer, time (2018) McCready lost by only 905 votes.
A win is a win regardless of how small the margin is. The difference between the Democratic and Republican voters are, Democrats are mostly social media activists, keyboard warriors, online poll voters while the Republicans actually show up on election day to vote.
27
@Guz
Republicans vote, true. But they’re voting against their interests and for people who give tax cuts to the very wealthiest, take health insurance away from their families, saddle their children and grandchildren with enormous debt while their infrastructure crumbles and their schools deteriorate.
They voted for a man who lies, has failed to deliver most promises but gives them a rousing show to follow - at his rallies and tweets. This is a scary reality TV show and they voted to continue it. Sad!
3
@Guz - The legitimacy of the win isn't in question. What's notale is scraping a win where you previously had a huge margin, even with the president coming to town to support you. It's indicative of less voter enthusiasm, which can translate into losses in similar districts in future elections.
1
@Guz
Yup, all that and the margin went down from 12 points to 2 points in just 3 years! Its a GREAT WIN indeed.for the dems.This seat is turning blue in 2020 as is NC.
1
So much for "RIP GOP". If Democrats keep insisting on ideas such as unrestricted immigration, on non-sequiturs such as trying to conflate an urgent and catastrophic issue such as climate change with a non-issue such as "social justice" for "minorities", on turning away from our Western European cultural roots, then we are in for another four years of this nightmare. There may be nothing to wake up to after that.
19
@Ajax
All fake talking points from fraud party of trickle down economics, tax cuts for the rich and white identity politics. How do you explain the 12 point margin falling down to 2 points in just 3 years? Americans aren't with the GOP as can be seen by the GOP winning the popular vote just once in over 30 years.
1
@Ajax I don't see accepting other "cultures", unless you mean color of skin, as turning away from our cultural roots.
@Ajax "...turning away from our Western European cultural roots..." meaning what, exactly?
Both Trump and Pence campaigned in the district days before the election. It's unfortunate that no high profile Democrats chose to show up in support of Dan McCready. They campaign in South Carolina constantly but they can't cross the state line to help a fellow Democrat? Did McCready fail some sort of purity test?
38
@Jim
Um, McCready campaigned as a "moderate". If Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders showed up at his side I'd wager Bishop's margin would have been a couple of points higher.
1
@Jim
Actually yes, he did fail the test. He's a conservative, straight, married white man who went to Duke and served in Iraq as a marine corps captain. If he had won he'd feel as welcome in the Democratic Conference as a black, lesbian abortionist would be in the Republican Conference. Don't think for a moment that this is a trend.
3
@Jim
On the other hand, should voters even need for a high profile politician to show up in support of the candidate? Shouldn't the policies and personality of the candidate be enough? Is there any evidence that a good proportion of democrats stayed home because Bobby big man or Susan flashy woman failed to show up before election day? This whole premise seems absurd to me.
1
Let's recap: The NC republican party was finally caught in one of their many election-fraud schemes. It was obvious from statements made that there was a history of such fraud and that a previous benefactor, a former congressman knew about it making it more than plausible that the corruption was deeply-ingrained in the party's leadership.
Despite overwhelming evidence and confessions, no on is in prison.... yet.
Despite their cheating, the republicans simply had their candidate disqualified and then got a chance to have another election.
Yes, we get to redraw our heavily-gerrymandered maps, but there are already clear signs that the NCGOP has no intentions of allowing democracy to go forward here as they are already cheating on the process.
38
@Thomas Payne I agree with you. This, to me, is a serious crime against our voters and election process. But they just get a do-over and that’s it?
The other thing that baffles me is why anyone votes for the Republican Party in North Carolina after this scandal. The Republicans are clearly trying to cheat. Who wants to vote for cheaters who clearly don’t believe in or want democracy?
2
Once again proving to the world that "moderate" Democrats don't stand a chance against Trump-backed Republicans. Corporate centrism always loses against right wing populism, and the only way to beat it is with left wing populism.
11
@Evan There may be something to this. I am starting to come around to bernie (again). He might be the most electable candidate, inasmuch as he is still the only candidate who has inspired passion in his supporters.
1
@Evan
Hey, come on, it's NC 9th. You are reading way too much into this "off season" election.
2
@Evan Does not make logical sense. On the contrary, a far-left democrat would lose BIG!
2
This being a close race doesn’t matter. The republican candidate won. How that spells trouble for Trump is not clear. If the republican candidate wins by 1 vote or 1000 we all know what the outcome can be.
11
@nin10013, Ugh, you are wrong. I want go into all the reasons why, I've stated them up and down this thread. The Dems are going to flip NC to blue. Watch!
1
The GOP would betray the entire country to stay in power. Today even the president is a dubious winner.
19
It's a red wave!
17
@M More like a ripple. And there's a blue tsunami behind it.
@M
You cheated on the last election and do you believe you won legitmalty. Election needs to be recounted and gerrymandering votes not allowed. Do it fair.
@M ... composed of the blood of future generations...
With overall turnout lower than in 2016, one has to question whether the Democrat McCready was a good enough candidate to overcome the traditional Republican-leaning voters of the 9th District.
McCready certainly appears to be a good, solid, family man, as well as a moderate. But he is also boring; that is to say, despite being a Marine veteran, he showed little stomach to fight back aggressively against Dan Bishop, who is the quintessential Trump sycophant. (I just learned this morning that Bishop is a lawyer in Charlotte. There was not one ad -- not one -- about his background, values, vision, etc. It was 100% attack advertising from beginning to end, but McCready's campaign offered only tepid counter punching).
To me, the most telling aspect of the campaign was that McCready ran the same stale ads from the 2016 election. He had a few new ones, but at least in the Charlotte market, he relied on old campaign videos. Big mistake.
The other lesson is directed at Democrats. You cannot treat politics as a dalliance. It is, for many, a matter of life or death. That's the way Republicans around here treat it -- as if their very lives depended on the outcome. McCready lacked that passion, and it was a fatal flaw.
Republicans turned out in brutal heat to cast their vote for a veritable non-entity, who will go to Washington and essentially disappear into the fog. Democrats could have done better, but they have to fight in order to win.
63
@PaulB67 It’s true, Dems have to fight harder. I think that was one of the flaws in Hillary’s campaign, she phoned it in.
Reading the coverage here of Trump’s rally in your state, is just plain scary. The unpresidential rhetoric that he has made the new normal and his followers almost hypnotically responding smacks of a German era I would rather not think about.
24
@PaulB67 You are right on point when you say that Democrats cannot treat politics as a dalliance and that it is a matter of life or death. However, many Democrats also need to learn that passion is not a complete solution. It seems that many Democrats, these days, are confusing passion with left-wing purity - as if exciting crowds of "true believers" is the same as winning those voters needed to capture states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. Yes, this is not a game and Democrats better soon begin acting like it's not.
7
@PaulB67
I agree. McCready, by his own account, avoided Trump‘s Name and didn’t attack republicans, focusing on “country over party.” Snore! Meantime, Bishop went and saw the Lumbee tribe people in some rural district and told them about how McCready was going to open all borders to gang members and take away their guns and guess what ? It worked! The 6000 votes or so that went to McCready in 2018 now went to Bishop. If you as a Democratic candidate pretend Trump doesn’t exist and don’t punch back against a bigoted Trump- sycophant who calls you “Unamerican,” yes, Bishop called a decorated Afghanistan war veteran Un American- then you’re toast. Rural voters are already heavily leaning Trump, Republican and one issue vote. If you don’t fight Trump with some aggressive tactics instead of bromides, you lose. Two years of campaigning for nothing.
4
Hey folks. The republican won. What difference will it make if Trump becomes President again by 1 vote? It'll be 4 more years of zombieville.
30
@Two Americas
A sequel to "The Walking Dead".
1
More evidence that criminal gerrymandering and unconstitutional voter suppression WORKS!
55
Why isn't Mark Harris, the previous Republican candidate who committed election fraud, in jail?
90
@Question Everything
Yes, why not? Has this too been swept under the legal carpet by traitorous Republicans?
1
Trump may help winning the North Carolina race this time, but he is in trouble in states affected by the trade negotiation with China.
Things don't change without a good reason. I drove from Texas to N. Carolina and back for a two-week summer vacation a month ago. I saw pretty decent folks and decent living along the way. I knew immediately that N. Carolina is in Trump's pocket in 2020.
On the other hand, farm states won't be so kind to Trump in 2020. Repeated tv interviews and YouTube videos show folks are worrying about their future. They want market shares rather than government handout. They will vote for Democratic candidate if Trump won't get the trade deal done in time for election in 2020.
I love to have a female Democratic president in the US for the first time. It will soft the image and erase the bad memory of Trump to many countries in the world.
14
@Usok
Apparently McCready won the very affluent, conservative part of the gerrymandered district. IE, bankerville voted democrat. The republican won in the high poverty rural counties who have not been helped by Trump. So basically the same types you will see out in the farm states probably voting against their best interests. If a former Marine could not get these votes for the democratic party, I don't see how any of the democratic candidates can.
I have met more low income white people who lack education who would probably die for Trump who do not at all realize that his policies do nothing for them. I had one guy bragging about his tax cut- who actually doesn't pay any federal income tax because his income is so low. He loves Trumps and is afraid of paying more in taxes, yet also needs medical assistance and housing assistance.
There is no way to pull support away from Trump. His supporters are set in stone. The only option is for democrats to get non-voters out.
22
The GOP /Republican base were corrupt the last election which forced this special election. I doubt they won with their history of corruption. We need to revote and revote . It’s a shame the GOP supporters are so immoral.
20
But they WON!
16
There has to be a recount. It is too close to call. Below are the numbers, as reported by NYT.
Dan Bishop
Republican
96,081 50.7%
Dan McCready
Democrat
92,144 48.7
Jeff Scott
Libertarian
767 0.4
Allen Smith
Green
371 0.2
6
@Hope. Great point, but I think we had a recount with Gore and God knows there was enough protesting in 2016. It got us nowhere...
2
@Hope
For you info. An election has to be recounted when the difference between the two candidates with the highest numbers of the vote is less than 0.5%. In this case the difference as to now is sadly 2%. Ergo, no recount.
4
@Hope Those folks who voted Green and Libertarian are worse than the most ardent "Trumphadis," IMO.
2
Remember that old saying, close is only good enough in horseshoes and hand grenades?
Democrats need to close the door before they get blown away by the Republican horses escaping the barn.
11
We will only have to wait until November 2020 to win this seat.
I'd suggest that Mr. McCready keep his campaign intact and start the work now. Third time never fails.
27
How did the Democratic lose this election ? He was ahead in all the polls. Why didn’t President Obama Campaign for for him or raise money for him ?
26
@Common Ground Ha.
Republicans also won the special election for NC's 3rd congressional district. So all you who read the NYT and live in intensely blue states and urban centers need to take note and worry. Both these white male NC candidates, Bishop and Murphy, chose to fully embrace Trump and won their elections. Time to get active and get out the vote or we will see 4 more years of Trump/Mitch (and at least one more Supreme Court judge chosen by them). Don't believe the polls.
36
@smufty
I agree. Why the liberal media keeps reporting how well Biden, et al fare against Trump when it means nothing. If anything it means Democrats will become overconfident and not vote, thinking their vote is superfluous.
@Smuft
Leave the rural voters to Trump. They’re beyond redemption- brainwashed by Trump and I am sick of Democrats trying to reason with them when they snicker behind their backs and vote Trump and Trump apparatchiks anyway.
Go after cities suburbs and may be exurbs- even in N.C. 9 they increased the vote for McCready this time.
Bishop won by a larger margin than Harris did against McCready in the original election. Despite the "do over" democrats still lost.... but by a larger margin.
The democratic party should be concerned going into 2020... especially when they're going into the Presidential election with such weak candidates like Joe, a perennial plagiarizer and presidential election loser and Liz... who comes across as batty and mildly hysterical at her campaign rallies.
18
That's because in 2018 the progressive were excited, it helped moderates, this year he was on his own, and as turn out moderation without excitement is just not enough.
1
@yulia In my opinion, progressive like Sander's supporters cannot see the big picture and do not understand the importance of party unity -- that's also one of the reasons trump is in the White House.
1
Shame on those who voted republican. It was Republican election fraud that caused this special election to happen. Enough with supporting people who do not support the LGBTQ community, who are approved by the NRA or who belong to the trump party.
Democrats, independents, non-voters, you must vote in 2020. Stand up for your country. It only takes the ability to mark a ballot. Vote trump and his cronies out of office, the world will thank you.
23
@MLE53 Well, the Dems are in trouble. Here is why: open borders, free college, forgive student loans, reparations, illegals get better benefits than Americans, Dems are trying to force us into a recession just so they can win, focus on a Trump impeachment, unfair trade instead of fair trade, Elizebeth Warren will be your candidate. I could go on but i know you already know all this. Thanks.....
1
@BarryD
You should not be in public office if you do not believe in the rights of all our citizens. LGBTQ citizens have rights. You should not support election fraud. You should not support a president who does not support the majority of our citizens.
You should not allow a president to denigrate the First Amendment (Free Press, the right to protest). You should not allow a president to lie as a matter of policy. You should not support caging children after separating them from their family. You should not support the lack of support we gave Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. You should not support climate change deniers. You should not support a McConnell who would deny a president the right to choose a Supreme Court Justice. These examples should never be supported in a candidate from any party.
NC had the opportunity to send Trump a message by rejecting ANY republican, but we failed. Even though NC's elections are totally rigged, I hoped there were enough intelligent people in my home state to notice the world that the end of the Trump disaster was at hand.
N. Carolina failed miserably. The cancer known as Trump has metastasized.
29
Dan Bishop owes his narrow victory to the Citizen's United decision, $ 6.8 Million from organizations outside of NC, an onsite visit from the president, extreme gerrymandering in NC and tribalism in the Republican party. Formidable . . . but 2 percentage points under these circumstances in a red district that has not voted Democrat since the 1960s is a decent showing and we can learn from this campaign for future races. Let's prepare for Nov 5, 2019. "Country Over Party".
"The National Republican Congressional Committee is the top spender in the race, pouring $3.1 million into anti-McCready attack ads. The group is spending far more than the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee despite having less cash on hand, signaling that the group believes it needs to win this race heading into 2020.
The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC tied to House Republican leaders, spent $2.3 million on ads attacking McCready. And Club for Growth Action, an anti-tax group, spent just under $1 million on ads attacking McCready and canvassing for Bishop."
Read more here: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article234767102.html#storylink=cpy
13
This is a lesson for 2020. If the Democrats - my soon-to-be former party - had run a hysterical liberal, they would have lost by 30 points.
11
It doesn't matter if they lost by 2 or by 30, but by running the progressive in this conservative district, they would at least have some data about popularity of progressive in such conservative areas. It was a small risk since the district didn't vote Dems since 60s, but it will be great exploration for general election. Right now all what they know, the moderation (and God, the guy was real moderate, you could hardly distinguish him from Rep) will not get a win.
5
@yulia "It doesn't matter if they lost by 2 or by 30"
Yes it does. And if these people voted for Trump over Hillary by 14 points, they will vote for him over St. Bernard by 40 points.
3
@yulia further, how can you say that it doesn't matter how much they lose by and at the same time say you could use this election as a barometer? That makes absolutely no sense.
1
The GOP/Trump narrow victory over the suburbs in NC09 should spell the end of any impeachment talk in the House.
5
Sorry, but I no longer believe the vote was legitimate.
Between gerrymandering, accepting outside influence, hacking of electronic systems, smaller scale scams akin to that which led to this "re-do", and so on, I have pretty much lost faith in any close election result won by the GOP. They are incessant cheaters.
Call me a skeptic. Call me a realist. Just don't ever call me a resident of any place governed by the trumpey bathroom bill guy.
32
@Ben K
That attitude is why President Trump wins and the Democrats loose. And that attitude is what just might get Trump 4 more years. I'm sure that Trump's campaign managers (or at least those who haven't quit or been fired in his management circus) are hoping that more Democrats think like you.
1
Nope, I still vote religiously. And I’ll support candidates that promote paper ballot, Cyber security measures. Which the GOP will not. Fancy that.
But, statistically, seems the GOP wins every razor margin tally not 50/50 or even 80/20 of the time but a highly improbable 95/5 percent of the time.
So I vote, and encourage others to do so, because it has to be a landslide to even matter.
Well promising free healthcare to illegal immigrants certainly didn’t help matters. Good job Dems.
15
Did McCready offer that? As I heard he was not for free healthcare even for American citizens. The guy is indistinguishable from Reps, no wonder the district went for real Rep, why someone would want to vote for surrogate?
I don’t see anything to celebrate about, a loss is a loss loss loss.
