GOP 2nd Wind Doesn't Mean Smooth Sailing

Party back from last year's beating but upheaval still likely
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 4, 2009 3:09 AM CST
GOP 2nd Wind Doesn't Mean Smooth Sailing
Republican Governor-elect Chris Christie greets supporters on election night at his headquarters in Parsippany, N.J. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009.   (AP Photo/Christopher Barth)

The victories in Virginia and New Jersey look set to revitalize the Republican Party ahead of next year's elections, writes Adam Nagourney. The party now has the chance to re-energize its base and prepare for a proper comeback from last year's defeat, although the Democratic win in New York's 23rd district shows that plenty of upheaval likely still lies ahead, Nagourney notes in the New York Times.

The race in New York split the party's moderate and conservative wings, Nagourney notes, and that battle is certain to continue as different factions seek to lead the party back into power. The Republican victors in Virginia and New Jersey focused on local issues while downplaying social issues like abortion, Nagourney writes. While the wins are welcome news for the party, what happened yesterday occurred on a "relatively small playing ground" that may be no indicator of how things will unfold next year, he warns.
(More Republican stories.)

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