“A Republican hasn’t won in the NE since maybe GHWB.”
It’s true, the landscape in politics have shifted quite a bit in the last century. Reagan once won Massachusetts and before that the South use to vote Democratic. Now the only Northeast state a Republican has a chance of winning is NH. MA, NY, NJ, RI, CT, VT will all go (D) no matter who is the nominee.
Not quite so finished as that teddyballgame, the Republican challenger who came the closest to winning in 06 was in NJ against Bob Melendez in NJ.
So it may still be possible, and NY as well, but both just for Jooles, that name recognition up there is worth millions in Ad money already.
IMO, that is one of the reasons that some RNC types have their hearts set on Jooles, he may keep the Republican party in the NE from going extinct.