17
I would like to think that this is a favorable result for the Democrats but from my point of view it isn't. A close lose is still a loss for the Democrats. And I will always question the North Carolina Republicans after the gross corruption that took place when Dan McCready was not seated. He won that race as a non-corrupt Candidate and the Election Commission was wrong to call for another election.
Republicans have proven themselves to be corrupt in the State of North Carolina and also Nationally.
Anybody who puts Party above Country is not much of a citizen.
196
@Jean--Republicans are not interested in being good citizens. They are only interested in winning. And, they did.
16
Yes! I couldn't agree more. The republican candidate in the last election cheated. So if one was in a competition and their opponent chested, wouldn't that result in forfeiting? The fact that Republicans got a do-over is absurd to me. This just welcomes Republicans to cheat again and don't worry, if they lose, they can put forth the next grotesque candidate in line.
6
@Jean
You should look closer at the results. The Democratic candidate made substantial gains in the suburban portions of this district. Which means that Trump/Republican support is becoming concentrated in rural areas. Which means the GOP is in trouble in 2020.
2
I had two thoughts last night as I watched McCready lose this close race--how much aid and support did the Democrat Party on the state and national level give their candidate? Did the Party provide needed funds and expertise? Did the Party help with getting out the vote for McCready? I know he lost by a narrow margin, but given the election fraud and the radical right-wing beliefs of his opponent, why didn't he win? Both Republicans and Democrats should be worried by the outcome of this race.
132
@Meg - several thoughts: one of the main reasons Donnie won in ‘16, was that Hillary and the Dems ran one of the worst election campaigns in American history: took voters for granted, ignored key states, and didn’t do the hard, boring, grinding work of getting out the vote. Another point: outside of the liberal and progressive “bubbles” that most Dem-Prog voters (and almost all media analysts) live in, opinions about the state of the nation are different than they are “inside”. Many of the causes and issues that are vital to the Dems are regarded with caution or dislike. Finally, people are REALLY tired of being scorned and insulted. “Deplorables” alienated millions, and still does today.
11
He didn’t win because it’s North Carolina. We have a ways to go before the descendants of white supremacists are gone. Still, calling the state purple is a step in the right direction
1
@Meg Because many of the voters in this district share his radical right-wing beliefs. Why is this so hard to understand? Over 40% of Americans have a favorable view of Trump.
Also, this candidate wasn't involved in the voter fraud, in fact the fraudster probably cheated to win the Republican nomination last year.
4
So the Democrat lost an election in the Republican jerrymandered district?
We came blame Democratic apathy (you get the government that you vote for) until the end of the planet -- about 25 years from now, according to the current course. But one fact remains, the congressional map of North Carolina has been adjudged as seriously jerrymandered.
So, an election can be thrown out because of Republican ballot fraud, but if you don't correct the districting problem when you order a new election, you're going to come up with the same preordained response.
15
Doubt the votes were counted accurately. Investigation needed.
13
How many did not bother to vote? Young people?, those concerned about the environment? Is the economy really great in NC? Is no one concerned about the alt-right agenda? Dems needs to find our what drives the trump voter, and what keeps the "nonvoters" away.
21
This is my biggest question as well: what percentage of registered Democrats voted? And what percentage of registered Republicans voted? How do we ensure the Democratic vote comes out in 2020 no matter who the Democrats put up as the Presidential candidate?
145
They need to find out what drives Dems voters. What will compel them to run to the election box and to vote. Clearly, not guys who promised not to support Dems leadership, Medicare for all and gun control laws.
2
@ERT
Exactly. How hard did the Democratic Party in North Carolina work to get out the vote? The Democratic Party has a problem with "complacency"... how seriously did the North Carolina Democrats take this election? Did Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House go to North Carolina to inspire Democrats? We shouldn't be asking these questions after the fact. Democrats should not be losing elections in the face of a Trump Presidency and a GOP which supports him. My party has failed me once again.
70
"the farthest-left sources of money in the country.”
My favorite line. Is that from SNL? No, actually that was part of Bishop's campaign.
Why is this behavior mostly the possession of Republicans? Why are people who want things such as universal health care, safer gun laws, a humane approach to immigration, tackling the apocalyptic effects of climate change, actions that will benefit ALL people, why are they so vehemently attatcked?
Someone needs to remind people, the world is round, and the further left you go, you eventually come to the right. And the further right you go, you eventually come to the left. Why does human behavior continue to insist that we have to do so much damage to get there?
5
WHO'S TO SAY That Trump did not apply the same standard to Dan Bishop, such a the one he stated prior to the 2016 presidential election, when he announced publicly that if he did NOT win, it would be because the entire system was rigged. But it was, indeed, rigged in Trump's favor. The crucial question is, Did Trump get his riggers to do a number in North Carolina. That all depends whether those following the election with the intent of derailing the victory of the Democrat, were speaking in Russian!
3
What assurances do we have the cheating did not go on again?
Why should we believe that this was a clean election? We let Trump take office while the election was clearly not clean and here we go again. It is the Republicans nature to guaranty a win against the Democrats and cheat if they can. Tell us what things were done to assure us this election was fraud free.
14
The NC special election in district 9 was strange from the start. For example, in a little league baseball game the team that is caught cheating has to forfeit the game. They don’t get to play the game again to see if they can win without cheating.
And, as far as cheating is concerned, isn’t NC the same state where a federal judge struck down a voter ID law as unconstitutional; that it disenfranchised black voters with “surgical precision”?
Republicans probably won this one without cheating. But they are not shy about using whatever they can to win.
12
I wonder has NC can still love the GOP when a very strong hurricane, made stronger by climate change, just hit them. There party of choice wants to make this worse, not better. They voted against themselves.
8
Was the 2016 election lost due to racism or to economic anxiety? Actually, it was both. It seems rather obvious that race resentment played a very significant role in Trump's victory. However, facts are stubborn things, and it is a stubborn fact that many thousands of jobs have been lost in the Rust Belt and in rural states that are never, ever coming back. Obviously, the DNC would want to push the racism narrative as a way of crowding out the progressive Bernie supporters and, to be sure, blaming the job losses on illegal immigrants and brown "others" rather than actual causes like automation and trade deals that ignore labor IS racist. But simply calling the people whose votes you are seeking racist without offering them anything meaningful to help alleviate their situation is hardly a winning strategy (see Hillary's "basket of deplorables").
Bill Clinton pandered to the baser instincts of the white working class with his neoliberal policies, but did nothing to address their underlying problems -- on the contrary, his support for NAFTA, repeal of Glass-Steagle and other corporate-friendly policies only made their problems worse. For all its rhetoric, the Democratic Party has overpromised and underperformed to the working class for decades and in 2016, those chickens came home to roost. Bernie's "crime" in the eyes of the Democratic establishment is in pointing that out. Trotting out yet another neoliberal centrist nominee will only yield the same result.
5
@Boris Jones
There is some speculation that the Clintons arent finished yet. With the weak field the Democrats have trotted out Liz Warren may try and get Hillary to be her VP if Sleepy Joe doesnt get the nomination.
Anyway you slice it,I think the Trumpster will get 4 more years. Its obvious the Left is in disarray with Nadler pandering to the Russia Collusion Impeachmet crowd.
Makes for great theatre!
1
@Boris Jones
and Hillary was not warm and cuddly and frankly running on hubby's apron strings so to speak (tuxedo tails.) Her sense of privilege and calling the Appalachians deplorables-- even horribles would have been better...did not help. BTW sometimes people really shouldn't vote....
Getting ill at the 9/11 memorial event did not help -- will she attend today?? nor had her/Obama's actions in Libya, her vote for the Iraq War(Frankly she scared me.)
3
@South
I agree, but don't confuse the Clintons, Pelosi, Schumer or the other Democratic establishment leaders with "the left."
2
Narrow losses mean one thing: you lost. Trump won a narrow victory in 2016. He's still the President. Democrats can't afford to indulge in self-delusion. We must be realistic and select a candidate in 2020 who can carry the middle of the electorate and not just excite progressives. I will never forget the Macgovern rally I attended at MSG in 1972. With Simon and Garfunkel and Peter, Paul and Mary how could we lose? We did, big time and to Nixon no less. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders spell sure defeat.
9
yeah, that was the problem in NC. The guy was so middle, that he could not excite the progressive. Result? Same as in 2016 - narrow defeat. Do Dems want to scale up such result up to the federal level?
3
@alan brown
So nominating a "moderate" (aka republican lite) like in this election is surely gonna win the day for democrats as it did in this case, right?
Oh. Sorry!
Oh wait, is this another "feel good" story for Democrats because it was a "close loss" in a heavily GOP district? You'll forgive me if I don't break out the champagne just yet.
Honestly, it's long past time the Democrats start focusing on winning, not doing well.
13
"And Mr. Bishop returned the favor. Claiming victory, he called Mr. Trump “the greatest fighter ever to occupy the White House” and told supporters that the president put “himself on the line for this race.”"
My country grosses me out.
14
Reflects national trends- Trump and the GOP maintain a solid base but are losing the independents , some moderate Republicans and the better educated. When 107,000 votes in 3 states gave him his victory those middle voters matter.
5
Language as much as anything else is going to count in this next election. So Left and Right need to be dropped. (Replacing them is really hard.. but I am thinking how about First World Medical Care rather than Medicare for all. Universally approved border policy, state of the art border policy, state of the art wall-less borders (invisible wall borders) -- You get the point. It's mostly Madison Avenue before it become Connecticut Avenue. It's all in how you say it, unfortunately! (Forget reason or common sense.)
7
North Carolina is a prime example of extreme gerrymandering. The majority of NC voters voted for Democrats, yet won less than the majority of political offices. Too bad the NC Supreme Court's ruling that the districts need to be redrawn was not applied to this election.
15
Same old song and dance hear folks. Democrats repeat a failed centrist-moderate strategy and claim victory in defeat. And we all suffer because of their intransigence.
Until our political center of gravity corrects itself and shifts to where the voters are on the issues, GOP will dominate. Go look at Bernie's performance in rural counties vs Clinton for example, that's all the evidence we need to see what the solution is for 2020.
4
The two GOP wins in NC, particularly the one in the Charlotte Suburbs and considering the millions the Democrats spent here, are clearly a bellwether. One that points to a reelection for President Trump.
6
The race may have been close, but in the end, went to the GOP in no small part due to the Republican’s fervent embrace of Trump.
To recap, a moderate Democrat, a veteran with a business background, with ample time and campaign funding, was defeated by a name-calling, bible-thumping, science-denying, Trump-supporting Republican.
The race for the White House in 2020 is likely to be just as close at the North Carolina House contest and is highly likely to end similarly.
8
I hope the national Democrats are paying attention here. If they run closer to the center--shore up the ACA, comprehensive immigration reform, real middle class tax cuts, for just a few ideas, then the Republicans could not have tarred McCready, an outstanding candidate, with the socialism brush. I am sorry he lost.
4
@Mike
They're gonna paint ANY and ALL democrats with that brush, regardless of their actual positions. Why? Because it seems to work.
2
@Mike
Do you really believe they won this legitimately. Last election was fake and so was this one . The GOP in North Carolina are bad news and should not be allowed to ever vote again. We need to investigate every vote no matter how long it takes especially since it was so close.
I have encountered two retired couples in the grocery store in the past month who moved back to MA from NC because they couldn't stand how backward it was. They were positively giddy to have left it behind. Not great for the local DEM voting. Message to retirees, don't go there. Message to corporations, good luck hiring.
5
I’m very disappointed by the loss. However, it could do something good. Democrats should realize the harsh reality and stop their wishful thinking. This includes New York Time, which should minimize or end its cheerleading. It will be no doubt a very tough battle, no matter how badly performed the current president. That is why progressive is more effective at this moment than liberal. Be smart, be patient, be cool and be resilient. Sadly to say that US can not become Canada, not right away. But it’s is right direction to go in the ladder of civilization! One step at the time, play politics intelligentlly, my friends!
4
Voter fraud should be viewed as a serious crime, deserving serious punishment, no mattter who and what party commits it. We need to up the punishment so it hurts.
This nation is losing its principles of fairness and equality for all. Major reasons for this include Citizens United and gerrymandering.
Citizens United allows the purchasing of votes and gerrymandering allows current politicians to rig their elections by drawing conggressional districts in an manner that optimizes the opportunity for the party in power to remain in power.
while one party is trying to grab power in an immoral fashion, much of the remaining "free world" is scrambling to identify leadership, for surely that leadership is not here in the United States.
2
One very important fact to remember; Dead Republicans don't get to vote, but Dead democrats do every election...many do so multiple times
@US Guy
Please cite your references for this ridiculous statement.
The real lesson for the GOP? Fine tune the details of stealing elections. Continue to uphold the veneer of democracy, sure, but rig elections to keep the ruling party in power at any cost. This is how our democracy is dying.
2
We Democrats need to consider this a warning shot. No matter what excuses are available (the GOP spent a ton on advertising etc.), the fact remains that the Republican won. We cannot rest. Otherwise this stain on humanity will be elected again.
7
This is a glass half full/half empty story. Dan Bishop won already--he won. I don't care if it's a conservative district or not, he attracted enough voters to gain victory, which makes this a wakeup call for Democrats.
People talk about the "new South." OK, sure, in a way. But the old South persists everywhere--and not merely in the South. It's all over rural and suburban areas of this country. Just look at upstate New York, where it's not uncommon to see Confederate flags flying in front of houses.
I spent four years in North Carolina, and would never live there again. Although Raleigh, with its Research Triangle, and Chapel Hill and Durham, with their major universities, are known as bastions of liberalism, what I observed in daily life was that among the actual North Carolina denizens there was often a thin veneer of liberalism perched precariously atop people with very little tolerance for independent women, minorities of any kind, or change of any kind. Customs and habits have deep roots, and always rule over reason.
It's going to be very tough in 2020.
11
A victory in politics is a victory. It's like a horse race. No one cares about who came in second place. This is how Trump got elected and he uses his position for personal gain just like every Republican does and will continue to do. This article really should read more like a warning for Democrats to wake up and try significantly harder because if Republicans are still beating them out with the worst president in US history in the oval office then something is seriously wrong with their message.
11
@Gilbert
Yes, because they are campaigning on reparations and other minority grievances, decriminalizing illegal border crossings, health care for illegals, dismantling private insurance, covering student debt and other free stuff. And I'm a liberal, but they are handing Trump another term on a silver platter. Their positions are too nuanced. Most voters are uninformed and don't pay attention to details.
4
@dba
Democrats aren't really campaigning on that though, are they?
Republicans keep lying about them campaigning on that and those lies do, indeed, seem to work out.
I think the big question is: What can the Dems do to overcome the R's lies?
@Boris
Did you watch the debates? The first debate focused only on these issues as each candidate tried to outleft the other, with two in Spanish no less, a real winning strategy for the moderate and independent voters in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, states we need to win 270 electoral votes. The other debates were no better regarding these issues.
So, these are not just Republican lies when the candidates themselves tout these positions on the debate stage. Oh, and I forgot the other winning issue for 2020: the ever popular busing.
1
From the article: The election was finally thrown out, an embarrassing conclusion for state Republicans who had carved the lines of the deeply red district.
I am afraid that is wrong. Republicans are incapable of embarrassment. That is why we have Trump.
17
This was an interesting contrast: a young moderate Democrat who is a patriotic military veteran and cares about healthcare vs. a bathroom bigot against Medicaid expansion, who models the faux gun patriotism of the NRA lobby and actually describes the president who avoided the draft due to nonexistent bone spurs as the greatest fighter.
The election follows the terrible white supremacist and sexist picture of Trump and North Carolinians shouting 'Send her back!' en masse. It also is linked to a blatant example of GOP election fraud.
This was a vivid depiction of party over country and antiquated bigotry.
Mr. McCready did a great job and was a fine candidate. The GOP even more unambiguously represents bigotry and putting NRA and evangelical sexism power over the good of actual citizens.
Of the two, the Republican Party once again cemented itself to a corrupt and deeply bigoted vision to be achieved by any means.
23
You can read whatever you want into this election, but the fact remains that a Republican won and a Democrat lost. "Close but no cigar" isn't going to help our country one bit.
10
Sad day for NC.
Last time I will ever visit that misbegotten state.
7
So the cheating ultimately worked.
9
I have my fingers crossed Bishop's victory is only an abbreviation.
Trump will call this a mandate for his administration.
A Republican win in this gerrymandered district foretells the future of American democracy.
3
An unfortunate result in a gerrymandered district won by candidate who offered nothing except attacks on his opponent.
Bishop was crushed in Mecklenburg County, NC's most populous, but lost in rural areas that had been annexed to this district to favor GOP results.
