County by County tea leaves, 2010 edition
Power Grid
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:25:00
Extispicy is the name for the study of slaughtered animal entrails to divine the future.
Fortunately for PETA and other animal lovers, the practice died out in ancient Rome, leaving modern political analysts to study numbers and maps to predict future events in place of sheep livers and bull intestines.
The results of this past election have been widely interpreted as problematic for the Democrats, who hold a majority of the state’s congressional seats, the governor’s office and control both houses of the Legislature. Republican gains in Westchester and Nassau in particular have emboldened the GOP and left Democrats sweating over their prospects in 2010.
But many of the hyper-local, under-the-radar races across the state may actually provide a more complete picture of what lies before both parties going into next year. Republicans picked up a number of county legislative seats in Western New York and the Hudson Valley, casting doubt over the political futures of Democrats representing those regions. Meanwhile, Democrats snatched several county legislative seats in Central New York, which could mean both good news for Democrats in Congress and not-so-good news for State Senate Republicans.
While Democrats were only able to pick up one seat at a time in several county races, Republicans made huge gains in several races, including Dutchess, Niagara and Orange counties.
No animals were harmed in the creation of this map.
Fortunately for PETA and other animal lovers, the practice died out in ancient Rome, leaving modern political analysts to study numbers and maps to predict future events in place of sheep livers and bull intestines.
The results of this past election have been widely interpreted as problematic for the Democrats, who hold a majority of the state’s congressional seats, the governor’s office and control both houses of the Legislature. Republican gains in Westchester and Nassau in particular have emboldened the GOP and left Democrats sweating over their prospects in 2010.
But many of the hyper-local, under-the-radar races across the state may actually provide a more complete picture of what lies before both parties going into next year. Republicans picked up a number of county legislative seats in Western New York and the Hudson Valley, casting doubt over the political futures of Democrats representing those regions. Meanwhile, Democrats snatched several county legislative seats in Central New York, which could mean both good news for Democrats in Congress and not-so-good news for State Senate Republicans.
While Democrats were only able to pick up one seat at a time in several county races, Republicans made huge gains in several races, including Dutchess, Niagara and Orange counties.
No animals were harmed in the creation of this map.
