Posted on 01/28/2009 7:18:21 AM PST by rabscuttle385
Republican John McCain intends to run in 2010 for a fifth term in the U.S. Senate, and the recent history of senators thwarted in bids for president suggests hell be able to rebound smartly from his loss to Democrat Barack Obama in last Novembers White House contest.
John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat who narrowly lost in 2004 to President George W. Bush, coasted to an easy victory last year for a fifth Senate term. Even South Dakota Democrat George S. McGovern, fresh off his 1972 landslide defeat at the hands of President Richard M. Nixon, came back to win a third Senate term in 1974, though he lost when he went to that well one more time in 1980.
Obama even gave McCain a big break by taking his strongest potential Arizona Democratic challenger out of the picture. Obama selected Janet Napolitano, a popular governor due to run up against the states term-limit law in 2010, as his pick to head the Department of Homeland Security. Until she accepted the Cabinet post, Napolitano appeared likely to run for the Senate in 2010, and early hypothetical polls suggested she would be a strong contender.
No one else appears poised to provide such a threat with Napolitano moved on to Washington. The most recent Democratic Senate nominee was Jim Pederson, a wealthy real estate developer who ran a vigorous campaign in 2006 but nonetheless lost to Republican incumbent Jon Kyl by a substantial 10 percentage-point margin. I doubt he would take on McCain, said Bruce Merrill, a pollster and professor emeritus at Arizona State Universitys Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Merrill said of McCain, I really dont think hes going to have much difficulty being re-elected.
(Excerpt) Read more at cqpolitics.com ...
*sigh* Obama’s gift to McCain. Guess “no filibusters” are the return favor he promised Obama. This just keeps getting better and better. /s
To Hell with the “minutes” of the Obama Scotus meeting. I want the ones between McCain and Obama.
American voters continue to be as stupid as they can be. Ask the average “likely voter” and that person will tell you, politicians are bad, most are corrupt, EXCEPT MY (Sentor, Congressman, etc.).
McCain is a Democrat, let him run as one.
Hope so. I know precisely zero about AZ politics.
Conservatives should get Sarah to come to Arizona and campaign against McCain.
“American voters continue to be as stupid as they can be. Ask the average likely voter and that person will tell you, politicians are bad, most are corrupt, EXCEPT MY (Sentor, Congressman, etc.).”
true that. No way McCain loses a primary barring an epic screw up
McCain, Gore, Hillary... All these dinosaurs need to be put out to pasture!
I don’t know AZ politics, other than McCain sucks.
If Hayworth is viable candidate, and a real fiscal conservative, that’s OK with me.
Note I -— a prolife, etc, voter -— said “real fiscal conservative.”
Reason behind that: a real fiscal conservative typically lines up (or eventually lines up) on social issues -— AND -— we need to gather in the non-authorative conseratives back into the tent (i.e., those people who are conservative, but don’t want the government telling them to be conservative).
“McCain a big break by taking his strongest potential Arizona Democratic challenger out of the picture”
That explains why McCain has been grabbing his ankles for Zero regarding confirmations. And why we will see a lot more ankle grabbing by McCain. “Straight talking” politics as usual. Oh Joy!
We can only do what we can do. I’ll vote against Mc in the primary if he’s opposed, but I won’t vote Dem unless we hatch some sort of Zell Miller clone.
J. D. Hayworth is on the radio here (KFYI) and doesn’t have much use for McCain. Would love to see him run.
The problem with defeating McCain is that he didn’t spend a ton of the campaign contributions we sent him in his presidential run. I’m pretty sure he tops $50 mil in the coffers, obtained by betraying his presidential supporters. It will be an uphill battle to defeat him, unless Sarah Palin campaigns for his primary opponent.
Are Phoenix and St. Paul sister cities or something???
McCain has already screwed up big time with McCain-Kennedy and McCain-Lieberman. He was against the 2006 proposition in AZ that made English the official state language. It passed with 75% of the vote. And he has joined forces with Obama. Now it remains to be seen if Rep voters in AZ will hold him accountable.
It's pretty had to do, he gets all the liberal votes and now that Californis is dumping all their unemployed on us, I hope we manage to keep a republican legislature.
We all have to keep in mind, Sarah is probably going to go down to AZ and campaign on McCain’s behalf. Please, let’s not get angry with her for doing so... it’s a loyalty thing. McCain brought her to the national stage, so she’s going to the need to help him. Just warnin’ ahead of time.
Even so, we should support a conservative opponent; it will help both McCain (who must realize being a maverick is wasting good will and effectiveness) and the opponent, who sets himself up for the next Senate race.
McCain has stuck his finger in the eye of Arizona Republicans one time too many. He no longer represents anything Conservatives are about, and it's pretty obvious after this last campaign debacle that he never did. Every Republican I know here is furious with McCain. We are SICK AND TIRED of the mess that illegal immigration has left in our state. We all voted for McCain out of fear, and now all of our worst fears have come true. What do we have left to lose? As I said to a friend of mine, I'll vote for a Democrat before I vote for McCain again. At least the Democrat won't have McCain's "Star Power" with the media.
If Sarah chooses to side with McCain, then I will feel free to do so too, by assuming that she actually believes her statements with regard to amnesty for illegals and that she was not forced to make such statements by McCain.
And, as such, if she should end up the 2012 GOP nominee for POTUS, I will vote against her by casting my vote for a third party just like in 2008.
Not side with McCain, but to make my own choice, too.
Something tells me I need more caffeine ;)
Palin would be making a big mistake by doing so. McCain is damaged goods. Palin will be at CPAC this year. She will get an earful re immigration.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.