Posted on 07/22/2010 4:25:20 AM PDT by iowamark
The 11th Congressional District of North Carolina is one of the most closely contested districts in the state, and one could wind up in the Republican column come November. After voting in favor of the job-killing cap and trade bill, incumbent Democrat Heath Shuler will have a tough time proving to his constituents that he has stuck to his “conservative Democrat” title and not conformed to the job-crushing, tax increasing liberal agenda.
His Republican competition, Jeff Miller, has not only won numerous awards for his service to the community, but his ideals are more in line with what constituents expect from government, such as stopping the increasing government spending and stopping a government healthcare takeover. With a strong challenger, Shuler is in for a tough fight to retain his House seat this fall.
Located in western North Carolina and encompassing the city of Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains, this mainly rural area is one of the nation’s most competitive districts, shown by the ten year timeframe when five of the six incumbents were not elected back into office. Due to Shuler’s weak showing in the Democratic primary and Miller’s impressive victory despite a very crowded ballot, this lack of incumbent retention should be a trend again when Shuler faces Miller in November.
Heath Shuler once seemed to be a conservative Democrat, having strong opinions against illegal immigration and gun control, but then he showed his true colors when he voted against the will of his constituents and for the liberal agenda Pelosi in supporting the cap and trade bill. This bill will not only increase energy prices, but will result in heavy job cuts and salary decreases for millions of Americans. Believe it or not, this isn’t the only time Shuler has ignored constituents and done something to promote his own well being. Several times he has been under fire from his constituents and the House Ethics committee regarding his involvement in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s consideration of a land swap. Constituents in the 11th District of North Carolina cannot afford to trust a man who will put his own interests first and vote for a bill that will cause tax hikes and enormous long term consequences.
Jeff Miller is a dedicated North Carolinian, born and raised. Not only is he a strong advocate for veterans, he has won awards for his honoring of them, including the Presidential Citizens Medal. Jeff he founded Honor Air, a nonprofit organization that flies thousands of World War II Veterans to D.C. to see the World War II memorial. Unlike Shuler, Miller doesn’t support the job-crushing, tax increasing cap and trade bill and proposes a “comprehensive energy policy that focuses on freeing America from dependence on foreign oil.” Coming from a long line of family businessmen, Miller knows a thing or two about service and he will continue to do so in Congress.
In a year where the Republicans have a strong advantage to take back the House, there is no better place to start than North Carolina’s 11th. In this region where the Cook PVI rating is R+6 and McCain won 52% of the vote despite Obama’s winning the state, there is a path to victory. Shuler has already proved that he follows the Pelosi agenda rather than the will of his constituents, and the voters need someone who will listen to their concerns and take their interests to heart.
North Carolina voters can make that switch by electing Jeff Miller to Congress and taking back a Republican seat. I hope you’ll check out Jeff’s website, as well as his Facebook and Twitter pages, for the latest news and updates this race.
Heath Shuler is a high profile target and Miller should run a better campaign than the last guy, who pretty much blew the election off. However, this article ignores some strong points for Shuler. He voted against the stimulus and against the health care bill. He’s strongly pro gun. His problems in the primary came from the left when the far left supporters of a single payer health care system abandoned him. They probably won’t even vote in the general election and many conservatives in the district (I live in his district) are content with his record. The only poll I have seen ws one conducted by Miller’s team and it had them trailing Heath by a margin outside the margin of error. The good news was that Heath polled less than 50%.
Miller certainly needs money for his campaign. He does have a chance here but it will be a tough fight. Heath isn’t dead in the water and Miller needs all the help he can get. If you click on the link in the first post you’ll get to Miller’s website and a link allowing you to contribute. $25 bucks (or more) would be great.
So if he wins, Congress will have two Jeff Millers.
And he voted for Nancy Pelosi to be Speaker of the House.
That's why I don't vote for democRats.
Ever.
(And therefore occasionally vote for the looneytarian, or for nobody.)
That was just used as an example to show why he’s no pushover, even in this relatively conservative district. He’ll be able to run on his record and it sounds pretty good to the casual listener. Even an independent.
Notice how the article focused in on the cap and trade issue? That’s because it really is the issue that he’s vulnerable on, unlike a lot of other Dem candidates who did vote for health care and the stimulus.
Republicans need to be able to distinguish themselves from these folks ... "Yeah, his record isn't horrible, but look: Here, here, and here, he's gone wrong and this is how I'll get it right." Cap and Trade is one good example.
For me, at least, leadership and procedural votes count.
FReeper Congressman Billybob should be representing this district.
He said sometime back he wouldn’t be running anymore.
I could have done an excellent job in office. But, frankly, I was not a competent candidate. I can, at least, stand as an object lesson for others to do better.
John / Billybob
It takes a lot of stupidity to fail in Washington twice, in two different professions. And Heath Shuler did just that.
Miller would make a great Congressman. But alas, he is not a sports "hero" like Heath Shuler who only talks the walk, but does indeed talk it well - and in a crunch he can always be counted on to be in Pelosi's pocket.
It will be a close election even though the District generally leans Republican.
Yep,unfortunately, it looks like one must realistically have a shot at raising a million dollars to have a chance.
Another “conservative” that needs to be thrown the hell out of office.
He VOTED FOR PELOSI for House Speaker. That should be enough reason alone to toss his ass!
You may not be a competent candidate, but you’re an excellent didact. It’s a sad commentary on the voting public that they’re unimpressed by such as you.
Shuler is from my mother’s home town, Bryson City, and I believe he has some strength in this district. It won’t be easy to unseat him. There’s a strong tendency to believe the current democratic party is the old conservative democratic party of Truman. Things change slowly in mountains, and folks are born into political parties the same way they’re born into religious denominations.
I wouldn’t underestimate Shuler, a sports hero who at the time was seen as a good Christian role model.
Someone really needs to show that Pelosi permitted Shuler to vote no on health care once it was clear she wouldn’t need his vote. This is proven by a number of his “studying the situation” statements during that period of head-counting.
It’s obvious now that obamacare is pro-abortion.
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