Posted on 08/19/2011 5:27:29 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
Former Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold, who was ousted in last year's midterm elections, announced Friday that he won't run for retiring Sen. Herb Kohl's seat in 2012. He also said that he wouldn't be a gubernatorial candidate should Democrats in the state attempt to recall Republican Scott Walker.
In a note to supporters on the website of the political committee he founded, Progressives United, Feingold said, “I am also well aware that I have a very strong standing in the polls should I choose to run again for the U.S. Senate or in a recall election for governor. After twenty-eight continuous years as an elected official, however, I have found the past eight months to be an opportunity to look at things from a different perspective.”
A Public Policy Polling (D) survey released Thursday showed Feingold would have been the strongest Democrat in the race and that he has a high favorability rating among independents.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
This is a big help. With Tommy Thompson likely running, the race appears to lean in our favor.
Good. McCain next?
The best thing is that the Dems will likely nominate Tammy Baldwin. Tammy is openly gay, and a member of the Democrat socialists. Her voting record puts her in the top 10 most radical Leftists in the House. Even Obama wants a “moderate” Democrat (Ron Kind) that would be more electable. No matter, with Feingold out, the Madison Leftist Dems will support Baldwin and she probably wins the Dem primary. Gays will push hard for her. She might win in MA or VT but she would have a hard time in WI.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that 2012 is going to be a very tough year for Dems.
The curse of Baraq is going to be widespread.
Ya think she’d have trouble? From what I’ve seen, her “moderateness” has served her well among indies and RINOs at least. When I heard Rusty say he wasn’t interested in running I figured right away this was to “Make room for Tammy”.
Hahaha. PPP is a Rat operation. My guess is Feingold also got a more accurate “internal” poll and decided to sail off into the sunset as “the one guy who could have won for us” instead of a second humiliating loss.
‘Cept Tommy is too old. We need younger blood.
Tommy could be a transitional figure, someone to keep it out of the hands of ‘Rats for one or two terms, at which point a younger and more consistantly conservative Republican with name I.D. can move in after he retires.
Baldwin is toxic, not “moderate” at all even for a socialist Dem. She will not win in WI unless the Republican is a pedophile.
With Rusty out, I think any Republican of credibility can take the seat (’cept Neumann, he needs to stay out). Why wait 6-12 years to get another Ron Johnson type ? As I said before, Tommy passed up multiple opportunities when he was younger to take out Rusty and Kohl and he ought not be rewarded for his failure to step up. I applied the same thing to Lamar! who failed to step up in 1984 to stop Gore.
Agreed. Love old Tommy, but he’s old. Wisconsin Republicans are energized and on the move. We will need a candidate who embodies that.
Any takers that Tammy has a hammer and sickle on her campaign posters?
The union bosses would back her to the tilt I don’t see a carpet-muncher from Madison appealing to the blue collar masses. Someone like Ron Kind would be much better for them.
If she’s the nominee then I would posit we don’t “need” Tommy Thompson should a younger and/or less “establishment” choice present itself.
Now that Feingold is out, it would be worth getting a younger candidate and conservative to run for the Senate. The problem is that there might not be enough enthusiasm for that individual to oppose Thompson because the primary campaign would be fairly tough.
Interesting point, but the only feasible such person I can think of is the state AG and he isn’t running. Two of the state’s GOP Congressmen are freshmen, two are elderly, and the only other one has said he won’t run.
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