Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Franken exit could be game-changer for control of Senate
NBC ^ | 7 Dec 2017 | JONATHAN ALLEN

Posted on 12/07/2017 2:19:29 PM PST by mandaladon

WASHINGTON — Republicans may have just gotten another layer of armor to defend their Senate majority.

Sen. Al Franken's seat wasn't supposed to be up again until 2020. But his announcement Thursday that he was resigning amid allegations of sexual misconduct sets up a 2018 special election in Minnesota. And Republicans, who hold a 52-48 majority, are now on the hunt for a top-tier candidate in a politically competitive state where President Donald Trump lost by less than 2 percentage points last year.

The unexpected opportunity could be a "total game-changer in terms of control of the Senate," said Republican strategist Alex Conant, a Minnesota native who worked in communications roles for the Republican National Committee and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's 2012 presidential campaign. "If," he added, "we field a strong candidate."

Pawlenty, 57, is the dream candidate for the GOP, particularly after former Sen. Norm Coleman, who lost his seat to Franken by a few hundred votes in 2008, said Thursday that he won't run. Pawlenty currently serves as CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable, a Washington lobbying group, and is considered a good bet to raise a lot of money quickly. There was no word from him Thursday.

"Everybody in Minnesota on the Republican side is extremely eager to hear from Tim Pawlenty," said Josh Holmes, a Republican strategist and former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and who is from Minnesota. "He would be a spectacular candidate if he would consider it."

Holmes added that Franken's early departure "shifts the landscape" for control of the Senate.

The counterweight for would-be Republican hopefuls is the expectation that they would be running into a headwind in the first midterm of Trump's presidency.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: 2018midterms; franken; minnesota; mn2018; pawlenty; trump
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-40 next last
For Republicans, Pawlenty is in a class by himself as a potential candidate. But if he doesn't run, former Rep. Michele Bachmann and several members of the current Minnesota delegation in the House, including Erik Paulsen and Tom Emmer, could be attractive alternatives for the GOP.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I would go with Bachmann...
1 posted on 12/07/2017 2:19:29 PM PST by mandaladon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

He’s not resigning. He’s resigning before he’s not resigning. Does that make sense? That’s a politician for ya. Kerryesque.


2 posted on 12/07/2017 2:21:36 PM PST by ichabod1 (Smoke does not mean fire when someone threw a smoke grenade.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

Whoever is appointed to fill out Franken’s term will be the next elected senator(?)


3 posted on 12/07/2017 2:22:48 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

The Republicans may think it could be a “game changer”, but the Democrats think it’s a safe seat or they wouldn’t have had him resign.


4 posted on 12/07/2017 2:24:48 PM PST by libertylover (Kurt Schlicter: "They wonder why they got Trump. They are why they got Trump")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

The Feeding Frenzy has already begun.


5 posted on 12/07/2017 2:26:05 PM PST by lee martell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

MN will have to hold a special election. Assumption would be whoever is appointed interim will be the d candidate but not guaranteed. MN is the bluest of upper Midwest sans IL, however Trump won Election Day voting big time there, only stayed blue due to early voting and not by much.

Could Rs pick it up? Possible depending on who the candidate is... but odds would be it remaining Dem. Will have to wait and see


6 posted on 12/07/2017 2:31:06 PM PST by HamiltonJay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

The Minnesota Governor is a Dem. He will appoint a temp to fill the Franken seat, bet it will be a Dem. An election has to be held in 2018 to elect a permanent replacement. Repubs may have a shot in the 18 election. but until then a Dem will hold the seat.


7 posted on 12/07/2017 2:32:22 PM PST by Bull Snipe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

<>The counterweight for would-be Republican hopefuls is the expectation that they would be running into a headwind in the first midterm of Trump’s presidency.<>

So says NBC. I hope they keep that meme.


8 posted on 12/07/2017 2:34:58 PM PST by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

Well, we have nothing to lose, and they have one seat to lose.

