Posted on 02/10/2010 12:18:37 PM PST by bilhosty
In the week since Dan Coats announced he was preparing to challenge Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, Democrats have launched a withering, no-holds-barred assault on the former Republican senator, throwing him off balance and raising questions about whether his prospective candidacy has suffered lasting damage.
The oppo research mill began cranking up within hours of word last week that he was readying a campaign for his former Senate seat in Indiana. First came a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee statement referring to him as a “federally registered lobbyist whose client lists include banks, private equity firms and defense contractors.”
Is it Bayh’s new polling numbers that led to Dan Coats suddenly deciding he wants to go back to the Senate?
In ‘98, he walked away from the Senate rather than face Bayh in November.
Doesn’t sound like much political courage to me.
Part of me really wishes Coats woulda stayed out of this.
This country and its voters thirst is for those NOT entrenched in DC.
I fear Coats will mean another 6 years of Evan “But I wanna be President someday, too “ Bayh.
Don’t see why Coats would have been surprised by this. He should have expected ANY smear having to do with his public life, and been ready to answer it.
Tue, but he is probably our bnest shot. The curent field Hostettler who simply does not have it and Stutsman who I doubt has it are losers. Coats should be able to run a strong race and in this current climate probably win. If someone better comes in so much the better. But, I think it is getting late to get someone else started. Unless someone else that is better comes in shortly Coats is our man.
He must have 500 registered voters signed up by this coming Monday in each of the 9 Congressional districts in Indiana
I kinda know the Stutzman family, grandparents, parents, cousins and he comes from a great family but I don’t think he is ready for the fight it will take to beat Bayh.
I would have been happy with Mitch but the Senate’s a step down. I’ll take anybody over Bayh.
I guess you’re right. Coats would run a better race against Hostettler.
I have to admit that I wasn’t aware that Hostettler was planning a run for the Senate. Though he won election a lot of the time in his downstate district, I always got the feeling that his wins were due more to the lesser quality of his Dem opponents rather than his electoral acumen and constituent services.
Correct me if I’m wrong though.
That would be the thing to do. However, I now live in Georgia and left Indiana 27 years ago.
Hostettler was a light weight. He was one of the lightweights that gets carried in in a wave year. Usually they don’t last but he did. He made a lot of gaffes and once was arrested for carrying a gun onto an airplane. He also never raised much money and the national party had to run advertisements for him. If he were the nominee it would of been because there was no real shot to take down Bayh. now that the mood of the country has changed we suddenly have interest from a heavy weight. Unless someone else comes along who would be a better candidate (and he would have to come quickly to get his act together in time) Coats is our man.
We’re still keeping the porch light on for ya.
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