NC-9 and the State of Not North Carolina have shot themselves in the foot.
8
I wonder what voter turnout for NC-9 was. Comparing the number of votes yesterday to the numbers in 2018 and 2016, there's a pretty big drop in volume.
I can't find the # of registered voters in the district, but I can find the # of votes in the last 3 House elections.
Did people skip voting because they weren't paying attention? Or only vote in major elections? It was down 33% from 2018 and 43% from 2016.
I'll leave it to the analysts to figure that out, but I think a 2% win in a district where Trump won by 12% must scare the Republicans.
6
I’d been lulled into a false sense of safety that the Trump nightmare is ending. I didn’t give McCready any money. I didn’t join a phone bank until Monday night. I must do better. We all must do better. It is all of our responsibility to save our country and our planet from the scourge of Trumpism.
44
@Barry64
It's true. NC is not only reflective of America's divide, but it demonstrates how close the election will be. None of us can be passive.
4
@Barry64:Why employ emotionally driven terms like "nightmare" and "scourge," indication to me that commenter is not thinking rationally, nor showing any consideration for the reader. Suggest you enroll for a class in expository composition where given a thesis, would have to offer proof. Unfortunately EB has an easy way of doing business when it comes to anti Trumpers, and no matter how incoherent the writing,those blurbs are guaranteed publication.Trump is authentic, has perfected the art of the "retaliatory comeback"where if you push him. he'll push back against you even harder!Thus Schumer is characterized as "crying Chuck," Warren as Pocahantas because of her having lied about her ethnic background in order to gain a position at Harvard Law, Sanders as "Crazy Bernie,"Said about Trump that the press takes him literally but not seriously, but his supporters, while not taking him literally, do take him seriously.He's a champion of the working class.
2
Horrible news. I cannot believe there are still educated people out there who would vote for those aligned with the maniac in the White House. Very sad for our country and our children's future.
32
This is a great example of where bad reporting and DNC talking points converge. McCready had been campaigning for 36 months, had broad name recognition and deep Democrat/DNC financial support (conveniently left out). He got beat in an election that was "surprisingly close", despite DNC and media attention suggesting that they anticipated a win. I know from the barrage of DNC fundraising emails that they expected to win. Bishop was not the greatest candidate, brought baggage to the table and still got the job done. There is a lot of focus on Charlotte suburbs going for McCready, while ignoring Lumbee that flipped to Bishop. It's really not surprising that the suburbs steered the margin closer to McCready. Agitated housewives, fed a steady stream of liberal morning news shows, CNN and MSNBC, went out to vote while their husbands went to work. The dynamics of a special election get totally overlooked in this article. The good news for Democrats is that the media flushed the loss from the headlines pretty quickly. All traces of Democrat failure are being scrubbed as I write, with the news quickly moving on to John Bolton, the new leftwing hero (crazy, right?).
13
@TLNot as grim for the Dems as you portray. Last minute rallies millions and millions spent from outside republican leaning groups(the majority of outside money went to the republican)in a district that has been held by republicans since the 1963 which trump won by 12 points. It is still heavily gerrymandered and the republican squeaked by. The way I look at it trump inserted himself into this race and proved he lost 10% of the electorate. Considering he went to the WH with only 70,000 votes spread over three states, not a lot of room for error and not a lot of reason for trump to celebrate.
6
@TL McReady Campaign spend totaled 8.5 million in combined funds. Bishop's spent 8.8 million. And to quote one voter "“It wasn’t so much about voting for him as it was voting against the Democrats,” said Tom Driggers, 76. “I simply don’t believe in most of their policies. I’m like George Bush; I’m a conservative with common sense.”
It would seem either George Bush is still president in North Carolina, or Republican voters lie as much as Trump. Crazy, right? Nope. Just the crazy right.
2
@TL This couldn't be further from the truth. Dan McCready is a moderate in a district that was safe Republican due to the extreme Gerrymandering in our state. The fact that this race came down to 4000 votes is a strong win for the Democrats even if the race itself is a loss.
The talk of "housewives going to vote while husbands go to work" is quite ridiculous and sexist.
I have been watching the news coverage pretty closely in this race and I would not say the media coverage anticipated a win. They were mostly saying that the Republican investment indicated that they were worried about a loss.
Your whole rant seems "crazy, right".
3
The column mentions Bishop getting $5M of Republican money to help his campaign. However, the McCready campaign still out spent Bishop by a considerable margin.
8
@Johnny M Nope Johnny. 8.5 to 8.8 in favor of Bishop.
3
For all those who think trump doesn’t stand a chance to be re-elected.....
15
Perhaps I missed something.
Trump won.
And trump can win in 2020.
12
@Brad Yes he can if Democrats don't get out and vote!
2
President Trump, say it, get used to it. Four more years.
8
Delusions. the gop has won the popular vote just once in over 30 years. So a majority of Americans aren’t with the con of trickle down and tax cuts for the rich.
A seat that was won by 12 points just 3 years ago is down to 2 points in a special election. That’s a loss and remember this seat is gonna be redrawn for 2020. It doesn’t bode well. I see NC turning blue and NC 9 turning blue as well.
2
House will flip back to Republicans next year.
6
Because the gop won a seat won by 12 points 3 years ago by ONly 2 points. Great logic.
2
A win is a win. A spin is a spin.
10
5 million dollars that was how much per vote?
2
How do we know this election wasn't fraudulent like the last one?
I'm to the point where if we don't have paper ballots printed out and counted to go along with the electronic vote, I'm skeptical of the results.
A sad day.
13
@Panthiest We don't, and if they thought they could do it once, I'd bet a whole basket of deplorables they'd try it again.
2
Did they ever change the electoral map from the snake shaped gerrymandered joke it was? I thought they were going to fix that before the 2020 election.
Anyway, that’s North Carolina y’all.
Yeeehah!
10
@Socrates Friend
You mean like the 3rd, 4th & 7th districts in Maryland?
3
Half that district still voted for a guy whose party cheated in the last special election. What do you call these people? Charlatans, cheaters, clueless?
17
Even "1" vote would be enough to say you won.
I notice that even reading over 2/3 of the article the N Y T still had not stated by how much he won.
Fact is they didn't even mention that the DIMS spent FIVE times as much trying to beat Bishop and still failed
9
Remind me to never go to North Carolina. this country has gotten dangerously stupid.
13
Again, I've read elsewhere that registered D's voted GOP in NC and over some minor issue they had with the D candidate. If one projects to the national election, and D's follow that logic, DT will win a second term. You think DT is bad now? He gets a second term and it could very well be the last election we'll ever have. D's need to THINK before they vote. DT wins a second term it won't be due to GOP gerrymandering, cheating, etc...as been suggested. It will be due to D voters stupidly throwing a hissy over some minor issue with a D candidate.
7
The “Clown Circus” ad from Bishop highlighting Ocasio-Cortez and others worked with rural voters in his NC district, hurting McCready.
A wake up call to Dems to ensure that extremists and purists do not hijack the party’s image, when Biden or Warren face Trump next year.
9
@Gian Piero Messi
So it doesnt matter who we put up in 2020 the GOP will try to smear the party either way? Good observation. Best to nominate someone that matches the public on important issues then, not just repeating failed centrist victory-in-defeat historical precedent.
1
The decidedly extreme left tilt of the Demcratic party, as evidenced by the Party’s rock solid support of extremists such as the Squad and Al Sharpton, helped Bishop win. The mainstream media’s gifts to the Republican Party, such as AOC plus 3, are gifts that just keep on giving.
5
A shame, but even this close loss will rub it in Trump's face. Republican tribalism is a threat to this country and all it stands for.
5
What a pathetic outcome for such an important election. Why on Earth any American would vote for more Republican scorched Earth policies of deregulating environmental controls, dedication to Trump and his unlawful conduct in office, and clear and unmistakable violations of law governing conflict of interest by Republican Party leadership, defies description.
This just goes to prove that the Republican Party's lies about Democrats and minority Americans has succeeded in brainwashing American voters to such an extent and degree that they rush to vote against their own self interest. They have turned Americans into robots to be controlled by pushing their buttons for predictable responses to insane lies about Democrats, gross exaggerations about Democratic policies, and deadly manipulations of their emotions and intellects.
6
Hollow victory. An area known, proven, to have corrupt voting practices for Republicans in spite if already being a "Republicon or Die" area. Heavily gerrymander districts. And a do over after caught cheating.
But any victory is one Trump will take credit for.
4
Useful that the Times reports the $5M spent by the Republicans to win. Odd that it omits to mention the $8M spent by the Democrats to lose.
10
In a state just hit by a hurricane, people voted for a president who just publicly and egregiously falsified a hurricane map. Yes, a more narrow win -.but come ON!! He lied about a HURRICANE that caused deaths, destroyed property, and forced evacuations. If that didn't hit home, nothing will.
53
@common sense advocate You should read other publications. There are a certain subset of people who are all in for Trump. They will distort facts to convince themselves that the map he drew was actually correct. The capacity of the human mind to delude itself is limitless. But this is still a swing in favor of sanity. What causes me concern is that Democrats are too left leaning at this point. There are many who will hold their noses and vote for Trump to protect their pocketbooks.
@Michael - what makes you think I don't read other publications? My comment was about the proximity of the hurricane news to the election. We know, of course, that the notion of protecting pocketbooks is a fallacy, when low and middle income Trump voters will be paying for Trump's deficit exploding tax cuts for the wealthy - but democrats, with their focus on open borders etc. forget how important it is to focus on pocketbook issues, so Trump still appeals to low information voters with his lies.
2
@common sense advocate
Do you think hurricanes are rare events in North Carolina? Something only recently seen here? It didn't even make landfall and passed by as a Category 3 diminishing to a Tropical Storm. It didn't even rain in my city the entire week.
This just proves the fix is still in and in favor of the Republicans in racist North Carolina. Soon enough the education system will be so rigged and broken, there won't be too many citizens left able to read well enough to vote at all.
26
Don be tellin’ on muh femily’s lak of edyukashion!
Weez durn happee to have us da fynest hamberder eatin’ and covfefe drunkin’ folk up at dat State house and donchee tell me oderwise!
Weeze got te doo whuts in our bes inturust less dem darkies start to take ober like dat Obama musleen!
4
@Katherine Kovach. What fix are you talking about?
1
Oh NC
I've taken to saying how to you turn a Northeastern GOPer into a Democrat? Have them move to the south. My parents mostly voted GOP while living in NY, but once retiring to NC they voted blue.
When my mother passed my Dad moved back to NY - his reason was he'd rather brave the snow then deal with the racism, closed mindedness and hypocrisy he saw everyday in NC.
35
I lived there for three very happy years in the research triangle, in Durham. I was fleeing Florida after Hurricane Andrew destroyed my hometown not five days after I buried my father.
I needed to heal and had a friend invite me up to stay and start a new life. I have so many fond memories about that time. “Tree City USA” as it’s known. was indeed a new beginning.
However, I also have horrible memories about rampant racism. The poor black neighborhoods, and the openly racist whites who really had no room to quibble, as so many too were living on the wrong side of the tracks, in ramshackle housing with rusting swing sets and half fixed cars littering their front lawns.
Even Duke University’s administration and leadership was drawn along lines of color. I can’t remember one black faculty member. But I might be wrong there. There just weren’t many black faces on campus beyond the basketball team and other athletes.
America, much less North Carolina, doesn’t seem able to ever rise above its diseased culture of racism and white supremacy. It’s what built this essentially unjust, and exploitative slave-making nation.
Slavery as it was known before the Civil War doesn’t exist anymore. We now have a “free” “emancipated” slave class called the American Worker. A humiliated, kept down class of check to check, three-job-holding slaves who still toil for “the company store” and who will never own property, or be truly free from the white shackles of imposed poverty and lack.
2
Seriously, what is North Carolina proclivity with discrimination?
9
@Darryl Obama won NC in 2008. If you want to connect with people and win them over to your set of beliefs, instead of smearing the entire population, try some nuance. Better yet, try thinking just a little more about what reasons *other* than discrimination might cause someone to vote different from how you do.
5
The NYTimes can misinform their steadfast readers that this was a non-event, both parties spent heavily, the Republican won, end of story.
14
@Tom ,Retired Florida Junkman
Bishop won by only 4000 votes in a district gerrymandered "with almost surgical precision" by Republicans to give Republicans landslide victories.
Clearly, NOT end of story.
2
Cheating or not this is another sad day in the Repub world we're forced to live in where guns and coal are great, abortion and birth control are horrible, brown and black people belong in prison, education is Christian myths, climate change doesn't exit, and rich white men lord it over all and pay no or few taxes while working people shoulder it all. Seriously, folks we can do better.
44
Another sad day for America
22
Check for Russian interference. I'm not joking.
15
What an absolute scam. Lie, cheat, steal -- and if you get caught ... Do-over.
21
Whistling past the graveyard NYT your lovely well respected moderate lost,if your Presidential candidate
turns out to be chosen from the current list the scenario you like to believe goes out the window,their are only
radical socialists running not moderates even poor old VP Biden has been shoved to the left.
6
Did it not strike you that this was won by 12 points just 3 years ago and is down to 2 point win?
@Able: Better seek cover. Rumors have it that Trump forecast that Tennessee will be hit by a blizzard tomorrow and Trump knows it best... Who needs weather forecasters when we have infallible Trump and his Sharpie?
For the last 10 years I would head down to North Carolina for a weeks vacation and rent a house near the ocean in or around the Outer banks. In the mornings I would pick up a NYT and head to one of the various diners for breakfast. Never failed, once people spotted the Times I would get dirty looks. These people have a bottomless hate for liberals. They would never vote for a Democrat no matter what the circumstance. In this NC congressional district the Democrats ran a military man who ran his own company employing 700 people, Bishop labeled him a socialist with ties to Pelosi and Trump and Pence had a rally and it was all over.
40
Did Bishop beat Mc Cready, or did the republican operatives hone their skills?
10
This was supposed to be the big shot across the bow for Trump. The tide is turning they proclaimed!
He won, and now liberals are back to cheating accusations.
Man, talk about sour grapes.
12
What a sewer. After all that happened the rubes just keep marching over the cliff. Guarantee this bunch will be begging for Federal aid to rebuild in a hurricane zone too, all while waving the stars and bars and whistling Dixie in a white hooded smock made in China. Hey, cheaper y'all.
25
WINNING!!!
8
@VirginiaDude
Dude,
You won one seat in a heavily gerrymandered district. One. Meanwhile, 15+ House Republicans retired or quit.
LOSING!
10
I love how the disappointed NYTs is spinning this.
Bishop just entered the race. He was outside outspent by millions of dollars. He was recently down 17 points.
Then, Trump swooped in.
Bishop won a district, Cumberland County, that Trump lost by 20 points that has over 35% Black residents.
The NYTs wants a takeaway from yesterday? Trump is resounding with the Black vote. This is why he will win via Reaganesque ‘84 landslide.
11
@Cjmesq0 Interestiing. These are the exact same points, word for word that another has posted here this morning, and my gut tells me if I took the time to read further I'd probably find this exact post again. Fox talking points?
1
Lol. Repeating that 17 point line doesn’t make it true. Did you miss the beating in the Houde you took? Remember how Handel barely won the special election, what happened in November?
@buddhaboy. Interesting. You can't refute my facts.
1
Oh darn...how long this is going to continue ?
A president never knows how to speak the truth and his serrogates taking the Country upside down.
2
From a democrat's point of view it's great.
Coming this close in a red republican district is a bad omen for the republicans. There are app. 30 other republican held House seats that are less red than this coming up for re election next yr and the House is already democrat.
The 2018 House democratic landslide was amazing even though the cards were heavily stacked against the democrats with gerrymandering by the republicans.
40% of republicans would vote for Trump or a supporter if they came out for Hitler. (same with democrats on the other side for an extreme lefty). The point being it is rare to break the 60-40 spilt especially in a national election.
House republicans in these endangered seats will start to see its better not to run again and get a cushy corporate welfare million dollar job as reward for passing the corporate welfare bill in the House.
8
I don’t know why everyone is acting so glum in these comments. District 9 is ruby red. It hasn’t gone to a Dem since 1953. That McCready only lost by two is fantastic. Trump will not win the state of NC if he can’t blow it out there. I’ve got a feeling about next year. I think NC flips blue. Remember- Northerners move here in droves everyday too. They’re bringing their politics with them.
33
Those are encouraging words, and I want to agree with you. I still get upset with my neighbors in WNC who can still support a political party that obviously has no moral, ethical, or even ideological center anymore. But you’re right. Their numbers are dwindling, and I honestly think it’s because of the lunatic words and actions of Mr. Trump.
