Posted on 11/06/2008 7:54:41 AM PST by TitansAFC
1.) Colorado (Ken Salazar - D): Republican Former Governor Bill Owens, who didn’t run in 2008 for the Senate, may run this time around, as might retired football quarterback, Republican John Elway, who hinted at a future run for office despite choosing not to run in 2008. The moment he wins the GOP nod, you can already start calling him “Senator Elway.” - Elway-Yes!
Owens-NO (Owens almost singlehandedly destroyed the state GOP the way Bush has done to national).
2.) California (Barbara Boxer - D): Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger should seek the seat, as he would be ineligible to run again in the Gubernatorial race due to term limits. He is the only hope of beating Boxer, and very well might.
I have no idea here, but we don’t need another RINO with all due respect.
3.) Arkansas (Blanche Lincoln - D): Former Governor Mike Huckabee, who was a 2008 presidential candidate, should be recruited very, very hard, since he remains a relatively well-liked figure.
Agreed, and not only is a Christian and Social conservative, but I believe his fiscal credentials go much deeper than some believe.
4.) Illinois (Obama’s old seat - TBD - D): The only man in Illinois who could win this seat has to talk his wife into letting him. Illinois demi-god Mike Ditka, a hardcore, Conservative Republican, would win this seat. We just have to convince Mike and Mrs. Ditka to run.
Agreed again, Mike would be great (and should have take Obama out before he rose to national promenence!)
5.) Indiana (Evan Bayh - D): If Bayh retires, Mike Pence could win this seat. If Bayh does not retire, he is unbeatable in Indiana.
Again I agree: Mike Pence has been a solid statesman and conservative bullwark in the House for a few years now..!
6.) Hawaii (Daniel Inouye - D): May retire - will win re-election if he does not. In the event of a retirement, the GOP should push monstrously hard for popular Governor Linda Lingle to run for Senate.
???? RINO?
7.) Nevada (Harry Reid - D): The Senate Majority Leader will seek a fifth term. In 2004, he was reelected with 61% of the vote. That year, Republicans did not put up a formidable challenger. Potential Republican candidates include former Governor Kenny Guinn, Representative Dean Heller, former Representative Jon Porter or 2004 candidate Richard Ziser. Guinn might be the strongest challenger to Reid but will be 74 in 2010, three years Reid’s senior. Porter had been viewed as the most likely to run as he had been interested since 2004 and been planning a run, but following his defeat for re-election to his House seat in 2008, he may no longer run.
???? Tough One..
8.) North Dakota (Byron Dorgan - D): Three term Senator Byron Dorgan may retire. He will be 68 years old in 2010. Dorgan, who represents the conservative state of North Dakota, may be vulnerable if he runs for reelection. Potential Republican candidates are Governor John Hoeven, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, and his brother, State Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem. All have very high approval ratings, including Dorgan. John Hoeven would win easily, and should be pushed HARD to run.
I dont’ know this state well..!
First we need to recruit someone with a brain to run the Republican party.
Some interesting thoughts here. One thing I will say is that I don’t like the idea of having any sitting Republican governors (especially popular ones) vacate their offices for Senate runs. Let them stay in office at the state level and stay as far the hell away from Washington, D.C. as possible.
Certainly it was McCain's inability to articulate a strong, cogent and cohesive conservative message, which cost him the election.
Before anyone thinks of recruiting candidates to run for office in the future, there needs to be an intense Conservative effort to reeducate the public as to the pragmatic, as well as moral, imperative for the clear vision of the Founding Fathers. We need to force a debate that we can win. I tried to make a stab at that on the subject of Federal Regulation, a couple of weeks ago: Congress & The Regulation Of Commerce.
Another subject, which properly handled is a winner is education. The Federal Government can only muck up local education. But no one in Washington--almost no one--understands this. We need a lot of grass roots folk who do, and are able to explain it to their neighbors.
The lack of cuban votes in Florida lost that state.
McCain’s failure not Bush’s.
the terminator may be a RINO but he’s a long ways better than bitter Babs. I’d love to see her pack her bags.
If elected, Arnold would likely end up with an ACU rating of about 50, but that is a vast improvement on Babs' near-zero conservative rating. Arnold would vote conservative on taxation and national security issues, and would occasionally vote for conservative judges.
By the way, I voted third party for governor in 2006, but would enthusiastically support him over Boxer.
Yes, be sure to give the waves of democrat hackers, petty criminals and other opposition researchers a good headstart on who to personally destroy .....
DOh!
Forgot about his birth in Cuba!
I disgree with purging the so-called RINOs. We need to pick and choose, based on the state. Obvioulsy if it’s a solid conservative state (i.e. South Caroline) we want to purge the RINO. But no rock-ribbed conservative could win in such a Blue state like California. It’s simply pie in the sky talk.
While I don’t want them being the spokesperson for conservatism movement, I will happily take a RINO in a Blue state like Cal or Maine (Collins and Snowe). That’s a net net gain. They may not back everything we want but it gives us seats and a majority.
This is what the Dems have been successful with the past two cycles, running conservative candidates, knowing that they still report to Pelosi and Reid.
You’re right. Doesn’t matter how many Rs are there with libs such as Collins and Snow, losers like Hagel and imbeciles like Specter.
-—”Ditka, Elway, and Schwarzenegger — please. Jocks indifferent to policy are not the solution.”-—
You’ve obviously never heard them talk policy. Elway and Ditka are quite astute and involved. Arnold is very much as well, though very moderate in theology.
Ditka and Elway would win, and they would be reliable Conservatives. Let’s look at a grand group of existing Conservatives for leadership, and folks like Elway and Ditka for winning important seats.
Mel Martinez is a clown. I saw him at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce meet and greet when he was first running for office. What did he talk about to the business community? Tax cuts? Deregulation? Tort Reform?
No.
Gay marriage.
The man is an imbecile.
Too bad, Martinez wasn't born in Kenya because apparently that qualifies.
I have my doubts Boxer will run again. She’ll be 70 in 2010. She was going to retire last time but decided to take another term to fight the GOP. Now that the RATS are firmly in control, I really dont think she’ll stay.
The other thing that we conservatives need to do is get younger people involved in lower levels of politics so that we have a strong slate of potential conservative federal candidates in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018,...
How about Jim Ryun to run for Sam Brownback's vacant seat in Kansas in 2010? If we don't come up with a strong candidate, we will lose this seat to Kathleen Sebelius.
Boxer is already raising money at a fast pace here in D.C. from PACs.
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