(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)
Purple cows stand out from the pack. Seth Godin wrote an excellent book about it and how it applies to marketing principles. Extremes to one end or the other are what make products worth telling your friends about. "I just saw a purple cow!" The products in the middle of the pack are either dead or dying.
So why did so many centerist-moderates win this election?
In my state of Arizona, I can't figure out the incongruence in the electorate when it comes to illegal immigration.
- Prop 102 prohibits illegal aliens from receiving punitive damages in AZ courts. More than 70% agreed.
- Prop 103 makes English as the official language. More than 70% agreed.
- Prop 300 stops illegal immigrants from receiving government funded services. More than 70% agreed. (Prop 102, 103, 300 results.)
- Len Munsil, the Republican gubernatorial candidate's entire campaign was based around securing the border. He lost in a landslide. 63% vs 35%. Democrat incumbent Janet Napalitano has done nothing to secure the Arizona border. She passes it off as a Federal problem. This is legally correct, but with a billion dollar surplus (created by Republican dominated state legislature and the roaring economy), why not do more protect the citizens of Arizona since the bulk of violent crimes are committed by illegal immigrants? Napalitano cringed every time Munsil mentioned the word "border."
- J.D. Hayworth, 4-time incumbent in district 5 (my district) went publicly on record against President Bush over and over again this summer during the attempt to pass "comprehensive immigration reform." Hayworth pushed for "protect the border first!" Surprising (and disappointing) upset for him losing by a few percentage points to Harry Mitchel who I know literally nothing about, other than that he was/is mayor of Tempe and looks very "grandfatherly."
- Most surprisingly enough, in AZ district 8, right along the Mexican border, Minute Man Republican Randy Graf lost to Democrat Gabrielle Giffords. District 8 is a very Republican district that is one of the most, if not the most effected by illegal immigration in the entire country.
So...we don't want illegal immigrants to get any sort of governmental services or punitive damages, we do want English to be spoken, but we don't want any of the candidates that were fighting the hardest for those things? I don't get it.
So much for being a purple cow in politics and going either far right (Len Munsil) or far left (Ned Lamont). Moving to the middle during election season is the way to win.
Why is that and what the heck is "the middle?"
UPDATE: Michael Savage on his radio show last night pointed out that the electorate nationwide has not abandoned conservative principles, as evidenced by all the state propositions (no on gay marriage, English as official language, no oil company tax in California, etc.).
But the electorate has abandoned Republicans, who have for the most part abandoned conservatism!
The scariest of all being President Bush who sounded excited about the possibility for amnesty for illegals as a part of comprehensive immigration "reform" working in partnership with a Democratic controlled congress. Bush has abandoned conservatism.
This does not bode well for this country.