1
Actually this race means almost nothing to the bigger picture nationwide since there was so much outside influence on both parties, can't predict what a normal outcome would have been, all is distorted.
4
@Cromwell
Elections are never normal. Normal people rarely run for office. Warren might be the exception.
Clintont might have pulled the 70K votes to win, with more "outside influence" (which hubby told her>) I guess the message one needs to get across is "I really like you. vote for me. Together, we." Trump pulls it off... somehow.. gets the "we" going...
Yet another hair thin win. More evidence of electoral tampering. Why "win" with more margin than anyone would believe? Only steal enough votes to keep in power, not so many that it becomes obvious to all we are living a fraud of democracy.
Only tossed coins come out almost 50-50 every time. Not elections. Any mathematicians out there care to estimate the odds against that probability?
13
Dems... we need to be the party of the working class and middle class. We can’t do that and keep running these Harvard-types (and a former money manager? Are you kidding me?) This was ours to lose. We need better candidates who actually represent their constituents and have similar backgrounds.
6
@Andrew Clark, no we don’t. We need smart people like E Warren to run this country with a wide and open world view, not carpenters or plumbers or builders. Nothing against that, but leave politics to politicians. It’s still the people who vote and if the people aren’t smart enough to make the right choice so make them smart. Education, education, education...
2
@Andrew Clark: A well educated military man and successful businessman - what’s wrong with that?
1
@Andrew Clark This was never ours to lose. This has always been a ruby red district. Trump and Romney won it by 12 points. Come on! Let's get real. That McCready made it within 2 points in a special election is awesome! Trump, Veep and Trump Jr. pulled out all the stops and $8M on a race that doesn't change a darn thing. Trump WILL NOT win NC with numbers like these. And as a Republican woman said on NPR the other day, "People from UP NORTH are moving down here in droves and bringing their politics with them. Some to be close to their grandchilderen". Can you even imagine - the nerve? I've got a really good feeling about 2020 and NC flipping blue. A really good feeling.
2
The fact that rural areas are disproportionately favored in the election of the Senate and in the Electoral College will be just as much of a factor in 2020 as it was in 2016. In order for Democrats to win back the Senate and take the Presidency next year, they need to spend more time in rural areas addressing the legitimate issues of the national rural recession that has dragged on for decades. As in the 1920s, this recession has fertilized an ugly nativist and racist revival. The best way to make gains in these rural areas is to find a presidential candidate who avoids identity politics (which also fertilizes racisim) in favor of issues that unite the entire working class. Take a look at the donor map for presidential candidates and take a look at the counties that Bernie Sanders won across the country running against Hillary Clinton in 2016. Sanders is the Democrat who knows best how to speak to rural voters, not just in Vermont, but throughout the country. Nominate an urban liberal and Trump may win again.
5
@Robert Scull
What you say is so obvious that I simply cannot understand why so many Democrats fail to understand it. We will never defeat Trump if our only message is how horrible he is. Anyone not already throughly convinced that Trump is a liar and con man who has monitized the Oval Office for his own enrichment is not going to listen to anything a Democrat has to say on the subject! Democrats have to go back to advocating for workers and the middle class instead of for the interests of their corporate donors. As we see time and again, if voters are offered nothing of substance, they will respond to the xenophobic and racist siren songs of the Republican right.
1
Complimenting this president for being a "fighter" is absurd. There are two types of fighter--clean or dirty. The president will tell any lie about his alleged "accomplishments" or his opponent's ideologies, in order to win at all costs.
These costs are growing higher by the day and we're all bearing them in terms of money, naturally but also psychic as we watch our formerly great country go off the rails. Gerrymandering keeps southern states neatly in the GOP but denies state residents the voices they need to ensure liberty and justice for all.
13
And yet....the Republican won. In spite of all we see and hear about their shenanigans, they still win.
Apparently the average voter still buys into their vision of society...
4
@Eric
The Republicans' vision for society is indeed repugnant, but at least they have one. Poll after poll shows that the electorate at large does not know what Democrats stand for, other than being against Trump. Do Democrats themselves even know? With all the existential crises we face, the old status quo is gone and never coming back. If Democrats don't start turning away from their corporate plutocratic donors and toward everyday working people, you will find yourself saying "and yet, the Republicans won" again and again and again.
1
@Boris Jones
Absolutely right Boris. When in doubt, vote for the bad stuff. At least you know how hard the beating will be....
Disappointing, yes, but I look at this as a moral victory of sorts for the Democrats, as hallow as that may seem. The fact that it was a “narrow victory” in an uber red district ought to be viewed in a positive light, and touted as much in the media. Bishop will need to retain his seat in the 2020 election, when Trump is on the ballot and turnout will be higher.
Democrats can’t walk away with their heads on their shoulders, rather we must keep our heads up and our chests out. Anything less will be treated as a vulnerability and if there’s one thing we know about the Republicans is that they are a ruthless bunch, and will attack with glee—and Democrats have to counterattack.
3
So disappointing. I don't live in the gerrymandered NC9; I live in a gerrymandered district nearby. So I couldn't vote for McCready, who was clearly the better candidate. Unfortunately, NC9 voters have signed up for more of Bishop's misguided, right-wing politics. Well, at least there's another election in November 2020.
8
This piece gives some terrific insights particularly with Christian white Republican woman. They voted for Trump and they're going to "stick their party". Not really new news but an insight dems need to do something with and fast. It could be the tipping point.
3
This is the Democrats’ problem. They always come close, but wind up losing in the end.
They can’t get a few people to change their minds.
@WesTex
The Democrats' mistake is in trying to "get a few people to change their minds." Voters can smell panderers who only say what they think they want to hear from a mile away. It is long past time for Democrats to get back to their New Deal roots and to stand for something again. Harry Truman had it right seventy-five years ago: "People are not going to vote for phony Democrats. Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for the real Republican all the time. But when a Democratic candidate goes out and explains what the New Deal and Fair Deal really are . . . then Democrats can win, even in places where they have never won before. We are getting a lot of suggestions to the effect that we ought to water down our platform and abandon parts of our program. These, my friends, are Trojan horse suggestions."
3
@Boris Jones I hope you are right. (For everyone's sake.)
Of course the Republicans won in N.C. Free and fair elections are becoming a thing of the past in the U.S. What we are dealing with now is a rigged system. The GOP aim to win by any means necessary and if the can’t do it playing by the rules, they will cheat boldly and shamelessly. Or, as McConnel so often does, they will simply change the rules to fit their autocratic political agenda. Trump and the GOP are rigging our political system just as fast as they possibly can and are hoping to have it completely and totally rigged and gerrymandered just in time for the election in November 2020. The question is what do the Democrats intend to do about it?
8
I am tired of Democrats and members of the media claiming moral victories just because they lost by a narrow margin. Despite the current occupant of the White House being the most unpopular president, we always come
close but never win. I still feel Democrat’s are not doing enough to get the base energized and sway the independent voters. At the same time driving away some of the moderates whom we desperately need if we have to win some purple states.
1
Dan McCready was a corporate-Democrat or a washed down version of a Republican minus the racism, sexism & the anti-abortion mentality. No wonder he lost. All he had to do to win was promise NC voters: universal health care, an end to wasteful wars, clean water, green new jobs along with a livable wage, relief for indebted students, and to promise them he wouldn't take their guns away. Republican voters will always vote for their party when given the choice between a Republican and the watered-down version of a Republican.
2
Dems lost with a moderate, period. All the faux hope and the jubilation at Trumps "low" national ratings are dangerously misleading. This district is not the deep south or the rural heartland and the west. Unless Dems really unite and focus on understanding the electorate we are doomed.
The 39% will vote in 2020 - will the rest of us ? East and West coasters, young voters and people of color have to unite and believe that Dems really care and will do a better job.
Right now we have Biden - too old and basically a creature of the establishment - Sanders, too old and too angry - and Warren. Maybe Warren can make it happen because she really is of the people and really understands policy matters.
Back Warren, get out the vote and stop being smug about close losses and slight slippage in the polls for Trump. We were too certain in 2016 and are making the same mistake again.
4
Wait a minute. The Corporate Democratic Party ran a centrist and the voters voted for the party that committed election fraud?
5
What this outcome mostly demonstrates is the moral bankruptcy of the Republican Party. In the initial election, McCready should have ben declared the winner on the basis of the valid ballots cast, but a GOP dominated political system gave their party a do-over. In this unnecessary second election, GOP numerical dominance in a gerrymandered district and a slavish adoration of Donald Trump won the day even as the percentage of Democratic voters increased. Dan "Bathroom Bill" Bishop is going to the House elected by devotees of the most corrupt American president history.
8
This is not what happened. It’s my district. They both appeared to be good candidates. I know a few people in the local Republican Party. They were very quiet before the election. McCready signs were everywhere and nobody was advocating openly for Bishop. The fact that Bishop won is a complete surprise, an upset and a signal that Trump is far from dead. Polls are going to be extremely unreliable in 2020. Please report the news.
11
@John Cunnane It sounds like you're suggesting some sort of malfeasance on the part of the Republican political machine in the no-longer-corrupt-state of North Carolina. Really? Who would believe such a thing!
Yes! A very heartening event. A triumph for the people of North Carolina, America, and President Trump. His election shows that the people of North Carolina are not ready and,
hopefully, will never be, ready to follow the so-called progressive path to the Marxist-Socialist-Leninist model of government. Bishop's election is a prelude to 2020, which I pray will be a resounding victory for Donald J. Trump and the Republican Party which h recast in his image. The Republican Party is no longer the Party of Lincoln but the Party of Trump. Thank you.
7
The GOP has won the popular vote just once,by one state, in over 30 years. The party has Zero policies other than tax cuts for the rich. The trickle down fraud is well established and the party isn’t gonna win the popular vote again. How long can this charade of slavery era EC win last? Can’t beat math all the time.
That the party is celebrating a 2 point win that was 12 point win just 3 years ago in itself tells that Americans have seen through the con game of Trump.
2020 will have even higher turnout than 2018 and NC districts won’t be as gerrymandered anymore. This district is gonna flip to dems along with 2/3 more after the new map is drawn. The house is gonna stay with Dems and NC senate is gonna flip because the senate was won in 2014 by 2 points.
2
How do we know Republicans didn’t cheat in this election?
They got away with it last time. They were caught but instead of losing the seat, it remained empty and a special election was called. Why shouldn’t they just cheat again, then?
7
It is unfortunate that this article refers to the geographic range of this district only once. "Carved out" does not do justice to the computer generated boundary that Republicans legislated in order to ensure their control of the district in congress and ensure that the suburbs of Charlotte are neutralized.
4
I am absolutely amazed that any Republican is able to win or even steal any race given the current political climate. I am quickly losing faith in the future of our country.
5
A narrow victory is still a win.
Too early to predict this is trouble for trump.
11
A victory by 2 points in a seat won by 12 points just 3 years ago is SEROUS TROUBLE. Say bye bye to NC 9 and NC in 2020.
1
Wonder what would have happened if our district weren’t gerrymandered.
15
@Laura Reich
Wonder who perfected Gerrymandering in NC? Democrats were masters at it for a very long time. Pendulum finally did swing the other way. But it took a Long Time, thanks to democratic gerrymandering.
1
The republicans likely won this one fairly. In this 126 mile long district, there aren’t many college educated people. Of course, Charlotte is the exception.
And the ones who graduated high school did it in a state school system is near the bottom nationally.
These citizens are easily led by the elected who keep their economic status low because they lack critical thinking skills. Education is important which is why NC republicans have done everything to dismantle the public school system.
14
@Juliet Lima Victor:That's wonderful you slur people who's politics you don't agree with. How about the people there that agreed with your politics are they OK with you?. How about all those Veterans that died for your freedoms but lack a Collegiate degree are they OK with you or are they class below you?. Apparently you probably think like minded High School grads are wonderful but when they don't agree with your politics they are lower class lacking a College degree.
5
Yes, McCready won Charlotte handily.
@Larry
Its all good Larry every time I read a post like that I am just even more determined to stand in line to vote R. I would have voted for Bishop if I lived in his District. Will be voting Republican in 2020 and thinking about people like Juliet when I do.
5
This win for Dan Bishop is a win for the Republicans and such wonderful news. It was a close win but a win is a win. I would have voted for Mr. Bishop if I had been a resident of North Carolina as he shares my values. The Democrats have swayed too far to the left for many Americans which will not win them elections.
I intend to vote once again for President Trump as he has been a positive force for our country. He has made America great and will make it great again. This recent win for Republicans is so encouraging and they will hopefully keep up the momentum in 2020 for the presidential election of President Trump and local elections around the country. They have my vote.
15
@KMW just how has Trump been a positive force? In what regard is our nation better off under this person?
6
@KMW - Best comedic line of the day “He has made America great and will make it great again.”
13
@KMW I love sarcasm, I really do. Thank you for a laugh at the beginning of my day.
5
Country before party - yes indeed. Love those words. Bipartisanship, non-partisanship, independence - we are all in this together. Values of equal means equal. Let's hope this all truly comes to pass.
3
Sad day. Dan McCready, moderate Democrat would have represented the NC populace with issues that matter.-for-all.
"McCready, a centrist, focused on the issue of health care affordability, criticized Bishop for opposing the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act."
vs.
"Bishop,...best known statewide for sponsoring the so-called bathroom bill that required transgender people to use restrooms that corresponded with the gender on their birth certificate. He boasted of his endorsement from the National Rifle Association".
123
Why do Dems wait until their house is on fire before reacting? Republicans buy fire insurance and invest in smoke alarms. This should have been a win. Can’t complain about the tiger bitting you when you opened the gate.
@Anne This is a message to the democrats.
@Anne
The result tells you an awful lot about the mindset of the voters of NC.
I have a sister that lives in NC and while the place has beautiful scenery, I just can't take the prejudice and ignorance.
3
Just one more reason never to visit North Carolina.
135
@Joe Miksis The 'All Things Considered' correspondent phrased it this way September 9th while reporting from North Carolina. The reporter speaking with Mary Louise Kelly said "...he (Dan Bishop) is probably best known for co-authoring North Carolina's bathroom bill requiring persons to use the restroom which corresponds to the gender they were assigned at birth." THE GENDER THEY WERE ASSIGNED AT BIRTH!???? George Orwell is laughing ;)
3
@Joe Miksis
It sure beats living in an RV in San Francisco because no one can afford to live there.
7
@Joe Miksis. We have many reasons not to visit San Francisco. Many of them are lying on the sidewalk.
6
Mark Harris won by 900 votes and that was fixed. Dan Bishop won by 4000 votes. What does that tell you?
18
What it tells me is that the Republicans have been successful in gerrymandering the districts of North Carolina.
4
@IGUANA
That Bishop wouldn't have needed to cheat if he had 7 million in out of State money helping him?
@IGUANA That tells me the Republicans are perfecting the art of vote-rigging. There are very few good Republicans left in this country. Any residual stability here is due to the gyroscopic effect of our ancestors spinning in their graves.
The whole idea of this is false. McCready won the prior race. This race should have never taken place. And why isn’t cheater republican Mark Harris in jail? I bet if this had been the other way around not only would Mark Harris been appointed the office, McCready would be in jail. Harris’s own son swore on stand his father was told not to do business with people found guilty rigging race. But he did anyway. So tell us again how republicans get a second bite at the apple. Gerrymandering thy name is republicans! Can’t win fairly. Lie and cheat.
107
So, how long until we find out that the Republicans stole this election as well. Dems need to win by so much that Republicans are not within stealing distance.
61
@Peter
"Dems need to win by so much that Republicans are not within stealing distance."
That's why Democrats need to grow the voting base by 20 million, instead of fighting with Republicans for 3 million in the center.
9
Remember kids, cheating doesn't matter!
(As long as it's a Republicans doing it)
73
Hillary Clinton knowingly deleted thousands of emails that she knew were of interest to federal investigators and never faced the law.
5
@Chicago Guy
Hillary got the questions before the debate. I think that qualifies as cheating. Not to mention the DNC shenanigans.
@Chicago Guy. Tarriffs don't matter as long vat it's Republicans doing it. Deficits don't matter as long as its Republicans doing it . Having extra-marital affairs with Playboy or/and Adult movie stars doesn't matter as long as your Republican. Kissing up to Putin and doing the bidding of the Russians is aok if and only if your Republican. Truth doesn't matter if your Republican...they just lie
1
What is wrong with people? Why would you vote for a Republican in the age of climate change?
106
McCready should've been declared the winner when the GOPers were caught cheating in the first go-round.
81
Take note and don't do business with North Carolina.
70
Of course people looking for free stuff, like Medicaid for the lower middle class, will vote for Democrats. If free stuff is your thing, Democrats are your party.
