Posted on 08/08/2013 6:02:11 AM PDT by cotton1706
Some of the GOP's most senior senators made it on the National Journal's list of "Top 10 lawmakers who could lose a primary next year."
Minority leader Mitch McConnell, South Carolina's Lindsey Graham and Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi have been officially marked as "in danger" by the website, along with Idaho Republican Rep Mike Simpson and Democrat Brian Schatz from Hawaii.
McConnell, the 71-year-old Senate stalwart who entered the chamber in 1985, faces tea partier Matt Bevin in the primary, with Alison Lundergan Grimes running as a Democrat.
His campaign manager Jesse Benton has boasted "there is absolutely no risk to Sen. McConnell in a primary" but even with nearly $10 million of campaign funds, McConnell has been tanking in the polls.
Bevin's camp reveled in news that McConnell was included on the list, saying it is a mark of his unpopularity.
"Sen. McConnell is a 30-year career politician ... his long record of putting his own career first is catching up with him," Sarah Durand from Bevin's campaign told the Daily News.
Over in Wyoming, Dick Cheney's daughter Liz carries the weight of her father's name, and benefits from his political connections, which are seen as serious threats to Enzi - a Senator since 1997.
Though he has experience on his side, he hasn't been able to convince donors to fork over the cash and his campaign has a laughable half-million in the bank to fund his re-election race.
Down in the Palmetto State, the 58-year-old Graham is increasingly seen as Republican-lite given his support for Obama's immigration reform.
Contenders for the GOP primary in South Carolina now also include Richard Cash and the Citadel's first female grad, Nancy Mace.
And mine!
If this is so....if it really is true that estab incumbents are primary vulnerable in general....and not just in fluke cases....then a huge worm has indeed turned!
I want to see Graham’s primary campaign snuffed out like a nascent weed after having been drenched in a tsunami of concentrated RoundUp....withering in a death spiral within one hour of application and dwindling to a shrunken spineless blob of nothingness. Both he, and McCain, AND Rubio.
This would be monumental. Get these chumps out of there!!
Um, have they seen Liz Cheney’s numbers in WY ? Enzi isn’t going anywhere. WY doesn’t like carpetbagging Virginia liberals.
Ditto, but a note of caution....If these three are indeed defeated (though I highly doubt Liz Cheney is that much of a threat vs. Enzi) the eventual nominees had better be ready for the rhetorical traps in the general election. Most of us were happy to see Richard Lugar fall in the 2012 primary, but we know what happened afterward.
Lindsay is in no danger so long as Democrats are free to cross over and run Operation Chaos for him.
“Um, have they seen Liz Cheneys numbers in WY ? Enzi isnt going anywhere. WY doesnt like carpetbagging Virginia liberals.”
Not the point. Enzi was thought to be a sure thing. Now his candidacy is being severly weakened, which is good because his conservatism has been trending downward.
If the people of Wyoming actually want to be rid of Enzi, but don’t really like Cheney, then some other conservative will may smell the winds and announce for Senate.
The point is to replace these long-serving senators before they turn into Arlen Specters, Richard Lugars, Bob Bennetts or “Shumer’s republicans.”
True.
DSCC officials pushing Tea Party candidate, trying to make trouble for minority leader
http://freebeacon.com/democrats-push-tea-party-primary-challenger-to-mitch-mcconnell/
/johnny
It would be great to send these bastards packing.
Except in WY, that’s not going to happen, not in this cycle. Enzi also hasn’t been “severely weakened”, not with a commanding lead of 54-26% in the most recent poll.
Ideally, Rep. Cynthia Lummis would step up, but that won’t be until either Enzi or Barrasso steps down. The 3rd candidate running against Cheney & Enzi is a Neo-Nazi named Thomas Bleming.
Good! The GOP is useless, unless or until the old guard is replaced.
(Except for the Enzi part. Liz should have run in VA against a Democrat instead.)
“Enzi also hasnt been severely weakened, not with a commanding lead of 54-26% in the most recent poll.”
You may be right on this point, but I think going from sure thing, safe win to all of a sudden expected to lose his primary is a big drop.
I agree. Carpetbagging while pretending to be the more conservative candidate, but actually being the pro-amnesty neocon is very unfortunate IMO. She should have taken her chances with a VA seat for Congress instead.
Yeah, that helps, but Lindsey still needs 50% in a crowded primary.
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