Trump was once a very long shot.


9 posted on 12/07/2017 2:38:01 PM PST by DoughtyOne (McConnell / Ryan: Why pass Cons legislation when we can pass Leftist legislation for Leftists?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Jacquerie

Trump almost won Minnesota didn’t he? Pawlenty? RINO but that’s ok. You take what you can get. Go for it.


10 posted on 12/07/2017 2:38:41 PM PST by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

“Pawlenty? RINO but that’s ok. You take what you can get. Go for it.”

Pawlenty being a RINO is bad. However, look at the Minn seat as a bonus. If Pawlenty runs, he’ll get a lot of his own K Street cash and will force the Dems to defend a seat they can’t afford to defend. At a minimum, it will help make election night 2018 better and could help more conservative candidates in other states.

However, after that, Pawlenty is going to be simply another swamp creature in the Senate. However, I’ll take him over an arbitrary Dem in the Senate. He has moments of clarity here and there ... if the national mood shifts towards conservatism, Pawlenty will help more than he hurts. However, if things remain evenly divided, he’ll be a pain in the ass.


11 posted on 12/07/2017 2:47:37 PM PST by edh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

Also gotta say that I thought for sure Franken was going to stay. I guess they’re adopting a “we fired all of our deviants” strategy ... that’s going to be stupid (which is good for us). Once Moore wins, that whole narrative will go away. They’ll probably try to attack Trump again, but, again, people are only going to roll their eyes as they’ve seen that whole attack already.

The person running the DNC is a bona fide moron. Next year is going to be ridiculously interesting :-).


12 posted on 12/07/2017 2:50:30 PM PST by edh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: All

This is nothing but a Rat trick to stop Moore probably with Mitch in cahoots. If Moore wins l bet Franken doesn’t quit. If Moore loses Franken stays for key votes and is replaced by another worthless punk.


13 posted on 12/07/2017 2:51:16 PM PST by gibsonguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

I would not call this a “game changer”.

It puts one more seat into play.

The Democrats already have 25 seats up for election. The Republicans only 8.

It would be positive for Republicans.


14 posted on 12/07/2017 2:51:34 PM PST by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon
The counterweight for would-be Republican hopefuls is the expectation that they would be running into a headwind in the first midterm of Trump's presidency. Typically, the president's party loses seats in Congress in midterms, and Trump's approval ratings have been mired around the 40 percent mark. Either way, a credible GOP candidate would force Democrats to defend a seat that wasn't even on the map until Franken's Democratic colleagues pushed him to resign.

Hey now. Math is your friend.

Deliver an even bigger majority in 2018 to set up redistricting in 2020.

Here are some real math numbers.

1st. 2018 is not going to end well for them. They have 25 seats up, with 11 vulnerable. Compare that to the Republicans who have only seats up with merely 2 vulnerable.

Let’s just say losing 30% cor the Dems would be a friggin disaster but, not as bad as 2020....more later.

15 posted on 12/07/2017 2:53:25 PM PST by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH-pk2vZG2M)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ichabod1

I’d think Ellison would throw his hat in the ring.


16 posted on 12/07/2017 2:54:03 PM PST by randita (PLEASE STOP ALL THE WORTHLESS VANITIES!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

What exit?

The degenerate has not resigned.


17 posted on 12/07/2017 2:54:41 PM PST by mewzilla (Was Obama surveilling John Roberts? Might explain a lot.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

unless Kid Rock runs.


18 posted on 12/07/2017 2:57:10 PM PST by CJ Wolf (It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: edh
They're already on Trump again. They'll say "our guys resigned so yours has to." Then say nope, bring on the ethics folks and see if anything shakes out. 🍿🍻
19 posted on 12/07/2017 3:00:40 PM PST by rktman (Enlisted in the Navy in '67 to protect folks rights to strip my rights. WTH?!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

If Moore wins Frankin will stay


20 posted on 12/07/2017 3:04:32 PM PST by drypowder
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-40 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson