A witness at today's Yates ballot count said the count was Massa 346, Kuhl 326, with about 2/3 of the votes counted. Yates went for Kuhl by 93 votes on election night, so this cut Kuhl's lead a bit.
Just absolutely amazing---the Massa showing in Yates.
I've never thought of Yates as part of Real America and this just proves it. I'm pretty sure they make wine there.
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 01:48 — pystew (not verified)
Acutally they found 100 more votes for Kuhl when they recanvased last week (mistake in adding). We feel that Eric has done pretty well In Yates. The numbers show us that many Republicans came over from the Dark Side.
Yes we make wine here. Matter of fact. The Yates Progressives meet at various wineries on the 3rd Sunday of each month (Social Hour 6-7pm, then the meeting.) Let us know when you want to come and we'll tell you where to set your GPS. Come early and enjoy the scenery.
We have some hard core Republicans who are pretty upset that Randy will lose his Federal Pension. The Barrington Rifle Club might be considering having a Venison Dinner Fund raiser for "Randy Boy"--but that's another story.
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 20:06 — robinia (not verified)
Hey, does that invite include Tompkins County progressives who enjoy Keuka Lake wineries? 'Cuz it does sound like fun.
Do any of you Yates County types know whether or not the Mennonite communities had much turnout? I hear that they only vote occassionally, but usually en masse and Republican when they do...
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 02:35 — penn yan pepper (not verified)
Again, for Yates to be a nailbiter is a testimony to the sophistication of its ticket-splitters. Yes, I know that the GOP establishment is beside itself to think they couldn't routinely pull off another Kuhl victory.
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 08:28 — pystew (not verified)
Yates' Republiican Committee is meeting tomorrow to pick a new leader. The third one in 3 years. That is how stunned they are.
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 09:27 — ElmerJK (not verified)
Let's not get too carried away. A perfect storm aligned itself to defeat Kuhl:
1. Highly unpopular President
2, Overwhelming Pro-Massa vote in Monroe County
3. Economic slow down
4. Randy's lack of energy in campaigning and lack of fight (this is why I voted for Eric).
And Eric still only won by 2%. The southern tier (including Yates) remains highly Republican.
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 09:33 — Rottenchester
I'd put it this way: the Southern Tier is still Republican, but not as staunchly Republican as a few years ago (registration figures bear this out).
The job of Yates Republican chair is a tougher job now that it used to be. I'm sure the Yates Republican Party is going to have to adjust the new environment.
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 11:53 — LV vet (not verified)
Cattaraugus County is also a Republican County but Massa won here by over 200 votes. I think it was the first time since the voting history that a Democratic congressional candidate has won here, except maybe Stan Lundine. And there have been other unpopular Republican Presidents. I think it shows that the voters were fed up with Randy more than they were with Bush. By the way, McCain won the vote here by 1549 votes. What we know for sure is that the voters will vote their mind, over their party.
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 13:17 — vdomeras (not verified)
voters will vote their mind, over their party
True, but the perfect storm (Elmer) got the voters thinking more than usual about their choices. If Randy had shown some real independence from the administration he would have won easily. He really should have seen the level of revulsion with the direction the party was taking, especially after the '06 election. Party discipline had him intimidated, but that kind of discipline was already in the past.
It's really interesting and a bit encouraging that the MSM, which was held in check by the administration's coercive tactics for five years sprang back with a vengeance once the premature lame duck period began. There might be a lesson there for the demagogue contingent of the GOP.
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 23:24 — penn yan pepper (not verified)
Listen, folks...I never would have dreamed that in my lifetime I would have seen not just one but TWO Democrats elected to Congress to represent this district. For those of us who grew up here, when election of a Democrat was unheard of, this is yet another sign of how remarkably far things have come. Yes, Southern Tier voters do vote their minds and not their party. But Yates running so close? Wow. P.S. I, too, am curious about the Mennonite vote.
Wed, 11/19/2008 - 01:17 — LV vet (not verified)
Pepper,
If they are like the more conservative Amish (both are of the Anabaptist Christian denomination) here, they will only pull the local levers because that is what "affects them", meaning town and county candidates. At least that is the way the Amish community here views voting. They have only become interested in voting in the past couple years.
Wed, 11/19/2008 - 09:57 — pystew (not verified)
A lot of Mennonites were registered and help deafeat a New High School a few years ago. It is fun for as a Candidate to get them to sign petitions. You don't have to wait until dinner time to find them home. I remember once the Mrs. told us to go to the fields to find her husband. We introduced ourselves, talked a little politics, told them how nice their watermelons looked, and got him to sign out petitions. He then told us that we could tell his wife that it was ok for her to sign them.
But, you're right, very few actually vote.
Comments
Just absolutely amazing---the Massa showing in Yates.
Just absolutely amazing---the Massa showing in Yates.
I've never thought of Yates as part of Real America and this just proves it. I'm pretty sure they make wine there.
Acutally they found 100 more votes for Kuhl when they recanvased last week (mistake in adding). We feel that Eric has done pretty well In Yates. The numbers show us that many Republicans came over from the Dark Side.
Yes we make wine here. Matter of fact. The Yates Progressives meet at various wineries on the 3rd Sunday of each month (Social Hour 6-7pm, then the meeting.) Let us know when you want to come and we'll tell you where to set your GPS. Come early and enjoy the scenery.
We have some hard core Republicans who are pretty upset that Randy will lose his Federal Pension. The Barrington Rifle Club might be considering having a Venison Dinner Fund raiser for "Randy Boy"--but that's another story.
Hey, does that invite include Tompkins County progressives who enjoy Keuka Lake wineries? 'Cuz it does sound like fun.
Do any of you Yates County types know whether or not the Mennonite communities had much turnout? I hear that they only vote occassionally, but usually en masse and Republican when they do...
Again, for Yates to be a nailbiter is a testimony to the sophistication of its ticket-splitters. Yes, I know that the GOP establishment is beside itself to think they couldn't routinely pull off another Kuhl victory.
Yates' Republiican Committee is meeting tomorrow to pick a new leader. The third one in 3 years. That is how stunned they are.
Let's not get too carried away. A perfect storm aligned itself to defeat Kuhl:
1. Highly unpopular President
2, Overwhelming Pro-Massa vote in Monroe County
3. Economic slow down
4. Randy's lack of energy in campaigning and lack of fight (this is why I voted for Eric).
And Eric still only won by 2%. The southern tier (including Yates) remains highly Republican.
I'd put it this way: the Southern Tier is still Republican, but not as staunchly Republican as a few years ago (registration figures bear this out).
The job of Yates Republican chair is a tougher job now that it used to be. I'm sure the Yates Republican Party is going to have to adjust the new environment.
Cattaraugus County is also a Republican County but Massa won here by over 200 votes. I think it was the first time since the voting history that a Democratic congressional candidate has won here, except maybe Stan Lundine. And there have been other unpopular Republican Presidents. I think it shows that the voters were fed up with Randy more than they were with Bush. By the way, McCain won the vote here by 1549 votes. What we know for sure is that the voters will vote their mind, over their party.
True, but the perfect storm (Elmer) got the voters thinking more than usual about their choices. If Randy had shown some real independence from the administration he would have won easily. He really should have seen the level of revulsion with the direction the party was taking, especially after the '06 election. Party discipline had him intimidated, but that kind of discipline was already in the past.
It's really interesting and a bit encouraging that the MSM, which was held in check by the administration's coercive tactics for five years sprang back with a vengeance once the premature lame duck period began. There might be a lesson there for the demagogue contingent of the GOP.
Listen, folks...I never would have dreamed that in my lifetime I would have seen not just one but TWO Democrats elected to Congress to represent this district. For those of us who grew up here, when election of a Democrat was unheard of, this is yet another sign of how remarkably far things have come. Yes, Southern Tier voters do vote their minds and not their party. But Yates running so close? Wow. P.S. I, too, am curious about the Mennonite vote.
Pepper,
If they are like the more conservative Amish (both are of the Anabaptist Christian denomination) here, they will only pull the local levers because that is what "affects them", meaning town and county candidates. At least that is the way the Amish community here views voting. They have only become interested in voting in the past couple years.
A lot of Mennonites were registered and help deafeat a New High School a few years ago. It is fun for as a Candidate to get them to sign petitions. You don't have to wait until dinner time to find them home. I remember once the Mrs. told us to go to the fields to find her husband. We introduced ourselves, talked a little politics, told them how nice their watermelons looked, and got him to sign out petitions. He then told us that we could tell his wife that it was ok for her to sign them.
But, you're right, very few actually vote.