23
@james What's your point? Not ONE SINGLE Democrat claims that the social network of assistance is FREE. We, the people, all pitch in and pay for it. But why should the richest 1% of our nation get the benefit of our hard work by getting corporate welfare. Talk about free stuff.
118
@james .....like the tax cut for the upper 1%, right? Financed with debt, actually. Just remember - that’s the Republican thing these days!
103
@james No, it's our tax dollars that support Medicaid and other programs. If you're going to complain about that, you might as well oppose public schools, roads, courts, food inspection, medical research, and all other tax-supported services that make our lives better.
12
Thirty-three paragraphs (as of the update version I just read) and this article that lived most of the day under the headline “What you need to know about...” didn’t have room for the fact that there were four candidates in this race, not two.
NBC-WSJ polling has demand for third-party choices higher than it has been in a generation. The magnificent “stewardship” of the two institutional parties has gotten us where we are now.
So please, let’s hear your snark about how candidates who offer another way are “stealing votes.” Stealing from whom? To whom do these votes “belong” before they’re even cast?
Poor journalism seldom takes the form of lies or mustache-twirling bias. Laziness and omission are usually enough to do the trick.
18
@Jim D.
Yes. It's called by omission.
The election was rigged. No person in their right mind would vote for a Republican.
36
@Casey. I am very much in my right mind. I am 75 years old and have voted in many elections. I mostly vote Republican but have voted Democrat if I thought he/she was a better candidate. After what the dems did to Kavanaugh I will never vote to send another Democrat to Washington to represent me.
17
And to follow that logic, why would you ever vote to send a Republican to D.C. based on what Republicans did to Merrill Garland? The response in reference to Kavanaugh shows the lack of critical thinking employed.
This tit for tat garbage gets us nowhere. When voting, we need to think of the long game. Think WE not me. A good choice needs to be a good choice for many, not just a few; Otherwise, we become the Divided States of America.
2
@Casey
Well said from Tennessee. I think Tennessee has 2 Republican Senators and 9 members of the House of Representatives 7 of which are Republican and 2 Democratic.
It seems like (by your statement) a very large number of persons from Tennessee are not in their right mind.
If not, then you need to find out from those in Tennessee who voted mainly Republican why they voted for the Republican.
In 2020 I expect to see Tennessee a sold blue state. What a joke.
1
This should be a wake-up call to Democrats and liberals across the country that there's still strong support for Trump and his right-wing followers in this country. You can lie, be corrupt, hide your tax returns, be racist and still win election in the good 'ol USA.
84
@RRM
RRM. By painting all conservatives as these terrible people the left will seal the election for Trump. Liberals seem to have lost the ability to have any appreciation for the Trump economy or the necessity of the battles he is waging for string borders, intellectual property rights, fair trade and ridding rogue states of nuclear weapons.
7
@RRM
Correct. And current Republican gerrymandering helps!
1
@RRM Correction: You MUST lie, be corrupt, hide your tax returns, be racist in order to win election in the good 'ol USA.
Had it been a Dem that did the cheating, the race would have been over, long ago.
Will Dems ever realize, Republicans don't care about the rules?
A blueprint for further trumpian disaster if there ever was one.
37
Mr. McCready is not a centrist, he is quite conservative.
Harry Truman long ago said that voters were not stupid, given a choice between a fake Republican and the real thing, they would choose the real one every time.''
The Democrats need to stop running Republican-lite candidates and leaving voters with little to no choice.
23
@David Gregory, there may have not been a huge difference between both candidates but the fine people in NC still managed to elect the worse of the two.
5
@Wurzelsepp
They proved Mr. Truman's statement.
Voters need a bright-line choice.
1) The Republicans cheated. Their party should have been disqualified and McCready should have gotten the seat.
2) i am so disappointed with North Carolinans. The district does not seem particularly low income or uneducated. They had no excuse for voting for the Republican party, which has now been exposed as the sycophantic party of the dumpster fire in the White House and a corrupt shell of its former self.
43
@SYJ
Agreed.
They won by cheating because that's the only way they win.
25
@Carla
Exactly. Heads they win. Tails we lose.
3
Republicans have no moral compass.
They bused people from out of State to « get out the vote « in those North Carolina districts because of the lack of interest for this election that had shown the ruthlessness of the Republican candidate.
Those out of towners were paid by the Trump 2020 campaign $ 25 an hour plus hotel room, gaz and all travel expenses...
The Republican establishment CHEATS and lies and its voters love it.
And then, they win.
16
@Pascale Luse you think bussing in people to get out the vote is cheating? You’ve never been in the Northeast for elections then. That is standard process for the Dem campaigns and not considered by anyone to be cheating; even campaign staff usually aren’t from the state they are working in.
3
@Pascale Luse If you have evidence to support those allegations, you have a good legal case.
It should be said that the Charlotte suburbs are now made up of tax refugees from the Northeast that have brought their political ideals southward.
16
@jabouja. What about Cumberland County with their 35% Black population? Trump lost that county. Bishop won it.
2
Undoubtably a Republican rigged election. Perhaps friends of Putin rearranged a few votes. They know a few votes is all it takes. Why shouldn’t we believe all elections are rigged? One legacy of the Republican Party: ruination of our trust in democracy. Perhaps we can thank them for this on November 3, 2020.
10
Since Trump lost the popular vote and had help from Cambridge Analytica and the Russians, the last vote was close too...
11
It's the Gerrymandering. Cumberland County (Fayetteville & Fort Bragg) are reliably Democratic, so naturally the reptilians split the county between two congressional districts.
With fairly drawn district lines, the Democrats would be guaranteed a couple more house seats in North Carolina.
The Republican-Reptilians DO NOT HAVE A MANDATE. Their plurality is based on the will of a minority of the votes cast.
20
“As Karl Rove wrote candidly in The Wall Street Journal on March 10, 2010, ‘He who controls redistricting can control Congress.’”
“You know, comrades,” says Stalin, “that I think in regard to this: I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this, who will count the votes, and how.” “Memoirs of Stalin’s Former Secretary”, Boris Bazhanov, 1992.
Republicans, in the legislatures they control, have not only defined the voters (gerrymandering), they now, thanks to SCOTUS, control who votes and counts the votes.
24
I guess North Carolina just can’t get enough of those trillion dollar deficits. MAGA!
27
@kkseattle
Contrary to their lies, Republicans love free stuff. That's why the cut taxes, raise spending, then blame the deficits on Democrats.
Let Republicans tell THEIR voters, "their is no money."
Promise workers the things they need for their children, and the greedy Republican worker will vote for Democrats!
Not really that close or a reflection on Trump. Bishop was a bad candidate; McCready a good one with a military background and a photogenic family. Actually this shows Trump can o etcome Abad candidate. Imagine how s good Republican would have done.
5
Having lived in NC for 43 years (Raleigh, a liberal zone) I'm not surprised about the result. Rural voters in this state have for decades voted against their economic interests to remain loyal to a party that only in messages is loyal to them. These mainly white, god-fearing voters end up supporting a pro-corporate, pro-life agenda. I've often thought that the Democrats needed to infiltrate Wednesday night church meetings in an effort to change the hearts and minds of these gullible voters. Many churches have ramped up their political activity so this is not "sacred" ground anymore. The campaign should have the theme of "What would Jesus think?" as much the conservative agenda these days is contrary to the teachings of Jesus, including the morality of the so-called president.
30
@Al Singer. My mother has spent the last few years attending a North Carolina church for the community, but she is not shy about making left arguments against their right-wing assumptions.
Unfortunately, they are uninterested in logic, facts or morality, so I think she's giving up.
A win is a win! Period!
9
I'm a two-time Obama voter. I will vote for any Democratic nominee as long as they didn't vote for the Iraq War and Patriot Act. That ruled out Hillary last time, Kerry a few times before that, and will rule out Biden this time.
10
@Observer
So by default you support Trump. You should consider the actual choices. Trump is alienating allies and openly talks about using nuclear bombs.
2
I see, so if Biden gets the nomination, you’ll sit out the election and help hand it to Trump? That’s a brilliant strategy.
3
@Observer
So you will either vote for a third party candidate, not vote the top of your ticket or vote for Trump. Which means you will help Trump, an egregious, unintelligent liar with absolutely no moral compass who is currently destroying this country. Well good for you!
5
That it was even close is a testament to the credulity of the electorate. Shameful.
10
The NYT is doing a great disservice to the American people by pretending this re-election was legitimate. Since when do Republicans get to do a re-do election after Republicans committed election fraud in the first election. This is totally corrupt.
28
@DSD I agree. It is shameful that the media didn't find the voices of outrage in this situation and themselves do due diligence about that election.
11
God, how I hate politics and worse political parties. Lets just all wait for the sex scandals and corruption and indictments etc. and the chessboard will be reset once again no matter who wears the crown in any state. And yes the 'Donald' will be re-selected in 2020 late. No reason not to be such. I just tell Europeans that I'm an American, however then I correct myself and tell them en Francais that I'm from California ( a separate country :)
6
Trying to make lemonade out of a lemon. The Democrat lost by two points, and he’s a moderate.
5
Millions spent and a Trump rally just to scrape in a win. GOP are done.
6
Headline should be "Different Republican Wins Vote for Gerrymandered Seat in Special Election called due to Republican Ballot-Box Stuffing".
29
Applicable soundtrack music to this election is from a North Carolina bluegrass band called Town Mountain. Specific song is “Rich Folks Digging on the Mountainside”. We all know this endeavor eventually collapses, but we move their dirt so we can pay our debts.
3
It seemed the NY Times was pretty sure that
Dan McCready would win, as a sign that the
Democrats will win in November 2020.
Now they may win or they may not,
but presumption does few of us any good.
North Carolina in the Democrats column in 2020
could make all the difference.
5
To my fellow Dem's who think 2020 is going to be a walk this is a wake-up call. A win is a win and it demonstrates Trump's hold over his supporters. To my fellow Dems who think people will realize Trump is a fraud and dump him, I say think again. Our smugness in 2016 lead to our complacency and gave us Trump. Those who fail to remember are doomed to repeat. Polls are saying Trump is south of 40 percent approval and that may lull us into a false sense of superiority again. Polls saying the top Dems can easily beat Trump in 2020 I believe are deceptive. I think we need to see polls from the states we need to win the Electoral College. Our last two Republican Presidents didn't win the popular vote. Trump is going to label Warren and Bernie as Socialist and Biden as past his prime. I like both Warren and Bernie but the question is will they play in those states we need?
27
@Steven McCain Trump's hold over his supporters is the rattlesnake's hold over the hypnotized mouse.
Trump will win through the electoral college again unless Americans show up in the 2020 elections.
13
@Hal I will vote for any Democratic nominee as long as they didn't vote for the Iraq War and Patriot Act. That ruled out Hillary last time, and will rule out Biden this time.
4
@Observer I will vote for anyone not named Trump. If your no vote for Biden gave us another 4 years of Trump could you look at yourself in the Mirror? When the ship is going down you grab a bucket and start baling. People who didn't like Hillary stayed home and gave us Trump. The Purity Test will cause us to endure Trump for another four years?
2
@Observer
Well then, you won't vote for any Democratic nominee. You'll likely vote in Trump.
So just to clarify: a Republican candidate won in a state that has been gerrymandered by the state GOP to favor Republican candidates? Word.
16
@Laur
Therein lies the real enemy. Only overwhelming numbers of voters against Trump can hope to maybe prevail in 2020.
Democrats who actually win the presidency, and not just get the nomination and lose (or just inherit it mid-term), are charismatic change agents. FDR, JFK, Carter, Bill Clinton, Obama.
Those who get the nomination and lose are either not charismatic, or not change agents - usually both: Agnew, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, Kerry, Hillary - all non-charismatic status quo politicians.
Biden: non-charismatic, non-change agent.
Bernie: non-charismatic change agent.
Warren: non-charismatic questionable change agent.
I hope the Democrats can field someone who can beat Trump.
7
@Observer
Agnew?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiro_Agnew
Macready lost by two points in a gerrymandered district in a state that was been following the Republican model of limiting voting rights for people of color. So I think the wake up call for the entire Democratic Party is you can talk about policies all
You want, but if voting rights aren’t re-balanced to be fair, you will lose and lose and lose. It is the right from which all other rights flow. It should be considered the most important point of the next election and all elections.
20
I am speechless, a veteran, young, and charismatic with great ideas up against a man who is old, palsy white, and lost so much in economy to the state. Speechless
16
The vote totals were down from the first election my question is why? if people don't see the dire need to vote in these chaotic times when will they? If you don't vote you deserve whatever you get. If Trump wins again in 2020 it will be because people would rather Whine than Vote.
9
Because this was a Special Election, not a General Election. Unfortunately, this race was, for many of the constituents of the North Carolina 9th Congressional District, the only contest on the Ballot. Some folks do not feel motivated to go to the polls, under such circumstances. The turnout should be significantly higher in November of 2020, which will coincide with the Presidential Election.
7
@Outerboro Special Elections don't count? Stop giving people who do not vote an excuse for not voting. Hillary Should have won also.
4
@Steven McCain You can't make people vote. And it seems like voters in this district were not particularly motivated when the last time they participated they discovered that the vote was manipulated and corrupt. Trust is hard-earned. Once broken, trust is almost impossible to rebuild. Thank you, Republicans.
Despite Dan McCready losing by approx. 2 percentage points, this would actually be good news for Democrats if we lived in anything vaguely resembling a real democracy with remotely proportional representation.
Massive structural imbalances favor Republicans everywhere. "Representative democracy" is now a joke in America. A supposed GOP Senate "majority" represents a tiny minority of Americans (a mere 18 percent), while Democratic Senators represent a whopping 82 percent of Americans, a true supermajority, yet are the "minority".
North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District is heavily Republican; 14 points redder than the nation as a whole. Trump won it by 12 points in 2016. However, McCready did 11 points better in the district than he should have done.
The results show Republican suburbs getting much bluer, and rural areas getting much redder. McCready won the wealthy white suburban Mecklenburg County by 13 percentage points, better than his 2018 win of 10 points. However, he did worse in every other county, all white and rural.
The national environment is slightly less blue than 2018. Average congressional ballots now give Democrats approx. a 6.5-point lead; when just before the 2018 election, Democrats had nearly a 9 point lead.
It is chilling that Democrats leading by 6.5 points nationally may not be enough for them to win in 2020. It proves how profoundly undemocratic American elections are. Democrats needed a nearly 9 point lead just to retake the House in 2018.
22
It would be interesting to learn about the turn out particularly young people who live in urban area? I would be surprised that it was low which is Achilles heel of the Democratic Party.
3
What is frightening for a non Republican is that the Reps voters came out but the Dems did not. It tells me that 2020 is about getting the voters out.
Only 67% of 2018 voters came out. Special elections are special but not that special for every one. The difference is striking - in Union district, 70% of Reps were there while the suburbs - Mecklenburg were par - 67%. The Reps were are the voting booth, the Dems were fishing. GET THE VOTE OUT. No matter what Stacey Abrams may say, it is not only voter suppression but getting people to vote. Have people lost faith that their vote is meaningful? In Richmond, Robeson, Union, Anson the Reps participation was larger than the overall voters. That is Bishop's bedrock. Reps were at the poll, where were the Dems? If Frank Bruni is right and people are afraid of the leftist tendencies of the non Biden candidates , who will vote in November 2020?
7
Does saying it was a narrow victory make the loss more bearable? There is seldom room in the lost column for the words almost won. A good message can turn some Red to Blue. No message will keep Red, Red. Just calling Trump names will not cause too many defections. Going far left will cause people on the fence about Trump to remain with him.
12
Simply unbelievable that there are people who still vote GOP after three years of Trump.
75
Still drinking the Kool Aid, I see. But it's made me even more committed to registering voters, working for the democratic party, and fighting for our democracy.
47
A hardy congratulations to the Republican that won a gerrymandered district. I remember winning at Heartswhen I knew the opponents hand.
I never was a good Hearts player.
15
We may learn from our failures but success begets success and this does not make me want to bet the house on any Dem defeating Trump in 2020.
11
It would not surprise me if shenanigans were found at some point. The GOP cheats, without shame.
29
The Republican did better in 2019 than the Republican did in 2018.
The Democrats are scaring the suburbs.
15
I can’t speak to your final point but McCready did somewhat better in the suburban parts of the district than in 2018. He did worse in the eastern, more rural sections.
@Frank Median Income in most of Boston's suburbs is nearly twice the median income in the rest of New England.
Turnout was 38 percent. Shame on North Carolina voters for staying home.
