How they see it Down Under

The view from Down Under about the recent election shows the depair
the dems are suffering.

Republican candidates yesterday won the governorships of New Jersey
and Virginia, throwing doubt on the Democratic Party's prospects for
mid-term elections next year and on Mr Obama's wider ambitions to pass
laws on healthcare reform and climate change.

A series of personal campaign visits to New Jersey by Mr Obama over
the past few weeks was not enough to help Democrat governor Jon
Corzine keep his job. The former Goldman Sachs head, with 45 per cent
of the vote, lost to his Republican rival, former federal prosecutor
Chris Christie, who had 49 per cent at the latest count after a hard-
fought campaign.

Mr Corzine was seeking a second term as governor. With Mr Obama's
campaign help he had recovered ground in opinion polls, but had been
tipped to lose because of high unemployment in the state and voter
opposition to New Jersey's taxes, the highest in the country.

As predicted, Republican Bob McDonnell easily won in Virginia against
his less polished opponent, Creigh Deeds, in a 59-41 per cent
landslide.

But Democrats took heart from another contest in upstate New York,
where Democrat Bill Owens appeared to be headed for victory against
the Conservative Party's Doug Hoffman. Democrats say the congressional
seat win -- following a vacancy caused by the incumbent joining Mr
Obama's administration -- indicates the party is holding up well. And
party officials are expected to use the result as a ballast against
losses in the state governor contests.

In California, Democrats also retained a congressional seat after
Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi easily beat Republican David
Harmer.

Energised by the comeback in two states, the Republican Governors'
Association claimed the results would serve as momentum for mid-term
congressional elections next year.

Republicans argued that Mr Obama had been sent a message from voters
that they rejected his policies to overhaul the US health system and
pass climate change legislation that many regard as anti-business.

Despite Mr Obama's active role in the New Jersey campaign, his
spokesman, Robert Gibbs, played down the significance of the results
and joined sceptics who said the election races were fought on local
issues.

"I don't think the President is looking at these and believes they say
anything about our future legislative efforts or our future political
efforts," he said.

The potential problem for Mr Obama between now and the end of the year
will be to maintain the courage of Democrats whose votes he needs to
pass laws on health reform and climate change considered critical to
his first-term agenda.

Many Democrats on slim margins are fearful they will lose their seats,
while conservatives in the party wary of change could have new
ammunition to resist pressure from the White House to back its plans.

Over the few past months, Mr Obama's approval rating has slipped to
the low 50s after record highs of 70 per cent following his election.

The President is struggling to get the numbers to pass his health
reforms in the Senate, despite a Democrat majority of almost 60
votes.

Most Democrats oppose a deeper commitment to the war in Afghanistan,
although they would be hard-pressed to object to funding legislation
so soon after the President's election.

Meanwhile, in Maine yesterday, voters rejected same-sex marriages by a
margin of 53-47 per cent in a referendum.
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