Veterans Day is a day we honor all Americans who have answered our nation’s call to service in our military.

On this Veterans Day, 2009 we especially remember the recent losses of life … the 4,362 in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 910 in Operation Enduring Freedom and the 13 who were murdered in the violence last week at Fort Hood in Texas

Note: The following is provided without comment on the analysis and opinions expressed

After the elections Tuesday, DGA Executive Director Nathan Daschle wrote a column for POLITICO on what lessons we should – and shouldn’t – learn from this year’s races. Read the column below:

Lessons learned from gov. races

Spend enough time in politics, and you will have your share of good election nights and bad election nights. The key to surviving the bad is learning from the results without dwelling on them; look forward, not backward.

Reflecting on Tuesday’s elections, I am disappointed, but not discouraged. The losses came from two electorates with an affinity for demonstrating their independence from the White House. For 24 and 36 years straight, New Jersey and Virginia, respectively, have elected governors of the opposite party of the president. Couple that streak with the worst recession since the Great Depression, and it would have been an unprecedented upset if we had won either of these races.

Democrats need to sift through the data, analyze it, and pull out lessons that are instructive for moving forward. At the same time, it would be a costly mistake to simply assume that the Republicans’ talking points about this election are valid. There are several things that Tuesday night’s results do NOT mean:

1. They do not signal that a Republican “comeback” is imminent. Virginia and New Jersey have gone against the White House for 24 straight years. Unless there’s been some under-the-radar comeback every four years since 1985, there is no more indication of Republican resurgence today than there was last week.

2. They do not indicate that President Obama has been politically weakened. Exit polls indicate (and common sense shows) that these were isolated races that, while subject to historical trends, were not a referendum on our president.

3. They do not mean that Democrats are in trouble in 2010. To the contrary, we found some encouraging evidence in the exit polls. In New Jersey, for example, voters embraced Gov. Jon Corzine’s agenda on the economy by a 58-36 margin. He was defeated because other local issues superseded his economic agenda, but we are encouraged that voters preferred our economic message to the Republicans’ attempt to return to economic policies that put Wall Street ahead of Main Street.

There are, however, some important lessons that Democrats should take to heart:

1. Democrats still carry a burden of proof with independents and surge voters. These voters don’t want to let Republicans give tax breaks to the wealthy while working families struggle, but our incumbent governors and challengers need to underscore how they’re creating and saving jobs. There’s no question that Democrats have the right vision and plans for restoring prosperity to this country – our charge is to get our message out and, for incumbents, show results.

2. While Republicans with no solutions will continue to use federal issues as red herrings in state races, we must show at the national level that we can govern. The American people expect results. They need to see how they’re better off with Democrats in charge. I am confident that we’ll make significant progress on health reform and the economy. And in the meantime, our gubernatorial candidates must know that when their opponents try to box them in on federal issues, it’s because they have no ideas on the issues that matter.

3. The Republican Party is in disarray and not remotely ready to lead. If this year taught us anything about the other side, it’s that they remain a house divided. Who are their leaders – Michael Steele, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin? What do they stand for? Bob McDonnell is a conservative who campaigned as a moderate. Chris Christie won despite himself; certainly not because of a compelling philosophy or agenda. In NY-23, the GOP civil war was on full display. A party still groping for an identity won’t attract voters to put them over the finish line.

Tuesday night was the opening battle; now starts the war. We have 37 races next year, including contests in marquee states like California and Florida. Fortunately, Democrats are well-prepared for the fight to come. In part, this is because we used our resources effectively this year: the DGA made record investments in both New Jersey and Virginia, but we resisted pressure to overspend and draw down our 2010 account.

More importantly, however, we are prepared because we have placed Tuesday in the appropriate context; the results are instructive but not foreboding. Democrats have a lot to accomplish, and so long as we continue to advance our agenda and get real results, voters will keep us in power.

Nathan Daschle
Executive Director, Democratic Governors Association

From Progressive States Network:  ”In the recent Virginia Governor’s race, the conservative Democratic candidate spent much of his time explaining how he opposed a public option in health care, opposed robust climate change legislation, and opposed reforms to protect the freedom of workers to form labor unions.  His subsequent loss highlights an important, perennial message for progressive candidates: when given a choice between a conservative and a conservative Democrat, voters will choose the true conservative.”

• Virginia is not and was not “Deeds Country”
• Few Virginians are “Deeds Democrats”
• Six out of Every Ten Registered Voters Stayed Home … compare that to 2008 when almost eight in ten voted …
• Virginians who voted in 2009 accurately reflected the Democratic and Republican Parties “core base” of voters … translation … when only 40% of registered voters show up … Virginia Republicans have a base of approximately 950,000 … Democrats can count on a base of around 750,000 … “independent” voters numbering nearly 300,000 have to break strongly Democratic to have our candidates win Commonwealth wide elections … we have to make up the ground by giving folks a reason to vote for Democrats … and/or we must increase voter turnout … our goal should be to convert 200,000 voters from independents into Democrats to level the playing field .. and/or reach out to 200,000 folks who voted in Presidential election and move them into the  dependable annual “core base” of Democratic voters
• Some 70% of voters said President Obama was not a factor in their choice for governor … if he had been a factor would more people have voted Democratic? … People I’ve spoken to say “YES WE CAN” was missing from the Democratic message
• Democrats need to chose our Commonwealth wide candidates with a view of securing the Democratic base
• Thinking about upcoming 2010 Virginia elections  … every congressional district but the third and the eighth voted Republican… even Congressman Rick Boucher  has become a target … 66% of his 9th district gave their votes to Deeds opponent despite his strong endorsement …

“We all knew that electing Barack Obama President was only the opportunity to bring about change; that we would all have to keep working to fulfill the promise our victory offered.” …

Note:  Where was OfA with a video like this to supporters in Virginia?  … didn’t they know yesterday’s election results will have Virginia moving in a much different direction …change often does not come easy … but we keep fighting … and some of us were even “Born Fighting”  (h/t Jim Webb)

Virginia Public Access Project and Virginia’s  State Board of Elections will be updating a live map of Virginia’s election results after polls close at 7 pm … click here

Election Day in Virginia is on Tuesday, and we’ve got an important race to win. There are two quick things you can do to make a big impact in our effort to elect Creigh Deeds governor.

First: Vote on Tuesday. Look up your polling location now.

Second: Call five neighbors in your precinct and share this polling location with them.

After you look up your polling location, you’ll also get a list of five voters in your precinct to call. Our click-to-call tool makes it incredibly easy, and your calls will make a huge difference.

Look up your polling location and share it with five voters in your precinct.

We’ve made too much progress in Virginia to let it slip back now. Creigh Deeds offers a positive vision and real solutions to Virginia’s challenges in transportation and the economy. Let’s do everything we can to make them a reality.

Thanks,
Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

Note: this was received via email and was “Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee, www.barackobama.com. Authorized by, and intended to benefit, Creigh Deeds, Candidate for Governor.”