September 14, 2011 05:37 PM UTC

Dems Smacked By Weiner?

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• by: Colorado Pols

Potentially ominous for Democrats, or not, depending on who you talk to–CNN:

In a huge upset that few would have predicted just months ago, a Republican won a special election in a heavily Democratic district in New York for the seat of former Rep. Anthony Weiner.

Republican Bob Turner won the special election Tuesday in 9th Congressional District, defeating Democrat David Weprin after a heated, summer-long race that ignited Democratic fears of a quiet election morphing into a referendum on the party and President Barack Obama, ahead of next year’s elections.

“We’ve asked the people of this district to send a message to Washington, and I hope they hear it loud and clear,” Turner said at his election party in Queens with a packed room, many of them Orthodox Jews.

“Mr. President, you are on the wrong track.”

Our inbox is filling up with post-game analysis, we’ll turn it over to our readers without prejudice. Was this Republican victory driven by a unique district–overwhelmingly Democratic registration, but swingable due to a large “single issue” community? Was it an ongoing reaction to Rep. Anthony Weiner’s disgrace? A poorly organized Martha Coakley-style effort by Democrats?

Or do we lay this at the feet of President Barack Obama like Rep.-elect Turner says?