Bradley attributes defeat to national tide
By Brian Lawson, PolitickerNH.com ReporterFormer U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) is blaming a national Democratic tide for his defeat to U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-Rochester).
It was Bradley's second lost to Shea-Porter. In 2006, Shea-Porter pulled off a close upset against Bradley and this time around she beat him by over 20,000 votes.
"It was a nationwide tide against Republicans," Bradley said. "We were blamed for what happened with the economy and obviously other things and people felt the Democrats could bring the kind of change they wanted."
Bradley also said that he does not think his primary against former Health and Human Services Secretary John Stephen (R-Manchester) affected the outcome of his race.
"I would have liked not to have quite the tone in the primary, that I would have done a little differently," Bradley said. "But as I said I'm not sure I could have done anything that differently that would have turned the day around."
Stephen said that he did not want to discuss the primary against Bradley.
"I don't want to reflect on the past, the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror," he said.
Stephen said that the Republican Party should return to a fiscal conservative message. He also said that he thinks Republicans can win in the 1st Congressional District if they focus on that message.
"You will win in New Hampshire in the future if you espouse those values, if you live by that and if you show through your actions that you are standing up for the taxpayers of this country," Stephen said.
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GOP Future
Check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhrvc/ if you are willing to volunteer to help elect principled Republicans. RINOs need not apply.
The GOP doesn't have a future...
...Without the moderates you deride as "RINOs." Part of the reason the Dems have been so successful in winning control of Congress is that they've run candidates like Bob Casey in PA and Jon Tester-- middle-of-the-road folks who may not vote with the party faithful 100 per cent of the time but who will play with the voters.
If you want to marginalize your party, by all means, go ahead... the Dems will be there to pick up the voters you drive away.
Sad Day
When some imply that Jeb Bradley is not a principled Republican it shows the tough road ahead for the GOP. Not only is Jeb principled, but he has been a great public servant in the past. The reason I did not vote for him was because of his Republican principles.
this is exactly
the same excuse Bradley made last time. It must be easier than admitting to himself that he can't beat Carol.
The jerk accepts no blame!
He was PART of the CAUSE of that tide!
Being principled means accepting blame
Did Jeb Bradley run on his record at all? Did he have a record to run on? If you asked 100 first district residents to name a single thing that Jeb Bradley did while in congress, how many could come up with an answer?
That's why you lost, Jeb.
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