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Obama setback after Republican wins

Source: The Guardian

Nov 04, 2009

Summary

The Republicans have won the governorship of Virginia and ousted the incumbent Democratic governor in New Jersey

Barack Obama suffered a double blow last night when the Republicans secured stunning victories in the first electoral test since he won the White House a year ago.

The Republicans celebrated a comeback that reverses a trend of Democratic victories stretching back to 2005.

The Republicans won the governorship of Virginia, the state where Obama's victory last year was one of the high points of his campaign. But the surprise of the night was their ousting of the incumbent Democratic governor in New Jersey, traditionally a Democratic bastion.

Although Democratic officials insisted last night the elections had not been a referendum on Obama's presidency, any lingering Democratic euphoria from his win last year has now disappeared. Exit polls showed widespread unhappiness with the continuing weakness of the economy, in particular job shortages, and, to a much lesser extent, concern about Obama's proposed health care reform.

The White House, anticipating tha

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