Laffey Takes Commanding Lead in Republican U. S. Senate Primary

RHode Island College ^ | Date Posted: August 31, 2006 | Rhode Island College

[goldfinch]

This vast country may not have the human material anymore that's necessary to stay free.

I don't believe that...although I do get discouraged at time. But I am a history buff so I know that most of the time, we have muddled through somehow. It hasn't always been heroic...except in the way enduring is heroic. We have had more bad leaders than great leaders and many more that have just been mediocre.

Maybe it is because I take a long-term view that I am optimistic about this country. I am pushing 60, and this is about as conservative as I have ever seen this country. The Supreme Court is the most conservative it has been in my lifetime...and that is a good thing. Republicans have controlled the House and Senate more in the last two decades than they did in my first 4 decades. Liberals don't want to be called liberals anymore. Multiculturalism and political correctness are starting to loose their appeal. The generation that follows the Baby Boomers are more conservative than the Boomers. The generation behind them will finally restore fiscal responsibility to our government...because they are going to be the ones left holding the bag.

The Democrats were in power from 1932 to 1994...62 years. It will take at least that long to undo the damage they have done. There will be some ups and downs, but nobody ever said it would be easy...but it sure looks brighter than it did in the 30s when FDR was expanding power and during the 60s when LBJ was doing the same.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"How could South Dakota end up with George McGovern and Tom Daschle as Senators?"

I can tell you, at least in the case of Daschle, that his career could've been stopped dead in 1986. The reason why Jim Abdnor and Larry Pressler went down can be answered in 2 words: Bill Janklow. Janklow sabotaged both of the men because he didn't want to share the spotlight with any other Republican in major office in SD. It's no wonder that Daschle appeared as a character witness at his manslaughter trial. And for those that say Janklow was a Conservative and that it's impossible to be a RINO and a Conservative at the same time, I say it is possible. Janklow is living proof of that.

[maxter]

I guess it is all over then.

[maxter]

It's called principle.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Hugh Hewitt has led the fight to DEFEAT CHAFFEE!!! He has said NOT to give money to the Senate Committee...

Is that right? Color me shocked and stunned - sounds like Hugh has done a complete about face the past two years.

Pick up "If Its Not Close, They Can't Cheat" (written right before the '04 election) and you'll see what I mean.

Glad to hear it though - very good news.

[Torie]

If this poll is accurate, and is realized, the seat goes from toss-up to safe Dem. Along with Allen's problems in Virginia, the chances of a Dem takeover of the Senate are up to near 50%, with the only offsetting factor, a recent poll showing Kean in NJ moving into a narrow lead.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Actually, even Hewitt is onboard to throw Chafee overboard.

Thanks SS - that was pointed out to me by someone else on the board as well. I never thought I would see the day when Hugh would turn on any GOP incumbent for any reason.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

You meant to say "Keeping the national GOP the hell out of primaries THAT I WANT THEM TO STAY OUT OF would be another postive step "

You have no idea what the hell you are talking about. Find any post in my history where I wanted the GOP to intervene in ANY primary. If you can't, then withdraw your false statement.

Frankly more than a few freepers are saying "stay out of the primaries" and also saying "why the hell did the national gop not intervene in florida and get Harris out and another credible candidate in.

I could care less about Florida - if Harris won the primary, she should be the candidate. Maybe, just maybe, the GOP establishment rallying to defeat her in any way possible caused the grassroots to rally around her. Maybe the action of the GOP caused a backlash which resulted in a poor candidate being nominated.

Maybe, just maybe, they should have stayed the hell out of it.

HYPOCRISY REIGNS EVEN FOR FR.

A shouted run-on sentence to close - you're quite clever.

[goldfinch]

I don't really see where a Democratic Senate would be much different than what we have now.

Yep. I can see a Democrat Senate approving Alito and Roberts. And it sure would be fun to watch the Senate investigate every action of the White House and the War on Terror. It doesn't matter what they found. It is all that would be on the news every day. The end result could be decades of being in the minority. And if that happens, you can kiss goodbye any chance at getting control of the borders.

And that is a brilliant plan on how to handle a potential Ginsberg resignation. Just don't fill the spot. Do not take advantage of having a Republican president who has a good record of appointing conservative judges. Leave it open so Hillary (or whoever) can fill it in 2008. Brilliant. Absolutely Brilliant.

In fairness, I think we are probably coming at this from different places. I spent 40 years watching the country, controlled by the Democrats, slide farther and farther to the left. I know well the powerlessness of being in the minority. People who have come of age since the Republicans have been in power tend to get disgusted when things don't move in the direction they want as fast as they want them to so they say there is no difference between the parties. They think that having Republicans in power is the natural order of things. It is not.

The facts of the matter are that you and I are more conservative than most people. Most people will never be comfortable with the positions you and I are comfortable with. Just accept that. We can start to move them back to the right...but only if we maintain power. And we will not maintain power by electing Democrats.

