I got mildly attacked by a couple freepers for daring to suggest Vitter might not be the strongest candidate. Apparently Yankee dogs such as myself should hold their tongue about Southern races on a political discussion forum and “clean up (their) own state first”. :p
A daily Kos “Independent” poll shows Dorgan thwamping (not a word? screw you spell check) Hoeven. Which I don’t buy for a second. Rick Clayburgh we saw almost took out Pomeroy in 2002.
Sheets Byrd isn’t up till 2012. It’s about time for a GOP Senator from West Virginia. Would’ve been nice if Rockerf***er had lost in 1984.
I wouldn’t count out (how big a RINO?) Lingle against Elderly Hawaiian Rat #2, if she runs, though I’d figure a ten point win for Akaka.
We need to find decent candidates, and hope for a good year to bolster their chances.
Even if all goes well the next 2 cycles might not be enough to take it back. If things go bad.....1954-1980 was it...
I do hope everyone who worked for the NRSC the last 4 years has been fired...out of a cannon.
I usually consider that a red herring attack, with the exception being if the person doesn't know what they're talking about (and that could hold true even if they happen to live there). But no Congressional/Senate seat is an "island", and they ALL impact us, so we cannot take for granted any of them. If Vitter is the nominee, I'll support him (after all, he was the only one with the balls to unapologetically oppose the Beast for Sec of State, so as far as I can tell, he's about the purest and most unafraid Republican Conservative in the Senate, any unfortunate peccadilloes aside). Right now, I'm not sure whom is the best to replace him. I'm more inclined to support him because we need street fighters. Better a Senator who screws whores than a whore of a Senator f**king us.
"A daily Kos “Independent” poll shows Dorgan thwamping (not a word? screw you spell check) Hoeven. Which I don’t buy for a second. Rick Clayburgh we saw almost took out Pomeroy in 2002."
Neither Dorgan nor Pomeroy have ever truly faced a first-tier opponent. We given these rodents pass after pass. After their votes for Porkulus, it's time we nailed their balls to the wall. Not since 1978 have we had a 2R-1D delegation from ND, and in 2010, we can do it if we have the guts.
"Sheets Byrd isn’t up till 2012."
Remember, my comment was predicated on the fact he may not live to 2012. I would lay even odds he will buy the farm either this year or next, and we will have an excellent opportunity to finally get his seat. Not since 1956 have we won a Senate seat in the state, the longest currently of any state going Democrat (even MA & NJ went GOP as recently as 1972, HI in 1970). MA will likely have a special election in 2010, because Ted Kennedy will be dead before the year is out. I'll be amazed if he lives another 6 months. Had that termite Sherrod Brown not been able to make the cloture vote, it's doubtful they could've gotten Ted off his bed to make it to the Senate floor (come to think of it, they probably would've had to wheel him on a stretcher).
"It’s about time for a GOP Senator from West Virginia. Would’ve been nice if Rockerf***er had lost in 1984."
Arch Moore nearly took out Jennings Randolph in 1978 (who only won by a hair), and that prompted Randolph's retirement. Had Arch won, he'd have probably held onto the seat in 1984 (although Jay might've tried to buy the seat, but Arch beat him in 1972 when he did just that).
"I wouldn’t count out (how big a RINO?) Lingle against Elderly Hawaiian Rat #2, if she runs, though I’d figure a ten point win for Akaka."
Akaka has only had one serious GOP challenger in his career, Congresswoman Pat Saiki, in 1990, but he's going to be 88 next year, and that has to give Hawaiians pause. Does make one wish that Hiram Fong hadn't hung it up in 1976 when he was only 70 (and Akaka was 66 when he started his Senate career), especially given that he lived to almost 98 and was competent from what I understand (I communicated with him in the late '90s). I think if she targeted Akaka on effectiveness, and on Porkulus (I presume she opposed it, at least I hope she did), she might manage an upset win. We've just had such weak candidates for federal office for years (it's really a shame that health problems forced House Minority Leader Quentin Kawananakoa from running for the HI-1 in '98, since he was considered potentially popular enough that his withdrawal supposedly had enough of an adverse impact on the Governor's race that Lingle lost by a heartbreakingly narrow margin). In Lingle's favor, however, is that she won by the single largest percentage in '06 for the Governorship of any candidate since statehood (63-35%). Republicans (when not splitting the vote) have actually done fairly well in Gubernatorial races over the years (we actually got over 45% of the vote in losing races in 1966, 1974, 1986 & in 1994 the combined Fasi & Saiki vote was 60% to Cayetano's 37% - and Cayetano's "win" was the second lowest percentage of the vote for ANY Democrat candidate, well, lowest, until 2006).
"We need to find decent candidates, and hope for a good year to bolster their chances. Even if all goes well the next 2 cycles might not be enough to take it back. If things go bad.....1954-1980 was it..."
Well, there's always a revolution... might have to do that anyway before long.
"I do hope everyone who worked for the NRSC the last 4 years has been fired...out of a cannon."
Firing people isn't necessarily the answer... it's firing the BAD people. Sacking everybody is easy, weeding through to keep the good ones requires a bit more work.