Free Republic

I thought there were about 6,500 Absentee Ballots returned??? The totals on the State Website only add up to about 4000. Where are the other 2,500 Ballots?????????

Ummm... Totally False. Ogonowski’s Campaign was backed by the GOP Establishment in DC and in Boston. He just failed to get the necesary signatures to get on the ballot.

This makes NO sense. Saratoga county is far larger than Warren or Washington Counties, and voted for Tedisco as Warren and Washington voted for Murphy, around 55%. How on Earth do they give their respective candidates the same amount of absentee advantage? How do the Democrats catch Tedisco when 500 more Republicans out of the 6,000 Absentees had taken out Absentees, and when 750 more Republicans have returned them? How do they claim victory when Republicans consistently win with Absentee ballot in Rural Republican Majority Districts, and when many of the ballots were sent back when Tedisco was up 15%?????
Tedisco may very well lose, but I dont understand the Democrat's confidence on this one. I just dont....

No Problem. Take it easy on the administrative lashes...Save it for the Liberals in 2010.

Skeeter, that article you found that claimed Schock's ACU Rating was 74%, was referring to Ray Lahood's rating in 2008 (when the article was written). Schock couldnt have had an ACU rating in 2008, as he wasn't he even a Congressman yet when that article was posted. LaHood then put up a 36% in his last term in Congress, which brought his ACU liftime rating down to the 72.46% that he will be shamed by for the rest of his life.

We won't know Schock's ACU rating until after the 2009-2010 Session of Congress Finishes, and as ACU does not do State Legislative Ratings, there is no easy way to gauge his record in the State Legislature other than highlight of it he has campaigned on, and from that record, he sounds pretty Conservative.

Yeah I don't understand this. Weld County makes up a huge chunk of the 4th, he'd have a huge name recognition advantage there in an effort to take out Markey.
A County Official on the statewide level, I'm a little suspicious.

There were only three counties in New England where McCain performed better against Obama than Bush against Kerry. They were Worcester, Norfolk, and Plymouth, all in Massachusetts. Deval/Obama Fatigue....

DeSoto County has grown from 107,199 people in 2000 to 154,748 in 2008. Absolutely Nuts...

Well, two years isn’t very long for people to get a negative judgment of the Moonbats they elect. Hell they don’t even work 1/3 of the year. In fact, few elected officials get voted out after a single term. Hence, in 1996, the Democrats thought they would ride back into Majorities in the House and Senate, but they didn’t, Republicans would hold on for another 10 years.

Second, Sununu was being judged on issues at the National Level, and though a total meltdown at the State House would cause the voters to lose confidence in their Federal Democratic Party Companions, that had yet to happen by Nov. 2008. (Though we are starting to see signs of it in NH and elsewhere) Sununu was seen as a member of the ineffectual Republican Congress, and Independents, who are the largest voting bloc in the state had no use for its members.

Third, your are incorrect about Shaheen’s popularity. Shaheen had comparable favorability ratings to Sununu in 2002 and in 2008. However, NH in 2002 had a 6% Registered Republican Voter Advantage in one of the best Republican Cycles since 1994. She even led Sununu a week out from the election. He only pulled ahead in polling in the last week out, probably due to late deciders going with the national trend. It was probably the reason Sununu was able to hold the seat against Shaheen. Bob Smith was dumped in favor of the more popular John Sununu because Shaheen was seen as a favorite to beat the erratic former Senator. Sununu actually stood a chance, and squeaked out a narrow victory. By 2008, the national mood had changed, and the Republican advantage was completely erased with Republicans having just 5,000 more registered voters overall (less than 1 percent). Though they maintained similar favorability ratings, and Sununu OUT-RAN McCain (NH was supposed to be McCain’s “Second” Home State...bull of course), it wasn’t enough to hold on. You put Sununu up against Hodes, who is not well-known, and is frankly, not a very exciting guy nor candidate, Sununu will win. Plus 2010 will be a much improved year for Republicans, with Democrats now in power over everything and screwing everything up, the national and state brands of the GOP can’t hold Sununu down any longer against a lesser known and weaker candidate.

