Tuesday Matters

Tuesday Matters

With several high profile races on the Rhode Island ballot this year - U.S. Congress, Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Mayor of Providence - the mood of the voters may very well determine the winners in those contests.

Besides the occasional poll and the anecdotal jibber-jabber on blogs, talk radio and the opinion page, the best indicator of voter sentiment is often other elections in other states.  See Scott Brown and how his come-from-behind victory changed the national conversation about the incumbent versus the outsider.

That's why today matters for Rhode Island candidates.

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There are intensely competitive Senate races in three states:

• the Tea Party versus Republican Senate Minority Leader McConnell (Paul v. Grayson, respectively, in the Kentucky Republican Primary);
• the netroots and labor versus President Obama (Halter v. Lincoln, respectively, in the Arkansas Democratic Primary); and
• the netroots and labor versus President Obama (Sestak v. Specter, respectively, in the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary). 

In addition, there is a special election to fill the seat of the late Congressman John Murtha in Pennsylvania which has long been a Democratic stronghold but is now labeled a toss-up between Republican Tim Burns and Democrat Mark Critz. 

Conventional wisdom says that all incumbents are in trouble this year - whether Republican or Democrat.  Voters are unhappy at the state of the economy and the partisanship in Washington.  Will that narrative continue to stay true?  How will that impact current elected officials and party insiders on the ballot in Rhode Island this year like David Cicilline, Bill Lynch, David Segal, John Loughlin, Patrick Lynch, Frank Caprio, Elizabeth Roberts, Peter Kilmartin, Steven Costantino, John Lombardi and incumbents in the General Assembly?

Stay tuned.  Democracy is in progress.