Posted on 11/12/2004 11:21:54 AM PST by CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC
Hey there, GOP-activist Freepers - This is no time to rest on our laurels and take it easy! Let's start going for that filibuster-proof 60+ vote majority in the Senate in 2 years. (Who knows how many Soopreems might retire after the midterm elections?)
Here are the Democrat Senators facing re-election in 2006:
In states that Bush won:
In states that Bush lost:
How many of these can be picked off 2 years from now? If you live in any of these states, tell us, are your state GOP parties doing anything about encouraging popular local politicians to run? If so, and if any of us live near these candidates, maybe we can volunteer to help some of them starting very soon. Two years is a very short time for a US Senate campaign!
And if these candidates are cash-starved, say something about it here on FR. A lot of us wouldn't mind investing a little money now to help a little snowball get rolling down a mountainside, aimed right at a democRAT Senator at the bottom!
Do any of the incumbents have scandals in their recent past? If so, are there any conservative state-wide 527's out there buying ads to keep hammering away at the sleaziness of these Senators? And if so, are any of these 527's starved for money?
And speaking of exposing scandals to the light, don't forget what a few $$ donated to the SwiftBoat Vets 527 managed to do!!
Let's not bite off too much at one time, though. A 60+ filibuster-proof majority in 2006 will be fine. In 2008 we'll be aiming at a 67-vote majority that's good for constitutional amendments (such as something that will reign in the activist judiciary once and for all time).
Grand Kleagle Byrd will die in office. The only person that could take on Maria Cant"budget"well is former Senator Slade Gorton, a RINO and Seattlite and millionaire and former incumbent that Cant"budget"well beat out. He's gotta a history of winning, losing, winning, losing that senate seat. Plus, when she ran, her platform was that she wouldn't take any PAC monies. However, when her personal fortune plummeted in 2001 (she made her money in Seattle's high-tech industry), she started taking monies from any and everyone. Even Hitlery & Bubba flew to Seattle to fundraise for the Cant"budget"well and the trashy duo hosted fundraisers in their DC home.
True, true.
If Byrd retires (and believe me that would be sweet - thanks for the info that he said this was his last) who are the GOPers who might run? Can anyone beat your Governor?
Was discussing this with my dad a couple of weeks ago. We couldn't come up with a single name who might run!!
Maybe Bush needs to move to West Virginia and run for the Senate... He is the only GOPer who ever wins down there... hahaha. (just kidding obviously, for those who can't sense sarcasm)
It's the worst kept secret in the US that Byrd is 86-87 years old and been working on a first class case of senility for the past 15 years. If he doesn't retire, he's ripe for a pick off?
Nelson in Florida is DemoRat through and through, party hack to the end. (He just doesn't make it sound so shrill!) I know Jeb said he wasn't interested in the job - but, he's got plenty of time to change his mind. He could whip Nelson easily and he should do it for the good of the party and the Nation!
Jeb should wait until W is out of office to do anything else... If we lose in '08 then all of us will be crawling over broken glass beggin Jeb to run in '12... No need to ruin his resume by becoming a Senator...
I'm in California and I'm not terribly optimistic about the party's prospects for the next few election cycles. There is currently a war on in the party between the conservatives and the "moderates" in the state. The Dems have been laughing at us here for nearly a decade. Even in 1994 when we actually won control of the Assembly for a few brief weeks we fought so much that Willie Brown was able to retain his control of the legislature.
Having said that, there are rumors that Feinstein could retire in 2006. I'm doubtful but I've heard rumors to that extent and I wouldn't be shocked if it happened. I know of no one other than Arnold who could make a strong run against Feinstein and possibly win the state. This is bad for two reasons. First, it means that we won't be able to unseat her in 2006 if she chooses to run again and second, if a Republican does win, he (or she) will almost certainly be a RINO.