66
Who honestly thought Republicans would see the light in this "bell weather district" and vote against the man with an "R" next to his name? After seeing what they have seen, hearing what they have heard, and witnessing what they have witnessed over the last 3 years, did people honestly think Republicans would vote in support of their country and not their party and leader?
The US may enter a full blown recession and 50% of Americans will still vote for the most corrupt, bigoted, undeserving, and dishonest man to hold office in US history, just because he has the corresponding letter next to his name on the ballot. There was no way this district would vote anything but Republican.
36
As long as it is merely the case that the US *may* enter into an economic recession, the voters of the South will continue "Whistling Dixie". You can bet, that for all of Trump's crazy economic policies, that most of those who voted for Bishop have yet to experience any negative impact to their personal financial or job status. Yet....
1
Well, three cheers for the voting process, America! It may not have given you the results you wanted but at least it worked.
4
So the Republican candidate cheated and somehow it’s seen as democratic and fair for the party to get a do-over just with a different guy?
20
100% of precincts reporting and Bishop beats McCready with 96,000 votes to 92,000 votes. In November 2018, McCready got 138,000 votes. What happened to the 46,000 people who make up the difference? How could they choose to sit this one out? When people do this, we end up with Trump. Who knows, maybe we could get somebody even worse if we get a little more complacent.
34
So, instead of losing by nearly twenty percent,the GOP guy WON by better than 10 percent.
Once again, we see that polling is so erratic and untrustworthy that no independent person need waste time reading any forecasts based on polling.
The way polls appear to be planned, there is NO allowance for the mass of registered Democrats who haven't even considered voting for a Dem since Jimmy Carter.
Thus, the polls ALWAYS oversample Democrars.
8
So-called Democratic moderates who are nothing more than Republicans in disguise are not going to win elections. That’s what I take away.
5
That must have been a rousing victory speech.
“This was always a campaign about values. And we rallied together around the idea that as Americans we are all in this together. We may not have won this campaign, but that does not mean that we were wrong.”
1
Yeah?
And how’d, “tonight, we celebrate our squeaking by in a district that should have been a slam-dunk for anybody in the GOP with a pulse. How’d we do it, despite the sheer loathsomeness of Donald Trump? Well, folks, we appealed to the worst of America...”
9
The most under-reported stories of the past 10+ years in the United States are election fraud by Conservatives and (of course) the climate crisis.
I find it interesting that right up until at least 9pm this evening, the Democrat was hitting all his marks, indicating a Democratic win was likely, then suddenly we hear that the Republican won. Isn't it funny how every time an election is close, the Republican almost always manages to eke out a win?
Elections in many/most Republican-dominated states like N. Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas and others, have been been rigged for at least the past decade. Anyone who thinks that Brian Kemp legitimately won the GA Governor race against Stacey Abrams is just not paying attention.
The fact we allowed and continue to allow illegitimate politicians to occupy offices that they did not win in free and fair elections (including Kemp, Trump, G.W. Bush, Reagan, and many others) is a sad commentary on how horrifyingly degraded our once-great democracy is.
36
@Saty13. Agreed. I live in Florida, and I have seen many of these twenty fifth hour, eked out "wins." Some commenters on here are claiming that polling is so inaccurate, it should be discounted; I see the polling as accurate and likely indicative of unfair elections. Let's not forget why this special election was being held in the first place.
10
@Saty13 YES!! Why are there no articles about this when we keep seeing vote tallies that don’t match the polling, and every one of them has the Republican candidate just barely winning at the end by a surprising 1-2 percent.
It’s a fact that our voting systems are compromised and hackable. Why do we even go through the charade? The federal government is doing NOTHING to protect the integrity of our elections because the party in power benefits from the hacked status quo.
We have lost the power to ensure accurate elections in this country. If we don’t quickly put in place solutions with paper ballots and hand recounts, stick a fork in us because we are done.
8
I live in NC. This election proves two things to me - one: he who cheats wins. Two: gerrymandering is more powerful than the democratic vote. Oh - there's a three. My vote doesn't matter.
52
Navybrat@apex. Yep, that what SCOTUS said. Not the problem of the Federal govmt. State can gerrymander as much as it wants.
6
@navybrat- your vote always matters even if your candidate doesn't win, you will always know what you stood up for...bring it in 2020!!
1
Writing a rosy article for the Dems about this mid year election? McCready out raised Bishop, which is a positive note for Dems, but McCready was defeated by a larger margin than in the last election. Given the out right election fraud committed by the previous GOP candidate, this should have been more competitive and a win for McCready, but wasnt. I see it as proof that Trump can still turn out his base, contrary to all the concerns the NYT expresses about his base eroding every day. I am sure the numbers will get sliced and diced, but every election is decided by those willing to show up and vote, not by popularity.
18
If the margin us under 10,000 votes McCready can ask for a recount and he should. It is not over until its over and news outlets should take note of the recount potential.
17
NC was founded on racism and slavery, and the citizens of the state appear happy to continue the tradition with their support of Republicans.
Avoid the place until the plague has passed. It could take centuries.
22
as a new yorker living in raleigh i know many very liberal and democratic born and bred north carolinians as well as others who moved to nc with similar political convictions. all of us make sure we get out and vote. fortunately i have a democratic rep so there is hope....
7
Looks like a clear example of the extremist winning over the moderate. I wonder what would have happened if the Dems ran a true liberal (vs a blue dog type). Unfortunately the establishment overspent on this race....
4
Moderate could win? They should try progressive.
5
Given the fact that Mecklenburg County has over 743,000 registered voters out of a population of over 1 million but only 35,666 voted for the Democrat McCready vs 27,663 for Bishop that is a pathetic turnout in an important election.
Low voter turnout historically favors Republicans. That may be Trump's path to a win in 2020 -- hope that voter apathy keeps people away from the ballot box.
17
@Richard
Only a small fraction of Mecklenburg County (about 150,000 potential voters) is included in District 9, so the actual turnout was closer to 40% (still pathetic, but less so).
This is a heavily gerrymandered 9th district (the largest in the state) that snakes along the border with South Carolina to pick up parts of eight separate counties, ending in Cumberland, which is far enough away (130 miles) that there are commercial flights from there to Charlotte Douglass.
The Charlotte observer reported that there were thousands of people from Charlotte's other districts that mistakenly tried to and were turned away from voting today. I'm really sorry that MacReady couldn't get enough in his own district to put him over, but it was always going to be a heavy lift.
3
@Metrodorus Thanks for putting that in perspective. From what I read District 9 has been in Republican control since 1963.
So what? The most fixed ejections in the country and the media decides to make this a big deal. Puhleeze.
4
This is sickening on so many levels:
* The fraud that led to this election
* Gerrymandering
* The newly elected representative was an early supporter of Gab, a white supremacy website
* Hie also attacked PayPal for no longer taking contributions to Unite the Right and similar groups
* He has acted to curtail LGBT rights
* And so on
I don't know if the United States can recover from its current state of ignorance and hatred. We can all hope that a blue wave will sweep the country next year, but those who would destroy our democracy have gerrymandering and disenfranchisement on their side. And Putin.
We don't just need to vote in 2020. We need to get our friends and family out as well.
20
This seat should belong to a Democrat. Why do Republicans get a do over when they cheated?
16
How confident can we be that there was no Russian interference in this election?
17
Narrowly? When the Yankees win the World Series, do you qualify their victory? He won! 'nuff said....
11
Nah. The numbers matter, in politics and baseball. Read Moneyball, if you need evidence.
8
Just goes to show that Trump does have coattails. I hope he can resist the urge to be distracted by the Left's outrageous, ever desperate pleas to remove him from office... and even from this earth.
Here's to the winners!
9
@JRW I am simply flabbergasted at the complete hypocrisy of a party that used to be conservative. They dont care about morality (porn star coverup) the national debt ( tax giveaway) foreign interference or Constitutional violations (corruption, self-dealing, defying Congressional oversight. ) But the worst thing of all, they are supporting a policy of planetary destruction in the face of overwhelming evidence. It is incomprehensible.
6
Why does the story state the amount Republicans spent and not tell us how much the Democrats spent? Seems like pretty obvious and useful information.
8
283k voters in the 2018 election. Where are the voters in 2019. This is depressing.... less than 200k
13
Lessons learned: Red districts are still red districts, Trump country is still Trump country and those democratic debates are probably scaring the dickens out of fence sitters.
21
@rd I'll tell you what voters should be scared about. The huge run up in the debt that will result in Republicans making major cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
16
@Stephen W
As the wealthiest to get wealthier.
2
@Stephen W Agreed.
I guess the GOP has figured out another winning strategy:
Cheat and win
If caught you get a freebie retry.
29
Sounds like McCready ran a good race. Glad to see there are some young people coming up in the party.
15
"Close" only counts in horseshoes. Gerrymandering is effective. The system is broken (gerrymandering, electoral college, etc.) and democracy will die unless things are fixed quickly.
33
After a Republican candidate gets caught trying to steal the first election with the help of other Republicans, the district still votes reliably Republican. Truly astounding.Why is the Republican party in North Carolina rewarded for attempting to steal an election? At the same time, even though this was a conservative district, why can't Democrats capitalize on these kind of political opportunities?
32
@Tony C Apparently Republicans don't have a problem with cheating- oh right, that's how they win.
5
Assuming the election was conducted fair and square, it is not surprising that the Republican won. His narrow victory may give 2020 Democrats hope for the presidency and Senate, but I think it is false hope. Narrow losses are still losses.
10
These elections highlight the increasing appeal Donald Trump has with the American People. The Democrats really have no one that can really challenge him in 2020 among the nominees now vying for the chance.
12
If the idea that the Republicans fixed an election couldn’t produce a victory, Democrats are in trouble. I bet a lot of Republicans didn’t show up because of the details that came out in the last election, and the outcome didn’t matter. More Republicans showed up, to support Trump. In an election that matters in 2020, Democrats beware. This election didn’t matter. The next one will. If Democrats couldn’t win this battle, they have no chance in 2020, when every liberal agenda that matters will be on the ballot. Trump’s coat tails will matter when progressive socialism is his opponent, and the countries future is at stake.
5
Despite the attempt to put a positive spin on this, I don't see any good news for Democrats here. McCready had been campaigning for a solid year and still couldn't get his case made, even after fraud by the GOP in the previous election. What this demonstrates is that tribalism is more important than ethics. Perceived economic benefits out weighs morality. I think the Democrats have an uphill battle in 2020. Trump will likely prevail because his supporters are simply more rabid.
20
@dairyfarmersdaughter. Minor correction. Fraud by an employee hired by GOP candidate, an employee who in past had worked for a democrat and even ran in an election as a democrat.
5
Take a close look at the map of this district: it's one of the most bizarre gerrymanders one can imagine, designed primarily to dilute the urban vote in Charlotte by breaking off one small segment and then attaching conservative rural counties and Fayetteville, dominated by military voters who tend to go heavily Republican. A 2% victory here is no victory at all. It should be more like a 5% victory, if Trump has any sway.
17
Spin it as you wish. This is a loss for Democrats in a suburban district. It was not a rejection of Trump and not a sign of hope for Democrats. Democrats did not pick up Republican voters. A narrow loss is a loss.
18
The closer a Trump supporter comes to losing in a purportedly "strong" Republican district, the more energized anit-Trump voters should be to go to the polls in 2020. The best counterbalance to gerrymandering, voter registration culling, and other dastardly Republican tricks is to REGISTER and VOTE in overwhelming numbers. Don't rely on social media for information or directions. REGISTER and VOTE regardless of the negative information you might see on social media or TV.
Republicans Lie; America Dies.
VOTE BLUE in 2020.
16
There has been a flip flop so it will be hard to make sense of all this.
Affluent voters in the suburbs are now D's and working class people are now R's.
7
I would like to know the percentage of evangelical Christians who voted overall, and what percentage of them voted for Bishop. People and the media are completely missing the boat on that factor - it’s not Trump, it’s people voting some distorted version of what they think is “Christian” that Trump et al are exploiting.
9
Republican win.
Deal with it.
The Democrat could not flip that seat. The Blue wave is done.
Deal with that too.
Robert O'Rourke took 70m to loose his race, The republican won with 5m.
Twist it all you want, but looks to me the Democrats are day dreaming when they think they have a chance vs Team Trump.
14
Sounds like someone’s getting excited for the next Unite the Right rally. Got your tiki torch picked out yet?
5
Turnout. Dems need to embrace voting. There are more of us then them, but they vote. Always.
12
This should be a wake up call for every person in the USA who can vote in the 2020 presidential election to be sure to cast their ballots. Trump is a minority president. Presidential elections are not subject to gerrymandering the way that congressional seats are - it's majority take all in virtually every state. If Trump is not your man then you need to just hold your nose and vote for whoever the Democrats put up. This is particularly true for minority voters of every kind in the rust belt states. You have the most to lose, but you have to turn out for the democrat nominee just as you did for Obama.
21
You simply cannot have democracy unless you a) VOTE, b) Stay informed and keep your elected officials accountable. Yes, it takes time that you could otherwise use to binge watch Netflix, but if you are not willing to do that, you don't deserve democracy, and it will soon be totally lost.
12
Democrats YOU NEED TO VOTE. Do not think your vote doesn't count. The other guys are better at getting out the vote than we are. There are more of us than we think.
15
Let this be a wake up to anyone who opposes this presidency and has the fantasy that Trump will easily be defeated in Red states such as Texas or that Republicans will stay home on Election Day.
11
I'd like to see the 'turn-out' numbers.
If this scenario did not motivate democrats, I wonder what on earth would .
5
Good grief.
NC 'comes through' again. I hope this result gets some scrutiny also, being as close as it was and given all the historical election issues there.
That said, this is terrifying for those of us who don't want DJT to prevail in 2020.
If he can pull off a 4 percentage point swing days before an election when, by now, we all KNOW who this guy is and he's awful ... well, apparently more people want him -- and his ilk -- than I would have thought possible by this point.
His cult of personality, and his reality show style / charade of playing a President (vs. being one in real terms) while simultaneous playing the voters is apparently just fine with a great number of the electorate.
Heaven help us.
13
And how many more "death of the GOP" opinion pieces do I need to read? I don't need to hear any more progressive fantasies. The Republican Party is not going anywhere, and every election will have to be fought for and won tooth and nail.
14
This is how the 2020 race is going to be. Each district will be very close. If the economy holds and the dems nominate Biden...Trump wins.
3
The silver lining here is the reminder to Democrats that any complacency over the next year will be politically fatal. We will have to fight for every inch we can get, no matter what the pollsters say.
9
Approximately 280,000 total votes cast in 2018
Approximately 180,000 total votes cast this time around
We should be ashamed by our apathy
23
Because the original results of this Congressional race were thrown out because of voter fraud, it's assumed there is none now. Why is that? Do Democrats believe that the morally challenged zealots in charge of state Republican races will not realize their opponents soulful hoping for the best in mankind and just dribble past that and do illegal things again?
The polls, the votes, everything should be suspect this year and next. There is no excuse for Democrats not to know by now who they're dealing with.
10
@msnow. Fraud was committed by a zealot working for a republican. Incidentally, this zealot was a democrat who previously fought an election as a democrat and worked for a democrat in another election.
4
Republicans better not look back - something's gaining on them (deference to Satchel Paige)
What will it take? A direct hit by a Category Five hurricane? Probably not even that even if a volcanic eruption and devastating earthquake were thrown in? My compatriots are no better. Apparently people are prepared to wait for the mushroom cloud as proof the climate is beyond saving. Why do we keep on voting for climate change deniers?
8
This coming election is about immigration. The media can push the economy theme, but Americans, African Americans specifically, dislike illegal immigration. This special election showed two things: white female Christians will vote for the white patriarch, and the media was wrong again.
Three things Trump must do to win again in 2020. Focus on immigration, abortion, and defending gun rights. No one on the democratic side can win. Elizabeth Warren is a woman and Americans will not elect a woman as president, Bernie Sanders seems like a mad man, Joe Biden lacks acuity and intelligence. Everyone else on the democratic side seems to be lobbying for a book deal.
9
@Eyes Wide Open As I wrote before the 2020 election is about illegal immigration. President Trump wins a second term if he focuses on this issue. Citizens are wondering, why am I paying taxes, for social services, used by non-citizens? Citizens are wondering, why are my wages stagnant? Citizens are wondering, how can we socialize people to follow the law when the US government does not enforce immigration law?
What am I missing here? Mecklenburg County has about a million people. Why are there only around 65,000 votes in? As I write this, Union County, the second largest in this district, with a population of 235,000, cast 60,000 votes overall.
