The good news is that Angle will have to make her case to the local GOP committees (there will be no special primary if Heller moves up), and that’s unlikely to happen. She’d be the only GOP candidate likely to cost us this seat (since she is the KH equivalent in NV). Apparently both Lt Gov Brian Krolicki and Mark Amodei are looking at having a go for the seat, and either one would easily hold it for us.
I’ve heard that the ‘Rats may seriously contest the seat. Some are pushing state Treasurer Kate Marshall to run.
Good news all around.
Thanks for quitting Ensign.
I agree, we don't want Angle to be the replacement, she'd be a weak candidate to keep the seat in GOP hands, even as an (appointed) incumbent.
During last November's race when the Kirkbots were claiming we had to accept that it was "Brady's fault" he lost the IL Governor's race, I responded that I have no problem accepting blame when Republican nominees are likely to win but screw up and lose in an upset. But Brady's election wasn't an example of that, the numbers showing a wide lead held and he was on message, plus conservatives and independents didn't assume they could rest easily, but were energized and motiviated to turn out AGAINST Quinn. Massive Election fraud caused Brady to lose, not a "bad campaign"
Nevada's Senate race, on the other hand, IS an example of a Republican snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. All Republican candidates had a lead over Harry Reid when the election season started. It was Angle's to lose, and she lost it, through a poorly managed general election campaign where she kept shooting herself in the foot and turning off voters. If it had been any other Republican nominee, I think we would have ousted Reid. The tea party made a mistake in backing Angle over two other qualified conservatives. With her current track record, there's no way I want to see her appointed to a Senate seat when voters know she never wins on her own accord.
The question is, who's the best choice to replace Ensign? I think I'd probably prefer a caretaker Senator who won't run in November. After the stench of Mel Martinez in Florida, I think the seat warmer appointment is one thing that helped Rubio win the next time around. Martinez was out of the spotlight, George LeMieux was low key enough to not steal away attention from the GOP, but decent enough to wash away the voter discontent with the previous Republican Senator, and with LeMieux stepping down, it was an wide open field to replace him and that allowed Rubio to gain moment over the odious Charlie Crist. Had Crist tried to appoint a permanant replacement, we'd probably get stuck with another right-of-center go-along-get-along establishment Republican, such as Lincoln Diaz-Balart.
Thoughts?