So what does this mean for the future of the Republican party in California? Again, I'm not terribly optimistic. The party is somewhat strong in the center of the state around Fresno and to a lesser degree in the south (except for LA). Unfortunately even in the San Joaquin Valley we're not terribly strong. In certain districts we have trouble knocking off even weak Dems. I worry that the only way that we'll become a statewide power again is if we move to the left and conservatives give in to the "moderates" demands. Arnold has already done a great deal to improve the party's image, but he's no conservative and he's marginalized many conservative voices in the state. As a conservative, this makes my skin crawl!
Of course, there is a third possibility. If in 2006 Feinstein steps down, the GOP will have a historic chance to make some serious inroads in the Once-Golden State. We will only have a chance to retake Feinstein's seat if we're not facing Feinstein. (She's too popular and incumbents are always hard to beat anyway.) If we're able to get a strong conservative candidate nominated, the national party could step in and infuse millions of dollars into the race to help that candidate win election. With the guidance of someone like Carl Rove, we might actually be able to regain a Senate seat in a state which was once a Republican bastion.
It's a long shot, but it's a best case scenario. Again, I'm not optimistic about the GOP's chances here for at least a few more election cycles, but unless we're willing to cede California to the liberals forever, the national party MUST get involved and begin to change the climate within the state party. We can win here, but we desperately need help.
Another 5 in 06 is honestly not very likely... if Libs continue their movement to trying to turn the country into a seculiar socialist democracy.... this will hurt them moving forward nationally, and R's will eventually get 60 in the Senate... however as you can see, the vast majority of Senators that are dems up for re-election are in Blue states, and many of those in the red states are not in any sort of jeapardy of losing.
State elections are a far different thing than national elections. R's could pick up a seat or two in '06, or stay even, or even see a limited retraction in their seats... however long term, if dems keep on their current march, R's will get to 60 or more Senators in the coming years... just a matter of when it will happen.
One big factor that has traditionally helped out Blue Senators in Red States is that their liberal votes for the first 5 years of their terms are not publicized by their state's local MSMs, and then their fraudulent moderate or even conservative voting record the last few months before each re-election are all that the voters hear about.
And they point out how what happened to Daschle this time is truly horrifying to Blue Dems in Red States. His usual modus operandi failed him this time due to the loss of the MSM's previously monolithic power, as the truth about his voting record was hammered home on talk radio, on the internet, and so on. This looks like a great blueprint for the GOP to do the same to other BlueDem-RedState Senators in the future!
I didn't really make it clear in my earlier response, but I totally agree with you about Feinstein being repected in California. People genuinely seem to like her. Arnold is the only name that would even have a shot, and it would be a long shot at best. It would possibly even end his political career if he lost.
Dayton's negatives are high -- and even the hard lefties here in Minnesota think he's a loon. They would still vote for him, but they think he's nuts.
I thought Carper from Delaware had some stink in his closet, but I could be wrong. And it'd be nice to think Lieberman could be coopted into the administration (in the name of unity, of course), but I don't know if there's a Republican in Connecticut that could win.
If you're right, then Freepers need to identify the six or seven most at risk Dems and we need to star a financial campaign to unseat them in 2006. A lot of people outside of South Dakota contributed to Thune's campaign. There was a well choreographed advertising campaign on the net to get Republicans in other states to contribute to Daschle's defeat. We need to think a little bigger next time and do the same thing for the weakest Rat senators up for re-election in 06. And we need to lay the groundwork for that NOW.
"As a public service, The Washington Times editorial page will be scrutinizing and publicizing the votes of 16 red-state Democrats. We'll also keep an eye on the four blue-state Democrats (Maria Cantwell of Washington, New Jersey's Mr. Corzine, Mark Dayton of Minnesota and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan) who won narrow victories in 2000 and face voters again in 2006."
You will find this 2006 senatorial list to be very much of interest.
"Evacuatin' Dayton" should be easy pickings for either Gov Pawlenty or Cong. Kennedy.
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