That being said, I see one other strong GOP candidate, which is Steve Merrill. He’s a little old, 62, but a strong fiscal conservative and a Former Governor, however I’m not sure of his positions on Social Issues. Though often touted, Guinta and Ayotte probably need to win in another lower level of office first before launching out for the Senate. The AG in NH is an apppointed position (no statewide electability), and Mayors are not usually good Senate Candidates in more ways than one (Bob Corker, Rudy Giuliani....)

Sununu should be the nominee. He is stronger than you think. Shaheen was a popular Governor in NH with broad appeal among Independents. It was an upset that he beat her in 2002.

With Shaheen no longer as his opponent, and Hodes, who is not univerally liked instead, Sununu could build a huge advantage in the 1st District, where Shaheen hailed, to overcome Hodes’ support in the 2nd to win the seat.

Futhermore, 2010 is not going to be another 2006 or 2008. With Dems in power, voters, especially in NH will want to divide the goverment, though perhaps not on the scale of 1994. In fact, in 2008, the Republicans made gains in the NH State House. Futhermore, with the Iraq War over, and deficit spending by the Democrats, the NH voters will likely be more friendly to Republicans, who they were upset with over the Iraq War and Bush’s Spending Problem.

Sununu can beat Hodes, and though he’s down 46-44 right now, 45% is what he got in 2008. He can only go up from here.

By the way, there are some well-liked State Senators in the 1st and 2nd District that could take both seats from the Democrats. Lets use the Republicans huge bench in the State to win those seats, and use the statewide guys like Sununu to go for the big ticket offices. Im pretty sure Sununu woulnd’t want to return to the House (1 in 435) after being in the Senate (1 in 100). Look for a serious run at both the house seats in 2010. Bradley is running to hold a NH State Senate seat after the newly elected Republican resigned after a DUI. With Bradley out of the picture, Frank Guinta, Mayor of Manchester (1/6 of the 1st District), is looking to run at Che-Porter. In the more liberal 2nd District, there are a couple state Senators looking to take a run at it, who could give the Dems (likely Katrina Swett, whose husband lost the seat back in 1994) a run for their money.

Bob Parks has run for State Rep twice. The first time he failed to get on the ballot. The second time he raised less than $1,000 and managed to get 20% of the vote. No Thanks.

No No. This is not all out the window. Gregg said to reporter today that he was not running for re-election in 2010. So all this speculation will persist. He serves the rest of his term, and a usual open seat scenario is created. Hodes will definetly stick it out now.

This means that the GOP has a shot to win back this seat, contest Hodes' open House seat, and continue to attack the vulnerable Shea-Porter District.

Kelly Ayotte (R)- Current Attorney General/Pro-Life/Conservative
John Sununu (R)- Fmr. Senator/Libertarian leaning Republican

I would push for either one of them. Sununu has name recognition, and while he bats .500 against Jeanne Shaheen, he has never lost an election to a non-ultra popular Former Governor. He can raise money and everyone in NH knows his family.

Kelly Ayotte is the future of the party in NH, and I think is waiting for the Governor's Office to open up, but would be a fascinating and attractive candidate for this seat as well.

HELL NO!

I saw Steele more though. Excellent Results!

I agree. Duncan, Blackwell and Anuzis are going nowhere with this.

Steele 51
Duncan 44
Dawson 34
Anunzis 24
Blackwell 19

You might want to give Betty Little a chance...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Little

She has been endorsed by the NY Right to Life Committee, gotten 0's from NARAL, and an A from the NRA.

Now the third Speaker in a row to resign and face charges.

Why is he a RINO? Any reasons, or are you just so in love with the adulterer Vitter, Dardenne automatically becomes a RINO.