Absent that, you just aren't going to do better than a Brown, Romney or Ayotte in Red England.
LePage was barely elected in 2010 and would have lost a two-way race. But in 2014 while running for reelection he got 48% and was 5 points ahead of the rat. I think he still would have won a two-way race, ALL of the Cutler vote wouldn’t have gone rat. So someone more conservative than Susan Collins can win in Maine, narrowly, under the right circumstances. I think LePage should challenge Angus Queen in 2018.
Back to NH, which is the least liberal New England State. Ayotte seems to be about the same ideologically as the man she replaced, Judd Gregg. She’s certainly much better than Susan Collins. Given the circumstances, NH is lucky to have her rather than a rat or a Collins/Snowe type RINO (Scott Brown was better than those 2)
Someone a bit more conservative than Ayotte could win in NH, Sununu was more conservative than her and would have been reelected in 2008 if it wasn’t a rat landslide year. Also it’s important to remember Ayotte was something of a mystery before her election. Opinions of her here on FR varied from “New England Palin” to “Worse than Snowe” turns out she’s “Judd Gregg changed genders”.
The cupboard is pretty bare in NH, no one of consequence will oppose her in the primary, if such a person even exists at the moment. Some weak Christine O’Donnell type would be slaughtered in a general election even if they were capable of a primary upset, which is unlikely. So the choice is clear, her or a 100% Marxist rat. Easy friggin choice for me. Backing some “tea party” Realtor or something would be foolish. Conservatives hunting for RINO hides should look elsewhere.
I have a worse choice personally in Illinois than those in NH do. Mark Kirk might be is the second or third worst Republican in the Senate (He and Lisa Murkowsi are right behind Collins). But compared to my other Senator and my Congressman he’s a brick of GD gold, SOB actually votes my way roughly half the time as opposed to NEVER. And the chances of improving upon him are slim to none. So faced with reality, would I rather have that commie *itch fake war hero Tammy Duckworthless who makes me sick every time I see her? Hell to the no.
Some FRiends will never vote for Kirk and I respect that. Anyone who wouldn’t vote for Ayotte though is a shortsighted fool in my opinion. If she’s their cuttoff point for “unacceptable” then they’re asking for a Senate with a veto proof rat majority.
About MA, I was disappointed Romney only just slightly improved on McPain’s performance, Scott Brown could have won if it didn’t to rely on quite so many crossover voters. That fugly comminist Warren would have gotten creamed in NH and would have lost in ME or CT.
GOP POTUS vote in MA seems pretty stagnant (or stable if you want to call it that), little deviation in the last 3 elections.