PrintJuly 17, 2010
Renee Ellmers: RX for No. Carolina's 2d District?
Rasmussen reports that voters are increasingly disconnected from their elected representatives and 47% of them believe a Republican takeover would produce significant changes in their lives:
While roughly two-thirds of Mainstream voters say Republicans are likely to win both the House and Senate, most of those in the Political Class believe a GOP takeover is unlikely in either case.Forty-seven percent (47%) of all voters say there will be a noticeable change in the lives of most Americans if Republicans win control of Congress, up slightly from 43% in February. Twenty-eight percent (28%) don't believe GOP leadership of Congress will result in that kind of change, but another 25% are not sure.[/ quote]
Voters in North Carolina's Second District may get to test that because there's a chance that a Republican challenger new to politics will beat the 14 year Democrat incumbent, and if that happens the results for the people of that District will be noticeable.
Having interviewed Ms Ellmers, I believe the difference in the way the challenger and incumbent got to this point is as telling as the difference in their approach to constituents and views on the issues.
District 2 is a traditionally Democrat district. It is also a strongly conservative one composed of 10 rural counties. The incumbent has spent a good deal of his time in public office at the state and local level and in Congress. He supports the Pelosi/Obama agenda 97% of the time, according to Renee Ellmers, and has done so, she notes, by adopting two faces: An arrogant liberal voter in D.C. and a conservative down home guy at home.
Unfortunately for him, in a candid moment, he was caught out on video being arrogant and abusive "D.C. Etheridge" to a couple of polite students who were asking him his views. He exposed himself in a way his constituents had not seen him before.
This rare glimpse of their Congressman as he really is aided Ellmers, the Republican running against him, in her initial bid for public office. Ellmers' background is very different than Etheridge's. She's a nurse. Her husband is a general surgeon. Neither had shown much interest in public office and got involved about a year ago out of concern about Obamacare and what it would mean to American health care. Concerned that the public was unaware of what was going on, she started attending healthcare rallies to set the record straight.
Etheridge, she felt, was trying t pull the wool over his constituents' eyes by claiming that doctors were overwhelmingly in support of the legislation, citing AMA approval. Ellmers went to tell voters doctors and healthcare workers overwhelmingly opposed it, and that, for example, the AMA now represented no more than 17% of American physicians.
In her overwhelmingly Democrat district, people came up to her and offered her their support, indicating they had told Etheridge that they'd always supported him but if he voted for ObamaCare, they'd abandon him, that they were overwhelmingly opposed to it. Operating no doubt on the notion that he knew better than his constituents and he'd persuade them after passage, he voted for it. It may well have been a losing play.
The only poll of the District shows Ellmers slightly ahead and the internals reveal that Etheridge's vote on ObamaCare hurt him badly. His disapproval figures among both Democrats and Republicans are high. As the economy worsens and voter discontent against the administration continues to rise, it would appear that Etheridge's re-election chances are diminishing.
Ellmers says if she's elected she will try to bring to her constituents the best factual information she can about important issues, listen to them, and vote as they'd wish her to. She remains adamant about Obamacare, the issue that prompted her into political life, saying she wants to defund, dismantle and repeal it. She also is focused on jobs, indicating she wants tax cuts to businesses and individuals to stimulate the economy and will push to get our border secured and our immigration laws enforced.
Her website is reneeforcongress.com and I'm certain she would like help in running her opponent out of office. Etheridge's party can read polls, too, and certainly will be doing what it can to help him hold onto his seat.
