Midterm Election Results Spotlight

Photo: Courtesy of NBC

Just Do the Wave

Election Day has come and gone and still some races have been left uncalled. In this historic election, truly every vote matters and being such, I wanted to wait until all of the races had been decided. Yet, now over two weeks after election day, we finally have concrete numbers for some of the last races. In the midterm election, that saw the turn over of the United States House of Representatives by a sixty-one seat swing, was truly a wave election that rippled around the entire country. This post will highlight the most important and interesting races that Center Right Nation has followed throughout the summer and fall.

Invasion of the Mama Grizzlies

The Rise of Women in the GOP

Sarah Palin (R-AK) is a political powerhouse whose every word is devoured by both sides of the political spectrum and the national media. Her personal charisma and sheer will power allowed her to reenergize the 2008 Presidential Election as well as redefine an entire political movement. However her largest impact may have been on the ascendancy of women to prominent positions within the Republican Party. Palin and her Political Action Committee (SarahPac) have helpe fund and campaign for Republican women across the country, and helped to propel many, such as: Nikki Haley (R-SC), Christine O'Donnel (R-DE), Carly Fiorina (R-CA), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) to victory in hotly contested primaries. In the two years since America asked 'Who is Sarah Palin', the role of the Republican woman has been reshaped and empowered to a new level.

The Power of Tea

Courtesy of Getty Images

A Modern Day Tea Party

During the political maelstrom that gripped the nation in 2009, raging over issues like the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (The Bailout) to the proposed health care legislation, the Tea Party was born. Taking the name in reference to Boston Tea Party of Colonial times and creatively using it as an acronym for the slogan 'Taxed Enough Already,' the Tea party hit the national stage holding local protests and even convening the first National Tea Party Convention, headlined by the 'Conservative Darling' herself, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK). Although more conservatively aligned, the Tea Party covers every spectrum of the Republican Ticket, supporting the anti-military policies of Ron Paul (R-TX) while chanting Sarah Palin's slogan of "Drill Baby, Drill." With new Gallup Polls indicting that 1 in 5 Americans either somewhat or strongly support the Tea Party Movement, one would assume that it would have a large impact on the 2010 Midterm Elections. Let's take a look and see just how powerful this grass roots organization really is.

Victory At Last

And What a Sweep it Was!

On Tuesday, June 22nd, the Palmetto State once again went to the polls with the mission to finally nominate the Republican gubernatorial candidate. In a decisive victory, state Representative Nikki Haley (R-SC) swept opponent U.S. Rep Gresham Barrett by winning 65% of the vote compared to his 35%. In her acceptance speech, Haley claimed the landslide victory was an affirmation of her small government message and across the board fiscal conservatism.

Sikh or Christian: Who Cares?

Haley Just Can't Catch a Break

Barely a month after the emergence of the extramarital affairs scandal and the all around denunciation of the (seemingly baseless) allegations, the Palmetto State has served up another issue for the Haley camp. Yet with this new concoction she has done nothing wrong (unless being vague is a crime, which would mean 95% of all politician would be in jail), yet the Christian camp in the Republican Right want to paint her in an evil light. The reason is religion, but then again in American politics, when isn't it about religion? State Representative Nikki Haley, an Indian-American, was born into a practicing Sikh family and at the age of 24 converted to Christianity and now attends a Methodist Church. But apparently for some that's not good enough, for some religion is enough to vote against someone, regardless of where they stand on issues. And that my friends, is ridiculous.

A Super Tuesday of Sorts

It's a Battlefield Out There

During Presidential election years the day when the greatest number of states hold their primary elections is designated a special name, Super Tuesday. Well if the Midterm elections had any special title, today June 8th might edge out any other for that title. Let's look at three high profile elections: the South Carolina gubernatorial election, Arkansas Senate election, and the California gubernatorial race.

Can Haley Stay Above the Scandal?

As if South Carolina hasn't had Enough...

After the drama and political fallout that was the Governor Mark Sanford's widely publicized affair with a Brazilian woman, the current GOP front runner in the gubernatorial elections, Nikki Haley (R-SC) allegedly had an affair with not one, but two men while in office. With endorsements pouring in from Tea Party Darling Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, and the First Lady of South Carolina, Jenny Sanford; it now seems that her opponents may have turned to their last viable weapon, scandal. As of June 4th, two men (blogger Will Folks and lobbyist Larry Marchant) have come forward and announced their extramarital trysts involving the gubernatorial candidate. Haley's campaign has forcefully denounced these claims as being unfair and as a last ditch attempt to hijack her building momentum.

The Phenom Strikes Back

Palin Power

In America today, no figure is more loved, hated, and misunderstood than former Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK). She is the epitome of polarization drawing almost worshipful praise from the right as well as unfair and unyielding criticism from the left. Yet, after the failed, and incredibly mean, Vice Presidential run, this courageous woman has not left the political arena. In fact, in the two years since she has written a best selling memoir, undergone a speaking tour, and emerged as one of the leading republican figures in our nation. Sarah Palin has also been in the news recently for multiple reasons so let's take a look back at her most recent actions.