Power And Dollar

A 3 page rescue package became 400 page rescue package.  A lot of improvement?  A lot of pork barrel?  Are the lobbyists now worth the money of the clients?  Who Changed the vote?  Who did not?  Anyway, the bill passed!

There is 1 vacancy in the House.

There are 46 House seats who had a margin of <10% in 2006.  Of the ones who had a margin of greater than 10%, I would consider them as safe seats.  There was 1 abstain in the first vote who had a safe seat. 

The Representatives who are in close contests have no little choice.  They have to respond to their constituents’ pressure of the day. 

If you think the Republicans were dissatisfied about spending money to bailout, you may expect them to continue to vote no.  Or even some of them would change from YES to NO.  Well, this is not quite the case.  They are the ones who really changed their vote this time.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The Republicans held the biggest swing block.  Either voters’ sentiment alone was unable to swing these safely seated Republicans to change their vote or these Representatives were actually following their constituents’ pressure to vote NO.  So, the only way to get them change was to buy them over.  Thus, the new spendings.  Since House majority belong to the Democrats, less incentives were provided to the Democrat Noers. 

The biggest losers are the Democrats who were on safe seats and voted YES initially.  They had nothing to gain whatsoever. 

The biggest winners of the second vote are these NtoYer Republicans.  They are the ones who made the difference, either by the new spending or they suddenly “realized” the importance of the bailout.  Ideology is great, as long as you are ready, able and willing to compromise your ideology!