Moore def. Riley, Moore def. Baxley... GOP hold. What a shame about Riley. Some talk that Don Singleterm wants a Secondterm. Baxley will stomp him in the primary.
"Alaska -- The Democrats may not have a candidate, and Murkowski's unpopularity may subside, but if anyone has proven they can screw the pooch it's Frank."
I think he will win, but by a decidedly unspectacular margin. Even better if he steps down and allows a Loren Leman-Sarah Palin ticket.
"Arizona -- Napolitano may be going down :)"
May may be the key word. Will J.D. Hayworth be too "Rush Limbaugh" for Arizona voters ? I still think she may hold it narrowly.
"Arkansas -- We can probably hold this with social moderate Win"
Win Paul just has too much money to lose either the primary or the general. He's avenging dad, but I still wish he or Huckabee had taken on Barbie Lambert-Lincoln (sic).
"California -- Arnold again, whoopee. Hopefully McClintock and some other statewide offices though."
I hope McClintock gets the Lt Gov nod, then Ah-nold can resign and go make "Terminator 4" and a final "Conan" movie.
"Colorado -- Coffman/McInnis vs. Udall? We should hold this too."
I'm beginning to get really pissed at McInnis for not running for the Senate, so just for that, I'm rooting for Mike Coffman. But with the state GOP in such turmoil, Udall might have a better shot than we think (hell, if they could elect that kook Dick Lamm to THREE terms... !).
"(Connecticut) Jodi Rell -- nice little liberal should be popular with voters"
*Sigh* Dick Blumenthal must be gnashing his teeth. He's probably praying Lieberman succeeds Rumsfeld as DefSec.
"Florida -- Crist good, Gallagher okay, Jennings bad"
I've heard some grumbling about Crist. I think Gallagher may be the safest bet. But who will the 'Rats run ?
"Georgia -- Perdue has settled in okay but Taylor and Cox are popular"
There's some people around here on FR who really HATE Sonny Perdue. But it's hard to ignore the sweeping GOP victories on his watch. He's earned a 2nd term. If the 'Rats nominate head twit Mark Taylor, it may be a rout. Taylor hasn't stopped crying since November '02.
"Hawaii -- we'll see if Lingle can hold on"
She's badly got to work on party-building. The GOP was in better shape under her 'Rat predecessor.
"Idaho -- looks like Butch Otter"
Butch has been waiting almost 30 years for the job. The current Lt Gov is also mentioned as a candidate, but he is an enemy of Dirk Kempthorne's.
"Illinois -- Blago is an idiot, but who we got? Lahood? Good grief!"
As long as we get LaThug the hell out of the House, it's a positive. Pete Fitzgerald might even jump in, otherwise I'd probably prefer Joe Birkett. I still think Blag will get a 2nd term, though. Given the mess the state GOP is in, we don't deserve to be put in charge of bubkas.
"Iowa -- Governor Nussle!!!"
Fingers crossed. Hope we can hold his House seat... and lastly, let's hope he doesn't go all Bob Riley on us.
"Kansas -- odds of the KS GOP getting their act together?"
Jerry Moran is the most unifying figure, but KS residents may still opt to keep Gilligan-Sebelius for a 2nd term.
"Maine -- sleeper race, if we had a candidate"
The 'Rats have ME by the balls. We can go back to a very unblissful sleep on this one.
"Maryland -- Ehrlich is in serious danger"
O'Malley is serious whackjob. Now, if only we can get him to open up his feelings about Black people a la Howard Dean...
"Massachusetts -- I can't imagine what Romney is thinking running around like he's gonna run for president. How many times can the Rats screw this one up?"
I can't imagine what sane Republican would want to be a Governor of MA with no Republican party. He may win again, but does it really matter ?
"Michigan -- longshot"
Maybe not as long as we think. Let's hope Valde Garcia can send Jenny Grandstand back to Canuckistan.
"Minnesota -- looking good for Pawlenty, unless he gets Hatch"
If Pawlenty gets back some of our lost legislative seats, I think he should be considered a prime contender for the VP slot (with Condi as #1, of course... ;-))
"Nebraska -- Heineman or whoever"
Republicans can hold this seat with their eyes closed. But who the hell is going to run against Ben Nelson if he won't switch ? Coach Osborne ?
"Nevada -- moderate GOPer will likely win -- Sandoval? at least he's Hispanic"
Jim Gibbons wants this office even more badly than I want Katie Holmes spread eagle butt-nekkid across my sleeper sofa. He should be amptly rewarded for giving the U.S. 6 more years of Harry Reid. Lorraine Hunt, the Lt Gov, should get the nod. If Oscar Goodman decides to fight for it, this could get ugly in the general.
