More good news from next door

Not only did the state next door just elect another Democratic Governor and two Democrats over Republican incumbents for Congress, and pull off a historic first: the first state to have a female Governor and an all-female Congressional delegation — it also produced a remarkable turnover in the state legislature.

The House, which had a Republican supermajority, will now have a Democratic majority, and the formerly one-sided Senate will have an even split (or nearly so).

The Republicans had achieved a massive victory in 2010 as you may recall, with only Democratic Governor John Lynch holding the fort against the legions of Legislative loonies. And loonies there were plenty. And they made the Republican brand so toxic that they’re being blamed for the GOP’s reversals this year.

Many of the looniest were sent packing on Tuesday, including Robert Kingsbury, the guy who wanted every new legislative bill to cite precedent from the Magna Carta, was convinced that kindergarten causes crime because kids are taken away from their moms too soon, and believed that statehood for the District of Columbia would increase New Hampshire’s crime rate by 25% because who the f*ck knows.

After the jump: Birthers, knives in the capitol, and the Top Crazy in exile.

Also deservedly losing was Henry Accornero, who sought a special state commission to formally charge President Obama with treason and who, along with fellow loser Susan DeLemus, wanted the NH ballot commission to remove Obama from the state ballot because, y’know, Kenya.

And let’s not forget Jenn Coffey, who moved to NH as part of the Free State movement, backed Ron Paul for President, and wanted people to be able to carry guns and knives into the Statehouse.

The ringleader of this legislative circus was deeply conservative Speaker Bill O’Brien, who ruled his majority with an iron fist; he’s been called a “dictator,” a “tyrant,” and a “clown” — by members of his own caucus.

He became the symbol for Republican overreach, and proved to be an albatross around the neck of any Republican running for office in the state. He’ll be back in the Legislature next year, but he’ll be exiled to the back benches — his own public little Elba.  

3 thoughts on “More good news from next door

  1. I think the local-level disgust with the worst of the Tea Party/Free-Staters actually helped the “middle” of the ticket…the congressional races were not nearly as close as they could have been.

    My district, by nature 75% Republican, voted out the “5th most conservative rep in NH” (Paul Ingbretson) while a second moderate Republican ran unopposed.  The difference was 75 votes. The passion at the voting lines was for the local and presidential races; the middle of the ticket benefited from those coat-tails.

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