Posted on 09/04/2014 5:19:59 AM PDT by cotton1706
Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts survived a competitive Republican primary, but it looks like his toughest race is still to come. Democrat Chad Taylor dropped out of the race Wednesday, leaving independent Greg Orman as the senator’s main challenger and completely changing the math of the race.
A spectacular confluence of events has built the credible scenario that a Republican could lose a U.S. Senate race in Kansas. Roberts is a long-time incumbent who doesn’t live in or regularly return to his home state. He faces a credible and well-funded independent candidate who is striking all the right tones in his message and doesn’t have a legislative record to be picked apart. And GOP Gov. Sam Brownback has fanned the flames of a long-time civil war in the state that is rallying some Republicans against establishment figures within their own party.
For a little bit of a review, the Republican primary was the senator’s first real race in decades. Roberts needed outside help to ramp up his campaign operation to get to something even close to a 21st century effort. And even though physician Milton Wolf ended up being a flawed challenger and he failed to rally the biggest, anti-establishment outside groups to his cause, Roberts still only won, 48 percent to 41 percent, in the August 5 primary.
But what might have been more stunning than the result was what Roberts’ long-time campaign manager Leroy Towns told The Wichita Eagle after the race was over. “He went back home for two days or three to rest. I think he’s going to come back here the first of next week,” said Towns, referencing Roberts’ home in Virginia. T
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.rollcall.com ...
Anyone who votes for an “independent” is a fool. They’re dems and that’s that.
Seriously. Just like in MS, protect your buddies no matter how long past their prime they are and, no matter what, keep out new blood and new ideas.
Democrats in LA don’t care if Landreau doesn’t live in their state, so why should Republicans care about that in KS? After all, Roberts hasn’t lived there in decades, and it hasn’t bothered them.
“Seriously. Just like in MS, protect your buddies no matter how long past their prime they are and, no matter what, keep out new blood and new ideas.”
But only if they’re go-along types. McConnell and Co. had no problem pushing Jim Bunning out the door. And now, his replacement, Ron Paul’s son, is solidly in McConnell’s camp. All opposition must be co-opted as Trent Lott said or destroyed.
Trent Lott was the personification of everything that went wrong with the Republican congress after 1994. And the GOP establishment learned nothing from their failures.
“Anyone who votes for an “independent” is a fool. They’re dems and that’s that.”
Has Orman declared which party he will caucus with?
If Roberts loses to an “independent” (read: another DemocRAT), the Rovian RINO GOPe will blame conservatives & the Tea Party movement.
With no term limits and always winning their primary elections these old priveleged fools grasp onto their seats until the grim reaper comes calling. Also tells us that most voters are idiots and/or mindlessly vote for name recognition. Roberts like Cochran should have been retired by now either voluntarily or by the voters.
Scrooge the GOP-e too who pees on their base. Maybe TP candidates should run as Independants.
“If Roberts loses to an “independent” (read: another DemocRAT), the Rovian RINO GOPe will blame conservatives & the Tea Party movement.”
They’re going to do that anyway. Every story about the Tea Party features Sharon Angle, Todd Akin and Christine O’Donnell. But never Pete Hoekstra, Connie Mack, Denny Rehberg, Carly Fiorina, Eric Berg, George Allen, Heather Wilson or Tommy Thompson. Their whole slate went down in flames in 2012 and not a single word about it.
We’re on to their games.
How did you conclude that?
“”””Democrats in LA don’t care if Landreau doesn’t live in their state, so why should Republicans care about that in KS? After all, Roberts hasn’t lived there in decades, and it hasn’t bothered them.””””””””””””””
Democrats in Minnesota don’t care that Franken is a New Yorker. Different rules for different parties.
He has indicated he will caucus with the party who wins the majority. A really principled guy...
Stupid GOP
This Pat Roberts doesn’t even live in Kansas anymore. He lives in Virginia as a part of the permanent ruler class.
It will be super embarrassing to have a rat senator.
To their minds, nothing went wrong. Lott is rich beyond the wildest dreams of his former constituents. The rest are swan diving into their piles of loot like Scrooge McDuck. Even better, the 'Rats are in charge so GOPe don't even have to take responsibility for anything.
GOPe has only 2 objectives.
1. Defeat Tea Party candidates.
2. Lose to Dems.
“Has Orman declared which party he will caucus with?”
“He has indicated he will caucus with the party who wins the majority. A really principled guy...”
Hmm, Should Orman win, he could be the king maker. If the split should be D49 - R50 then if Orman should decide to caucus with the Dem’s it would make the split 50 - 50 giving the tie-breaker vote to good ole “Gaff a Day” Biden, meaning Crazy Harry would maintain the gavel. Not a pleasant prospect. Do you think Orman has a shot at winning?
Orman is a liberal pro-abort Dem.
This author is kicking himself after waking up this morning and finding out that Taylor is back on the ballot. It turns out that Kansas law is very restrictive about what a candidate that wins a primary can do to get his name off the ballot. Dying is one of the valid excuses, so Taylor had better be very careful between now and Election Day.
This has always been a scheme to allow Orman to run as an Independent, but to declare himself a Democrat after the election. It was the only way that they could win, but required a blank line for the Democrat, otherwise Wyandotte County would send all their votes to the phony candidate.
All that said, Roberts is such an arrogant fool. He deserves to win, but we in Kansas have to take one for the team and reelect this dolt.
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