I understand that the NYT is saying 99% of the precincts have reported, but by my ignorant calculations, we're missing around 180,000 votes from Mecklenbrug County. Perhaps people in Mecklenburg simply don't vote? It is inconceivable to me that the same amount of ballots, total, were cast in these two counties.
6
@JTF Only a small sliver of the southern side of Mecklenburg County was eligible to vote....gerrymandering at its finest. If the entirety of Charlotte was actually in the 9th Congressional district, the result would have been quite different.
4
@JCC Thank you very much. I should have suspected....!
I honestly find these results to be semi-meaningless.... gerrymandering means none of these elections represent the actual will of the people in the district. I bet democrats would be winning a lot more if districts were made fairly.
157
BUT @L Brown, you LOVED gerrymandering when the Democrats controlled so many state legislatures and create ten-mile deep districts that ran over a hundred miles.
6
@L osservatore Gerrymandering is wrong. When democrats do it and when republicans do it. You seem to be rationalizing gerrymandering now because democrats did it in the past. By this logic, when democrats take the senate they should never allow a republican court nominee by the president (if a republican president) to get a vote, as the sociopath McConnell did.
The question is: Is gerrymandering right or is it wrong? The follow up is: do you believe in doing the right thing or not?
8
@L Brown
Or the Republican margins could just bigger....who will ever know ?
This is no surprise. These people actually believe Trump is doing a good job.
Dems must focus on winning independents, beating Trump - and that means winning the electoral college - and keeping the more moderate Dems in Congress That is the only way for America to dig out of the abyss called Trump.
We need a more moderate Dem presidential candidate who can convince votesr in the middle that the Dems are not the party of the the Squad and others on the extreme Left, but simply the party fighting for health care, jobs, and a livable environment.
39
@BMD -- "but simply the party fighting for health care, jobs, and a livable environment."
You describe the progressives.
The centrists never did that when they had power, and they won't do it this time either. Voters know that. We've all been lied to before, constantly.
5
The NC 9th Congressional district extends from Charlotte to ElizabethTown. All who might vote Democratic are washed away by such state wide district gerrymandering engineered by elected Republicans.
Clearly the Republican party election fraudsters now understood that their blatant gerrymandering, though protected by the Supreme Court, is insufficient to guarantee a permanent Republican majority.Only by further rigging elections can they secure their majority status.
Representative democratic government may soon be destroyed by those in charge of the Republican party and the Supremes who protects them. Ultimately election fraud seeks a one party state.
Or perhaps, Republican voters and those Republican politicians who resist the corruption if the T-party will finally wake up.
Some Republican politicians will resign. Some may disavow the tactics created by Nixon, Reagan, Gingrich, Cheney, Bush, and Trump. Some may like Senator Specter switch parties and join the Democrats. Many might fight the corruption from within.
The last, best hope to save the Party and preserve our democratic republic may be those Republicans who put welfare of the nation above Party, and “take their Party back”. The Herald of that potential courageous change may come in the results if today’s 9th District election. That might trigger John Roberts to refuse to sacrifice the honor of The Court to protect those Republican oligarchs and demagogues who seek one party government.
22
@ThomasBased on your plaintive Republicans win forever unless they let Democrats win, just to be good sports!
1
My favorite detail of this whole affair is all the Republican attack ads lambasting Mr. McCready for prospering at "taxpayers' expense" by taking advantage of tax incentives for solar power and renewable energy businesses.
Yes, you read that right folks.
Republicans. Criticizing a private businessman. For enriching himself. Because of corporate tax breaks.
Slowly but steadily, I'm beginning to understand the phrase "I can't even."
294
A fair and square win by the better candidate. Bodes well for President Trump in 2020.
21
Not really. This district is R 12, meaning it is about 12 points more Republican than the nation. A result like this statewide will probably signal a narrow to moderate Democratic victory statewide.
48
@Donald Trump should be afraid. This district has been solid Republican for 63 years. GOP spent 6.4 Million $$$.. Trump and Pence were there Monday. Trump won there by 12%. 2% win is a loss on these circumstances.
3
By the way, that’s not to say that this wasn’t a disappointing loss. And a more liberal democratic candidate for president may do worse. But to say that is augurs well for the president is stretching the truth. There are relatively few paths to victory for the incumbent without capturing NC.
1
All I can say is that I thank heaven I live in New York City. Manhattan, to be precise.
25
Except that many of New York’s representatives have landed in prison for corruption.
8
The results are depressing, yet informative. Trump and his minions can be defeated in 2020 if there is an effort to bring out voters. Will the voters realize the importance of environment, health care and education to the future? And can Democrats promote a progressive agenda? If they can reach those voters, bring them to the polls and defeat gerrymandering then the White House and the Senate can be taken.
27
In 2018, the Republican got 49.3% and McCready got 48.9% of the vote.
Today, the Republican got 50.8% and McCready got 48.6% of the vote.
And somehow, even will all the foibles of Donald Trump, this article portrays the result as a victory for the Democrats, and a dire warning for the Republicans. Talk about wishful thinking.
38
@Erik Not really. This district is R 12, meaning it is about 12 points more Republican than the nation. A result like this statewide will probably signal a narrow to moderate Democratic victory statewide.
6
@Erik District has been GOP since 1963. Trump won in 16 by 12%. Today; 2% with Trump / Pence campaigning and spending 6.4 Million dollars. Be afraid; be very afraid
4
@Erik - Um, it's not really a tough calculus. A two-point win... even after Trump personally went in there to rally... in a supposedly deep-red district that went for Trump by 12 points in 2016 and hasn't elected a Dem since 1960... doesn't bode well for Trump when it comes to a statewide election.
Put it this way: In 2016, the Republican in this district won by over 50,000 votes. This time around, the Republican won by about 4,000 votes — or 46,000 fewer Republican votes. Donald Trump won the entire state by only about 200,000 votes TOTAL in 2016. The math is pretty simple: in 2020, if what happened in this district happens in just three other NC districts, Trump's in trouble.
4
Some numbers first.
In the 2018 race, McCready got 138, 341 votes. In this race he had a ton of resources but got 90, 824 votes while his opponent received 94, 984.
This resembles the outcome in a Georgia district north of Atlanta in a special election to replace a now disappeared HHS head, one of the many caught in the act of corrupting their office. In that election the candidate Ossoff got less votes than a mystery candidate in 2016, who barely showed up to campaign, despite having all the campaign resources one could hope for.
The two together tell me that this was a giant failure of the democrats to convince/inspire/organize people to show up and vote, as well as a profound individual failure of the missing 47,517 voters who just couldn't be bothered to vote. Were they paying the slightest attention at all? If not, WHY NOT??
You can spin it as in this article by focusing upon
worried trumpican operatives or officials. But that completely avoids the real issue of why 47, 517 voters decided not to vote for the very same person after the 2018 election was considered too corrupted to be legitimate.
If you don't see deeply troubling signs of a democracy in peril with such an outcome, I really don't think you're looking hard enough. If democrats think that repeating the same campaign strategies and messaging tactics adopted by McCready should be followed more widely in possible swing exurban zones, that's a delusion that better change soon.
29
@bl
but it doesn't make good sense to compare the absolute number of votes in 2018 to this election. 2018 was a regularly scheduled midterm vote. whereas this is an oddball election. it's just difficult to mobilize voters under such circumstances, in an out of synch special election.
13
@bl
For those who only see gerrymandering at work here, please explain the missing 47,517 votes.
1
@Orwellsdisciple If you can't bother to show up to vote, you don't deserve democracy. The people of Hong Kong are willing to die to it, and you make excuses for folks who cannot take the time to cast a ballot?
2
Please explain why Bishop has not been charged with a crime. He is clearly guilty of trying to rig an election.
Then please explain to me how the people who vote for Bishop have the courage to walk into a church. From Trump on down to this state the "swamp" has become a sewer.
35
@Bob Bruce Anderson Different person that ran in the actual midterm. Mark Harris was the candidate who hired the consultant known for shady vote harvesting.
Bishop was their "relief" candidate. One who is especially odious on his own. Anyway, I don't understand why the Republican party was allowed to field another candidate at all. Seems like it would have been appropriate to simply disqualify Harris and use the other existing tally... then I remember... we have one party rule in this state (sadly the Governor's Office has been stripped of a great deal of power) and they don't see the issue with getting another shot at the district they committed actual voter fraud to keep red.
3
@Bob Bruce Anderson. Here is an informed democrat.
Bishop was not in picture in 2018 election. And no, even Mark Harris was not guilty of election fraud. He may be guilty of hiring someone who committed the fraud. BTW this person had worked for democrat in the past and also ran as a democrat in a different election in the past.
So this was a case of democrat working for a republican and committing election fraud. You won't read this in a NYT story.
5
@Josh
Thank you. I stand corrected. I misunderstood the history of this election.
Democrat McCready's loss is more serious for the Democrats than recognized. He had been campaigning for the Congressional seat in question for 27 months through two elections. His Republican opponent had been campaigning for a much shorter period of time but won despite McCready's greater name recognition and long-term effort to appear "moderate". This was a big advantage for McCready but he still lost.
28
@Alex
I would say that the bigger advantage is the built in gerrymandering, and the intransigent conservative lean. even so, the GOP won by less than 2 point, in a district they should be carrying by 15. these results are consistent with the 2018 returns. all of which suggest big trouble for the GOP in 2020.
24
@Alex Not really. This district is R 12, meaning it is about 12 points more Republican than the nation. A result like this statewide will probably signal a narrow to moderate Democratic victory statewide.
1
@Alex Oh please. Derp derp derp, goes the entire Gop. Just saw that only 33% of the GRAND ol' party value higher education. Causation v. Correlation?
1
So far Union County (very red) is 65% reporting, and Mecklenburg (fairly blue) is 2% reporting, and McCready is ahead! A bit confusing since bishop is winning Union county by 20 points last I looked which is way ahead of his mark, but perhaps turnout in union County is low.
3
How depressing that we must continue to hope that a state in the Old Confederacy somehow does the right thing and rejects bigotry and outright racism...in other words rejects Trump.
It has only been 160 years since the Civil War and we are still hoping.
I so wish we could just simply let the south go its not so merry way. It is nothing more than a drag on the good, progressive things that must be done to confront the challenges of the 21st century.
265
@History Guy Well, doesn't President Tyler have two living grandsons? It is arcane and odd, but partially explains why it isn't THAT long ago--especially when the wounds were never dressed or addressed. We are an experiment, so let's see what the social scientists come up with this year? ;)
5
@History Guy Yes, the same opinion is felt in the Sunbelt, in the reverse direction. (And no, I am not originally from Texas.) The southern region of our nation is experiencing dynamic growth. Meanwhile, in northern sectors there is economic malaise, shuttered factories and downsizing. The New England superiority mystique has long ended. Acknowledge the obvious, dispel bias and move forward.
15
@History Guy
It sounds as though you haven't bought into the Democratic Party's marketing pitch on diversity. I don't think the party will soon soar to its former heights without without more members embracing that concept.
2
A qualified win, nonetheless.
So the Dems picked up 10 points in a conservative district. Multiply this across the state, where Trump won by less than 4%, and the state minimally turns purple with a good shot of blue in 2020 (particularly if Dems can drive turnout to counteract Republican voter suppression).
157
@Garbanzo. Sounds very similar to predictions of Hillary winning with a landslide.
3
@Garbanzo correct
1
@Garbanzo
Yes it is all about turnout. Providing to actually did things if you get 60 votes in the Senate drives turnout. Let Republicans tell voters, "there is no money."
This is not a center election. This is a base election.
Don't scold your own base. Fight with them against fascism and for your Constitution.
McCready was totally acceptable to moderates across the board. He denounced the Democrats and even returned Omar’s money to her.
The Squad is poison and now we know!
30
No we don’t. If he returned her money it was because he thought it was the politically correct thing to do in his district. There is no explicit information backing your claim that the squad is poison. This sounds like a right wing talking point.
3
Fear of socialism is a huge factor in the suburbs that hurts even moderate Dems like McCready. With Bishop now pulling ahead decisively, this is a canary in the coalmine for Dems as they face off against Trump. Even if Biden get nomination, the dire shadow of socialism will be cast upon him through association with fellow Dems like Sanders and Warren and a huge chunk of his party.
37
@Dan. So, I would assume that those opposed to “ the dire shadow of socialism” will forego social security? And, if they are farmers, give back their many, many subsidies? After all, we’re American, every man for himself, right??
33
This is no canary in coal mine for Democrats. The 9th is a gerrymandered super red district that Trump won by 12 points. The
Dems just picked up 10 of those. Republicans should be concerned about the canary.
32
It is an irrational fear of socialism. The GOP characterizes anything short of robber baron capitalism as socialism.
I do not think of Warren as a socialist. The ills she describes are really the abuse of capitalism. And the remedies address distortions of top down Wall Street control.
3
Do the voters understand that when Trump talks about "radical socialism" he is talking about Social Security and Medicare?
And that when he proposes a payroll tax cut, he is actually talking about folks paying less into their own Social Security and Medicare, making those programs fail sooner? And that he already cut taxes for rich individuals, making the federal deficit so huge that Medicare will have no choice but to cut back a lot? A vote for Trump is a vote against Social Security and Medicare. No matter how Trump spins it, the math does not lie.
1060
@Will Hogan
Unfortunately, democrats don't know how to communicate that message. They should declare every day: democrats brought you social security and medicare, republicans have always wanted to take them away.
122
@Will Hogan Hardly! He is painting a much more disturbing picture of the radical left...limiting of free speech, open boarders, much higher taxes, the branding of everyone who disagrees as racist, and confiscation guns. It really helps that Democrats are proposing some form of it all...
5
@Will Hogan
Part of the problem is that the Democratic candidates can't even take the two minute to explain these fallacies, given the Twitterized debate format. The only thing the media allows them to do is raise their hands lamely to carefully crafted "gotcha" questions. This is no basis for a democracy and it is shameful.
57
Fingers crossed that my old hometown district chooses correctly and shakes off the GOP. They've done nothing for it but make living conditions worse, cut programs that it relies on, and deepen the rural/suburban and white/nonwhite divides there.
57
Congratulations to the winners!
16
There’s no real contest here. The Republicans in power will do absolutely ANYTHING to ensure that they win this election. And they’ll continue to do it in all of the races throughout the country right through the 2020 election. It’s no surprise that everyone feel so discouraged and disenfranchised. What is surprising, at least to me, is that the sense of disenfranchisement comes from the very people that are supporting Trump.
31
@lola yep Mark Harris the preacher man cheated to try and win. N. Carolina is heavily gerrymandered. Mint Hill closed their doors for a reported gas leak but then added 25 minutes to their polling time. Shenanigans were at it again. Suppression most likely occurred.
2
Not a fair contest. One is supported by President and his vice, in person, and the other is leaning to GOD for his success. Though, it is surprisingly a tight call.
8
@Spinoza19
How ironic that the "champion of the Evangelicals" calls himself "the Chosen One." That's sacrilegious and evidences lack of respect for God and religion.
3
@Spinoza19. The other was supported by Joe Biden, even if the press don't like to report it.
1
Stop with the media melodrama. This is the heart of Trump country, been GOP for decades. To test Trump's clout we need a real purple district. This is a highly gerrymandered district.
118
@rwRebublican since before Sue Myrick won. After Lyndon Johnson chased away yellow dog Democrats into becoming Republicans. You want to lay blame? Look at Democrats party in the mirror for answers.
1
"North Carolina’s Special Election to Provide Test of Trump’s Clout"
More a test of North Carolinian's abdication to American democratic principles and its acceptance of a President's corruption of the Constitution, I believe.
86
The Republicans should have never gotten a do-over. You cheat you lose.
704
@E Bennet That is how it usualy works but as we know these rule do not apply to Trump, his ilk or the GOP.
9
@E Bennet Actually, to me that sounds like "The Republican party cheats, the voters lose" - as much as I would rather a Democrat had won.
8
@TMJ Yes, the voters lose pretty much every time they vote for a Republican.
Here’s to the Dem.
35
Reading elsewhere in the news about Trump’s recent ‘rally’ in North Carolina — more like a lynch mob or a gathering of the faithful at the height of the Third Reich — my belief in American democracy and decency is sorely tested.
If 90% of Republican voters remain acolytes of this horrible man because ‘he thinks like me and talks like me,’ we are in desperate trouble.
This vote shouldn’t even be close. But it will be. And that should send a chill up and down your spine. Can it be that millions of American adults hold this vile, vulgar, amoral, lying, cowardly braggart up as a role model for their children? How is that possible? Any child who acted like Trump would either be expelled from school or placed in intensive psychotherapy, diagnosed as a nascent sociopath.
President of the United States? These people have got to be kidding -- but alas, they are deadly serious.