[AuH2ORepublican]

If you were counting on Chafee beating Laffey and then Whitehouse for the Republicans to have 50 Senators, then you already thought that the Democrats would win the Senate. Chafee's chances of beating Laffey in the primary have always been below 50% (I think he was a fool not to run as an independent), and Chafee would also be the underdog against Whitehouse in the general (although, admittedly, not as much of an underdog as Laffey would be). And if Chafee did manage to win, he would almost certainly switch to the Democrats if it would give them control of the Senate, so if Chafee wins the GOP needs to have at least 50 other Senators to hold the Senate.

As for Allen, if he is still up by a few points in polls taken while he was being railed in the media for his "macaca" comment, I think he'll win by at least 10%.

And Kean taking the lead isn't the only recent bright spot for the GOP in Senate races; Talent appears to have taken the lead as well, and both Stabenow and Cantwell are looking very weak. And just today a poll came out showing Mfume beating Cardin by 4% in the MD Democrat primary; if Mfume gets the nod, Michael Steele will be a slight favorite in the general election (Steele would be a slight underdog against Cardin).

[AuH2ORepublican]

If Chafee was the 50th Republican, it *would* be a Democrat Senate, because he'd switch in a nanosecond. And even if Chafee was just bluffing when he said he'd switch and he actually stayed a RINO, it wouldn't help us much with the next Alito, since Chafee actually voted *against* Alito (the only "Republican" to do so). Chafee doesn't help us at all.

[goldfinch]

It's called principle.

IMO, the Democrats are a danger to my country. My principles call for me to put my country above my differences with a particular Republican and vote to keep Republican control of the Senate. To do otherwise might be personally satisfying, but would betray a higher principle.

[phillyfanatic]

You know if this true, at least Laffey will give a great account of himself and his conservative philosophy. He will lose in RI , which is a huge Dem-left state but my guess is , he will make a splash nevertheless. And it may begin to change the internals of the RI GOP which is a country club party and needs badly to Reaganize.

[WOSG]

how will laffey do in the general?

[goldfinch]

What is dangerous to our country are Republicans who act like Democrats. It is time to clean the RINO house and let the chips fall where they may.

Not to worry. If you get your way, those 'dangerous' Republicans will be out of power and won't be able to do any damage at all. Those wonderful, strong on defense Democrats will be in charge. Enjoy those chips.

[staytrue]

If RI is so liberal and so heavily democrat, why have they been electing a Republican for years? Granted, he is a liberal pubbie, but he is a pubbie. Why? Could it be that the people want a real republican, but the GOP keeps getting in the way and propping up Chafee?

Chaffee keeps getting elected because they like his dad.

Maybe you would like to explain why conservative Blackwell is running 25 points behind "rino" Dewine ?

I say the conservative idiots have not made their case to the american people and look like whiney losers when they say "why oh why do the idiot american people keep electing rinos"

[Soul Seeker]

Yeah, but Hugh's pretty easy to figure out.

There are certain "rules" Northeartern Republicans are to abide by. Chafee has broken every one of them with the announcement that he wouldn't vote for Bush being the one that is least tempered by time. Had he simply refrained from a declaration of how he'd vote? He wouldn't have recieved near the amount of heat from Hewitt.

Hugh's a party guy first.

Conservatism is his luxury.

When the two clash, he chooses the establishment. Miers...Illegal immigration..etc... I think he did break over Dubai? But he was trying to re-establish the conservative creds he trashed by shilling for Miers.

Anyway, while Chafee has offended conservatives he's also offended the establishment devottees. And that can be fatal to a political career to do both.

I do read Hewitt's site for the interviews, and he has a nice little litany of sentences he advertises the GOP adopt as a model..ones I actually agree with. But then I read a number of sites. Redstate, Instapundit, used to read Powerline but they are starting to grate on my nerves, Kaus, Polipundit, National Review, RCP's, Spectator's blog and CFG's blog, just to name a few. Some I identify with, others I find the analysis to be more correct as events play out then not, NRO as an example is a good line into the chatter in the Beltway. Helps understand our politicians mindset. My favorite? RightWingNews.

[staytrue]

The GOP has (thankfully) shifted from the New England elitists like Jeffords, Chafee, et al and has moved toward George Allen/ Mel Martinez style of republicanism.

In case you have not noticed, the right wing moonbats on FR do not like Allen or Martinez either. Actually, I don't think they like anyone except tancredo.

[Torie]

RI and Virginia in tandem causes the change. I think Virginia is basically a tossup, and that Allen might lose. That pic with Allen with the white supremicists, is going to damage him in the DC burbs area, and elsewhere, I suspect. That combined with the macaca remark, may well cause some to connect the dots as they think appropriate. I don't see Maryland going GOP, unless the Dem candidate performs poorly after the primary in presenting himself. I just don't. So assuming NJ stays Dem, and I think Kean has a real chance, maybe a 35%-40% chance, we have Penn and RI likely lost, and Montana not there yet, but close to it, with Missouri skin tight (I agree that the Dem has flaws), Virginia a real problem, and Tenn somewhat in play - it remains to be seen, I see the Dems as up to about 45% odds in getting five seats. You are right, that getting six seats, that the odds are lower. That might be around 33%. In any event, the over under is around just over 4 seats IMO.

[WOSG]

Tell the idiots at NSRC to save their frickin'
money for a real Republican in need, like Santorum, Talent ... and Minnesota race.