Posted on 10/23/2008 7:13:22 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia
While control of Congress certainly will not shift back to the Republicans, the sixty vote threshold in the Senate for breaking the perpetual Republican filibuster is within reach for the Democrats, although it is still a long reach.
One contest the Democrats probably have to win if they are to reach filibuster-proof status is the race between two-term incumbent Republican Gordon Smith and his Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley in Oregon, a state where Barack Obama holds a consistent and wide lead over John McCain in the polls.
The popularity of Obama in Oregon has not been lost on Smith. "Smith isn't just running away from President Bush in his bid for a third six-year term in the Senate," wrote AP writers Matthew Daly and Brad Cain, "he's practically leaping into the arms of Barack Obama and other Democrats."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.aol.com ...
Can he join the democrats where he belongs?
I don’t care how Gordon Smith wins, as long as he wins. One more GOP senator to hold a filibuster.
It’s not that he’s running from the publican party...
it’s that he’s running to the democrat party.
Smith was running before Obama came on the scene.
The msm would have us believe it’s all for the love of O.
Well, he has an American Conservative Union score in the 70s. He’s no Jeff Sessions, but he’s better than a Rat.
I really don’t get the fascination with Obama in Oregon. I’m partly convinced that Pac NWers see him as some exotic man fighting against the power system—namely because they have so incredibly few blacks in the region.
I talked to a lot of people in Washington state, and you might be surprised how many said they supported Obama because “it was time for a black man to be president.” Lame.
Oh dear, I’ve got a choice between a Democrat and a wannabe-Democrat on my ballot. Whatever shall I do?
then let him lose
please
republicans who run like democrats, lose
democrats who run like republicans, win
I think the salvation of conservatism no longer lies in the republican party, it lies in the democrat party if some honestly conservative democrats can be elected (big IF I know)
That is an interesting observaton. The roots of the Democrat party are extremely states-rights, populist, and conservative. I wonder what would happen if all the conservatives defected en masse and showed up at Dem party precinct meetings. There would be hysterics, for sure. The big problem would be that the Dem party bosses rule that party with an iron hand. It is EXTREMELY difficult for grass roots change to happen because of the “super delegates” and the role of the party leaders in framing the platform.
That said, I think the republicans are the 21st century Whigs. We need to sweep them out and find another car to drive.
Gordon Smith is a cousin to the Udall’s. Relly, what would one expect?
in 2006, chafee and dewine lost, giving your point credence.
But so did Santorum and Allen, neither of whom were running like Democrats. So your point is not always correct.
Smith could well be toast. But a lot of it is his own fault. Like so many RINOs, he has over-calculated a bad hand, and jumped into the hands of an enemy that hates his guts.
I can hardly stomach voting for G.Smith. Actually I didnt’ in the last election; I knew he was going to win so I voted for Mabon who is a nut.
This time I supposed I’ll have to vote for Smith, sickening.
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