955
@chambolle
All they care about is what their preacher is against, and how he tells them to vote.
62
@chambolle
"Can it be that millions of American adults hold this vile, vulgar, amoral, lying, cowardly braggart up as a role model for their children?"
The answer is decidedly yes and clearly demonstrated by the quote in your second paragraph "he thinks like me and talks like me."
Trump blatant amorality and immorality and vvery corrupt soul is clearly a reflection of the values of millions of Americans and so very sadly so.
76
@chambolle
“Can it be .... How is that possible? ... These people have got to be kidding -- but alas, they are deadly serious.“
“We would rather be ruined than changed
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the cross of the moment
And let our illusions die.” (WH Auden)
36
If the Republican wins in a Republican-heavy district, it means nothing. If not, then that might be something.
39
@Sailor Sam - How about a Republican almost losing, after Trump showed up in person, in a district that voted for Trump by 12 points?
In 2016, the Republican won this district by 10 points and over 50,000 votes. Today he won by 2 points and less than 4,000 votes. That's called a downward trend, and that's news.
2
In a fair and just world, the Republican Party would have been disqualified from participating in North Carolina politics for a period of 10 years due their contempt and rejection democracy and the will of the people.
Unfortunately in America's broken world, Republicans get a criminal do-over.
With 13% of the vote in, there is hope:
Dan McCready leads Bishop 53.6% to 45.9%
D to go forward; R for reverse.
39
Fine speculation at the end of the article. What would a Bishop victory signify?
3
That gerrymandering still works.
@Bob Jones
It would signify that the state sponsor of an infamous law prohibiting transsexuals from using public toilets labeled for their identity- is in a greater position of power.
@Bob Jones A Bishop victory signals that the rural tail continues to wag the urban dog: expect more agricultural programs that benefit rural voters, and fewer welfare programs to support urban dwellers.
If the Republican wins it would be the fault of "the squad" and open borders.
11
@Bananahead. Oh, I thought “ socialism” was the bogeyman du jour.
1
Geez. If you happen to live in this district, please VOTE!
7
@Will. Polls usually close around 7:00pm. Timing is everything.
Interesting.
If socialism and ultra Liberals loose big time, will you call that a referendum on the left?
10
@AutumnLeaf
If it happened in a secure democratic district, yes.
16
Yeah! Nobody wants free health care! We love paying high monthly premiums, high copays, high deductibles. Nobody minds paying four times what our neighbors in Canada pay for drugs.
Nobody wants free college education! We want our children to graduate college with onerous high interest debt.
Nobody wants $15 minimum wage or the right to unionize. Workers should take what they get and be happy.
69
@Zejee In economics, It's called move to where opportunity exists; the law of Supply. You want it to be what you want, then go where it is. Canada has it, you want it ? Shift the supply curve.
America needs to honor the men and women of the Armed Services, and particularly the United States Marine Corps.
Their service to our nation came at a staggering price.
Our nation will be safer and stronger with Congressmen like Dan McCready, rather than white supremacist bathroom monitors.
118
"Leslie McCrae Dowless, an independent contractor for Red Dome Group, allegedly hired people to illegally collect absentee ballots, according to The Charlotte Observer.
Mark Harris, the Republican candidate who beat Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes, paid Red Dome Group $428,911 for campaign consulting and services, the second-most he spent on an individual consultant, through Sept. 30..
Red Dome Group is a GOP consulting firm that was contracted by two other candidates this (2018) cycle for consulting and get-out-the-vote efforts. Rep. Mark Meadows from North Carolina’s 11th District paid $36,115 and Melanie Leneghan (Rep. Jim Jordan's protégé) from Ohio’s 12th District — who lost the primary — paid $51,750."
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/12/north-carolina-voter-fraud-428k-to-consulting-firm/
The President and Founder of the Freedom Caucus helped a number of their favorites in 2018 primary bids. That's legal.
Besides Mark Harris who benefitted from Dowless' absentee ballot scam, Mark Meadows (directly) and Jim Jordan's proxy candidate were the only other 2018 campaigns to pay for Red Dome's consulting services.
That's ignored and treated as mere unfortunate coincidence. Even with no proof otherwise, it has a fishy smell.
22
My next career may well be as an election consultant. It's clearly a growing business. Thanks Citizens United!
1
So how do you feel about the ballot harvesting in California - which is legal. A few Republicans lost there seats in the House there after hundreds of ballots were turned in after the polls closed - no way to verify authenticity.
4
It’s amazing to hear these snapshots of typical republican voters. In a “country over party” race, some of these previous GOP voters are finally deciding that something is more important than their perennial myths and fables.
17
McCready already won, even if he loses.
The Republicans pulled out their biggest “guns” to ensure Bishop goes to Washington. If they need to do that in a gerrymandered district favoring their candidate, then they are on really shaky ground...ring that bellwether!
192
I was thinking the same thing. The fact that it is so close should worry Republicans. Remember that the current president won this district by 12 points. This is a good omen for Democrats either way.
7
The only reason North Carolina is even in play is due to Yankee Democrats fleeing their the cities and states they've ruined and moving to the home state of Jesse Helms.
2
Even if Republican Bishop squeaks through and wins, it's a huge loss for Trump and the GOP, because the 9th District is one of the most conservative and most red districts in the country, and McCready has made it a real horse race. He deserves to win and should, but if he doesn't he still has a lot to be proud of.
351
@Lan Sluder I too am optimistic that your state, as gerrymander as it may be, can elect a Democrat in the Senate in 2020 and flip some congressional seats.
12
@Lan Sluder factually incorrect. Check the results of the 3rd NC district.
1
Except Trump needs Russian aid to win the close ones.
3
All fingers and toes crossed for McCready.
62
Can we at least mention the 3rd district election? Please? I know we are dark red and probably won’t turn blue...but Thomas is moderate and special elections are weird. I mean...at least 1 sentence would be nice.
12
@Greg K Go to CNN. They have called the race already .
7
@Greg K. Definitely. The 9th looks like it might be a solid blue win. If that same swing from the partisan index were to happen in the 3d it’ll be close
1
@Greg K
"In a separate special election on Tuesday in North Carolina’s Third Congressional District, the Republican candidate, Greg Murphy, cruised to an easy victory as expected. "
I quote from the article.
2
And despite the GOP's incessant bugling about illegal immigrant votes, the guy who committed actual voter fraud, Mark Harris, is still not in prison.
518
@Nick
And a black mother in Texas who voted not knowing she was ineligible to vote is serving a five year sentence, longer prison time than many violent offenders for an honest mistake. The GOP DA who prosecuted her himself committed election offenses with no penalty.
32
When republicans cheat, they win. We need to stop allowing them to cheat.
312
@BBW
They own the Supreme Court which ruled that cheating is ok.
Never vote Republican again if the best they can give us is a Trump.
100
In his rally, Donald said that Democrats are not very religious, but here I am praying for a McCready victory.
203
@Barnaby Wild
I remember when George H. Bush died and all of the living Presidents and First Ladies attended the funeral (they are all different denominations). All of them were reciting the Lord's Prayer (aka Our Father) in unison; except for Trump and his wife, who didn't know the words, and were staring into space.
1
If Dan McCready wins, you will not see Trump and the Republican-Right-Wing-Network accepting it as a defeat or a repudiation.
Trump will just lie again, and say the election was "rigged", and all the Republican sycophants will echo the same talking point.
46
I live in this district. If my neighbors vote for Bishop I may have to move to California. Or get my friends from California to move to Charlotte.
235
@Rob no, don't move here, much as we'd love to have you. We're so blue your vote would be wasted. But retired blue staters SHOULD consider renting out their places and moving east for a year before the election. We could counteract the vote stealing by registering voters and getting them to the polls on election day. How long would we have to be citizens of your great state in order to legally vote there ourselves?
10
@Rob The latter would be more helpful.
2
@Rob, Not going to happen captain. Unless you're packing.
McCready represents the kind of pragmatic, moderate Democrat that is needed for us to retain the House and possibly increase their majority. If he wins, I hope it will send a clear signal to farther-left candidates who are way out ahead of where the electorate is on issues such as universal health care and free college tuition.
38
@GBM Thirty-five years ago I got very cheap college tuition courtesy of the G.I. Bill and the taxpayers of California. My earnings went up so much I paid back their investment in me 10 times over through my payroll taxes. Educating our children is an investment that pays big dividends, not a cost. The alternative is to invite other nations' children to take our high-tech jobs and earn big bucks while American kids flip hamburgers. Is that what you want?
4
He didn't , so I guess Dems should try far left, at least the general public will see the difference between Reps and Dems.
@yulia People who can't see the difference between Republicans and Democrats have no business getting anywhere near a voting booth.
One major difference is that there is still such a thing as a "moderate" Democrat.
A 'redo' on the election is very nice, very fair, very forgiving to the cheating candidate, their party, and their campaign.
A way to decide this, more in service of 'justice'; and at the same time encourage compliance with honest elections activity and the law would be: when a candidate and/or his campaign are found to have engaged in election fraud, and violated the election fairness laws, call it "cheating", if convicted, that candidate is deemed to have forfeited the election. Legal penalties are still due on the candidate and the campaign if convicted, but the election in question is awarded to the cheater's opponent, or, when there is more than one opponent, to the next highest vote receiver.
This would incentive against the kinds of deceitful "election and voter fraud" that Republicans have been concerned about all over the country... and in this case, Mr. McCready would already be in Congress. Who knew when "election voter fraud" was actually discovered, it would be the Republican candidate and his campaign behind it. Imagine that!
108
@Jim Brokaw You do have to win an election. I know democrats don't want to face the people.
2
@Beetle Sounds like you approve of voter fraud. As, apparently, do many North Carolinians.
We need to "motivate" the citizenry" to vote. Australia passed a law and, I believe, gives a small ax break for everyone who votes. We should find something to get the vote out, voluntarily. I think everyone who doesn't vote in the 2020 Federal elections should be barred from voting in the next federal election, or some such punishment. Or if they do vote give them a $20 tax break. Some stick or carrot.
15
@Roger Duronio
Since 1924 it has been compulsory to vote, we get fined $20 for not voting unless we have a genuine reason that the Electoral Commission believes warrants us not voting. The AEC tends to be pretty lenient if you're travelling through say Asia or South America, but if you're vacationing near an Australian Consulate or Embassy you're expected to vote there.
We're motivated to vote because if we don't we cop a fine, also because its made incredibly convenient, rock up at a polling place, tell the volunteers your name and address, and fill out your ballot, all on a Saturday!
26
@Roger Duronioj. I think there is a 50 dollar penalty for not voting in Australia.
1
@Roger Duronio
Your “carrot” makes sense. Your “stick” doesn’t.
You know that old saw, “You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar?” If someone told me it was mandatory that I vote in 2020, in order to be able to vote in 2024, my response would be quite negative and not achieve the desired outcome.
Better to find a candidate that can inspire — that’s the way to get voters to vote.
3
Waiting for results hoping to be pleasantly surprised by Republicans regaining their sense of balance, dignity and citizenship in this nation.
5
@Zalman Sandon. I’d not hold my breath... .
6
All else aside, how can citizens there possibly vote for the Republican candidate after what happened? The party tried to cheat last time, for goodness' sake. If it isn't punished, what's to keep the cheating from recurring?
56
@M.
Nothing. That is the point, and why Republicans will vote Republicans. It is not about one person one vote, it is about retaining power by any means necessary.
32
@M.
To them, cheating is only unfair if Democrats are doing it.
6
I am a part time resident in North Carolina, and spend my winters in south Florida. It has never been more clear to me, that our country is at a crossroads. Our democracy is at steak, and to think otherwise is naive. We are bombarded daily, no HOURLY with the nonsense that emanates from the White House. It is the duty of all Americans to exercise their power, their vote, to restore our country to a place of dignity, and a beacon of hope, as it once was.As Martin Luther King stated, “Our lives begin to end when we remain silent about things that matter.” Fingers crossed that begins tonight.
60
I can only hope McCready wins. Republicans cheated in the last election. McCready did not. Republicans ads, which I can see on TV here, are misleading and nasty. McCready's are not. That should mean something.
378
@Barbara Normally, white, male, Marine works, but if Red, Red, Red is all that matters, then I'm sure many will again give up their absentee ballot to vote for an absentee Congressperson.
16
@Daniel
Sadly Republican Dan Bishop won by a small margin, but only after bringing in big guns like Trump and Pence. However, he has to run again almost immediately. In the suburbs, McCready was far ahead; rural areas went red. Given that Trump won this district by 12 points, that's a big difference.
So the Republican, Harris, cheats (there’s some real news for you) and republicans are given a second chance? Sounds fair, eh? Now the runner up, a democrat, has to run against another republican. If he loses, how about 2 out if 3...makes as much sense as anything else.
56
The red hat people are a cult. The more outrageously dysfunctional their orange mascot is, the deeper they dig in and the more
they like it.
Therefore, how a tRump surrogate fares in an overwhelmingly republic district only tells us anything if he loses. That would be an indication that the cool-aid might be wearing off.
But I’m not holding my breath.
76
@ Ben K-
Yeah- none of us can hold our breath, cuz if we did, we’d all drop and Trump would own this country.
Keep breathing, everyone...
8
These contest are viewed by many of us as IQ test. Guess who the brighter voters will support? All kidding aside, what's it going to take for sane Republicans to snap out of the mind meld that has overtaken so many? I mean Jumpin' Jehosaphat, recent Republican politics across the board should be enough to wake up even Republicans. Besides being an IQ test our elections have become mental health assessments of particular groups.
27
David Sedaris told me he moved his residence from New York to North Carolina, just so that he could vote there to counter the rabidly deep conservatism prevalent in NC.
82
@Prof Dr Ramesh Kumar Biswas Well, he and his sister (Amy) were raised in N.C., so he was moving "back." I applaud him for doing so, though, as I left N.C. 23 years ago (after Helms defeated Gantt, again) with no plans to go back.
13
so Dan will win at end of day no matter who you vote for.
12
I was just about to write that comment! 😂
It kills me that the “marketing professional” at the end of the story was swayed by negative campaign commercials, saying even her kids called the opposition “McGreedy”.
As a VP of Marketing myself, let me suggest that she should have dug a wee but deeper than the commercials.
281
@Bill Seng Blows my mind that anyone who dares to call themself a patriot would call a former Marine platoon commander "greedy" or cast their vote for the team that committed fraud the last time. No offence, but I'm a communications professional and I've found there are a lot of marketers out there who don't think strategically, don't understand the big picture; it's why we see one tone-deaf campaign after another (that the communications side of the house invariably has to clean up).
3
I’m betting that Dan will win!
14
@Steven
Yup. Easy to pick that. Odds must have been less than 1:1, if you were a smart bookie. Otherwise you were guaranteed to lose lots of money.
If Bishop loses, Trump will blame him for not being supportive of all of Trumps actions.
15
How can anybody vote for a republican at this point; especially one that trump is campaigning for in the state. It should be the kiss of death for a candidate.
198
@AACNY
The only "new friends" I want are ones without hearts black with blinding, soul-suffocating hate, the ones with the common sense to recognize a lying conman when they hear one, and the will to educate themselves on both sides of a political issue so they'll be able to distinguish the good guy/gal from the one with the nasty ulterior motive.
Life's too short to waste time trying to be "friends" with people who can't or won't use their brains.
7
Republican Dan Bishop is following the Trump playbook to the letter: lie about your Democratic opponent by saying he or she supports open borders and wants to take away your guns and private health insurance, then bring in Trump and his surrogates to inflame the base. Lying is a terrible long-term strategy, and it will fail by degrees until it fails entirely.
89
Exactly. His ads are so negative about McCready as the same goes for Mitch Moscow. Republican Party is becoming definitely low class party and against the principles of fair elections. They are becoming more detached to the Constitution.
25
@MaraMDolan That's what Sanders and Warren want.
1
A McCready win would certainly raise my spirits.
109
Only twice (2008, Obama; 2000 Kay Hagan v. Elizabeth Dole) during the 45 years I lived in North Carolina did I observe a positive political outcome. Don't count of North Carolina !
13
@M Caplow Well, we did have Jim Hunt.
2
@M Caplow
NC resident here... we are a failed democracy down here.
7
How is this a test?
Gerrymandered district.
"Republican or Die" state motto.
Only in the case of a Dem win would it have any meaning. A Repub win is simply a shallow victory. But such a win won't stop Trump and FIXED News from claiming 2020 victory.
30
@Marie It not being a slam dunk for Bishop is a statement in and of itself. The last time this area voted in a Democrat to represent them in the House was in the early 60s. Trump won it in '16 by 12%. (This is a moderate area in comparison to my neck of the woods, which is R+24 land.)
5