Upon the requested complete recount of the early vote, Congressman Allen West had a net loss of a few votes to challenger Patrick Murphy, and has now condeded the race.
While he lost, West, a Tea Party favorite, did well. The district leaned a bit Democrat. It fell to the Democrats in 2006, and stayed in their hands in 2008, when West made his first run. During the Republican victories of 2010, West was elected, overcoming the district's inclinations.
During re-districting, the district came out slightly more Democratic than before. The Republican-controlled state legislature tried, simultaneously, to retain all seats then held by Republicans and pick-up the two new seats the state was apportioned, while abiding by the Voting Rights Act. To try to make this happen, the state legislature shaved some Republicans precincts here and some there from Republican districts, and used gerrymandering techniques to, in effect, re-assemble these precincts into the two new seats. The Congressional Districts of the state became even more contorted. And, West's district, already slightly Democratic in terms of its vote in Presidential races, became a bit more tilted that way.
This might have all worked out if 2012 had been a Republican year. West is a dynamic campaigner and can, and did, run ahead of the GOP ticket. But, this wasn't a Republican year. It was a slightly Democratic year. And, West was not able to overcome the Democratic tilt in the district in a slightly Democratic year.
Clearly, the tabulation of the vote on election night left something to be desired. On that evening, when local election officials realized they had not counted the early vote from 54 precincts and double-counted the early vote in 40 others, and then re-counted those precincts and flipped the lead to the Democrat, their work needed to be re-examined. Then, when the results in a mayoral race within the district required a recount of those votes, the Democrat's lead in the Congressional race was shaved because 3 percent of the Congressional vote in that part of the district was discovered to be bad. This is well beyond the tolerance range for the tabulating machines (which is one-quarter of 1 percent).
Eventually, the local election board decided to completely recount the early vote. Why this was ever controversial can only be understood as excessive partisanship. Then, with that recount, it became clear that the election night goof was an isolated one. Shortly after that, West conceded. There are probably lessons to be learned in this experience. But, we'll not go there. Instead, we'll simply express our gratitude to Allen West for his service, protecting the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, and wish him and his family the best.
12 comments:
In reality, he could not be counted on to defend civil rights, instead siding with the "right" of the state to violate our rights. NDAA, Patriot Act YES votes are in that resume'.
Indeed that is the problem with so-called Conservatives. They keep voting more and more power to a centralized Big Government state in the name of "security".
But Marco Rubio stood almost alone for the Constitution by voting against the NDAA.
Rubio 2016.
And the Paul's too.
Eric,
Above is a classic example of Democrat troll infiltrator.
NEVER a kind word about West. Never acknowledgement of the votes West took to defend Liberty. It's the sum of the votes that matters, but not that the Left will ever acknowledge it.
This is true for their attitude towards Ryan, Palin, Bachmann, indeed, every Republican defending Liberty: Jiggles and his statist ilk seek to dispirit and divide us from the best we have.
If it's the votes that count, then let us look at the comments, too: On balance, is the Jiggles seriously a Libertarian?
No. Solidly a reliable Democrat. I don't give a sweet flying fvck what the Jiggles even thinks it believes or angrily claims: It's the sum of its comments that matter.
I've said often: the Paul camp was infected by Leftists in Libertarian camo. Now that RP is retiring, they will suck like leaches onto some other host promising to weaken our national defense and international security - just like ticks and fleas departing a carcass.
Gary, with you on that.
"Never acknowledgement of the votes West took to defend Liberty."
Can you name any?
Never acknowledgement of the votes West took to defend Liberty."
Can you name any?
Yeah, Ran, you fucking douchemouth. Name one, cocksucker. How dare you challenge me on this, you worthless sack of shit?
Go fucking die somewhere, make the world a better place.
I have proudly featured West many times on my Blog. But Conservatives are not protecting freedom when they vote to take it away.
When I ask if you can name any, I'm not just joking or being a smartass.
I'm genuinely interested in whether he's ever cast a single pro-liberty vote, and if so what it was on.
The only political position I've ever noticed him taking offhand is that he favors stronger government regulation of dog breeders.
This is so sad. I've always liked Allen West. This is whats wrong the the GOP. We need more people like West, and less Beohner.
Geez Tom. Next time just hand over the grenade *with* the pin.
On the one hand, several, on the other, I can think of three important votes that West made that failed the test. The two Jiggles noted and West's blunder (last Spring?) on CISPA.
"Liberty." ...no small issue. Have you written an essay on liberty you'd like to post or link?
Geez, with all the recent rhetoric about the LR Crew standing together against the left, all I see is the same old shit; regulars yelling at each other in the same manner towel snapping gym class, big man on campus types hurl insults at innocent nerdy kids.
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