"New Hampshire -- Benson and Kerry's minions screwed us in 2004, now I don't know if we can get it back"
Bruce Keough, Bruce Keough, Bruce Keough, and did I mention Bruce Keough ? I think Lynch was a fluke win because Benson never enjoyed much popularity.
"New Jersey -- we have a couple months to try to beat Corzine. Fat chance."
I predict another scandal in the future... Corzine is going to be caught in bed having sex with his own money.
"New Mexico -- ain't gonna win this"
The big race will be if Heather Wilson can take Bingaman's Senate seat (and then get John Sanchez to take her House seat).
"New York -- gonzo"
Hey, just look at the bright side... Sue Spitzer might force Senate Republicans to grow a pair. After 12 years, it would be a refreshing change.
"Ohio -- Blackwell could be our star"
Unfortunately, some RINOs would like to hang him from a tree. Ken will be the best thing to happen to Ohio since Robert Taft, Sr. Let's get down on our knees and pray that Jerry Springer gets the 'Rat nod (since Blackwell served with him and had to clean up Jerry's mess on the Cincy City Council, he should handle him quite well).
"Oklahoma -- calling JC Watts. Hell, why not Nickles?"
Has JC expressed any interest ? I'd just as soon let Lt Gov. Mary Fallin take a swing at Brad Henry (she'd probably be Governor now if she'd been nominated in '02).
"Oregon -- maybe, but who's gonna run? Mannix?"
Despite some grumblings, I don't think he's game for a rematch, besides, he's too busy running the state party. OR is still fairly GOP, but they've been in a slump for way too long. Save for perhaps one of the primary also-rans in '02 (mostly RINOs), I don't know who else might take a swing.
"Pennsylvania -- if someone wants to beat Fast Eddie they need to get it in gear"
I'm backing Lynn Swann at this point. Having African-American Conservative Republicans as Governors of OH & PA will send the 'Rats into epileptic fits.
"Rhode Island -- looking fine"
Now if only we could dump that twit Chafee into Narragansett Bay...
"South Carolina -- Sanford's in great shape"
Invincible. Now if only we could dump Andre Bauer from the #2 slot, he seems to be bad news.
"SoDak -- Rounds is safe"
And he damn well better run against Johnson in '08.
"Tennessee -- not this either, apparently"
As you know, I live here, in the capital city, and I haven't a friggin' clue as to who will run against Pharoah Phil. All of the political oxygen in the state is going to get sucked out by a Bryant-Ford Senate race.
"Texas -- disgraceful that we can't get a potential prez in office here -- but maybe we get Senator Bonilla"
TX is like a whole other country. Just as long as Ma Keeton Rylander Strayhorn Jackson-Lee Richards doesn't get the nomination, we'll be fine.
"Vermont -- Douglas is comfy"
And a gutless wonder. He's too buddy-buddy with Mao-Tse Jeffords to challenge him. Maybe we can look to Brian Dubie to take out the trash.
"Virginia -- Kilgore should be a winner"
Of course, the RINOs cluster-f*cked our guy in '01, and may try it again. Expect a whispering campaign from the supposedly gay-friendly 'Rats that because Jerry talks "funny" he enjoys a festive yule log in his holiday buns.
"Wisconsin -- Mark Green or Scott Walker could well take Doyle out, one of the few races I'm happy about."
You may be even more surprised when Tommy Thompson decides he wants his old job back. But will Green and Walker step out of the way ?
"Wyoming -- another Freudenthal term, then he heads to the Senate?"
Another term perhaps, because the Republicans say he is governing like one of them, but just like with Alaska, you'd have to have merde for brains to send a (D) to Washington. He'll be another Mike Sullivan, he ain't goin' nowhere after Cheyenne.
"If Pawlenty gets back some of our lost legislative seats, I think he should be considered a prime contender for the VP slot (with Condi as #1, of course... ;-)) "
Valde's got to declare he's in first. If he's in, he'll give it his all, I have no doubt about that.
Hoogendyk impressed me at the GOP convention with his announcement speech(and 1/2 of the room was his volunteers). He knows he's a long shot and from what I've seen, he's acting like it. He won't beat himself.
I missed the Nancy Cassis announcement.
Other rumors have possibly Dick DeVos or David Brandon(Dominoes CEO) running.
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On the senate side, we have Bart Baron who is a Buchananite with no party support. In fact he ran as a dem against Joe Knollenberg. Former Detroit City Councilman and current Bishop Keith Butler is also in. He MIGHT be a sleeper. Other names mentioned for his spot are former congressman Nick Smith, Jane Abraham(Spence's wife), and Peter Cummings.
I'm hoping Candice Miller changes her mind, or Mike Rogers jumps in. I think those two are by far our best shots.