The GOP never challenged Bayh. When Bayh made his intentions to run for the Senate in 1998, the incumbent Senator, Dan Coats, declined to run, thus giving Bayh a free pass. Too many Hooisers fall for his “faux conservative” rountine. I wish conservative 527s would run non-stop ads exposing Bayh’s scam. That’s how long time New England RINO incumbents were ousted in 2006 and 2008.
Yup Coats straight up wussed out and a gun grabbing RINO Mayor was nominated to face Bayh. And in 2004 an attractive candidate ran but got little support.
His prior statewide races were competitive though, for SOS and his first election as Governor. It’s while he was governor that he acquired his popularity. It was to the extent that his rat LT Frank O’Bannon essentially won a third term for him in 1996 over Steve Goldsmith who seems like he was a terrific Republican candidate to me. I was just a kid in 1996 but I remember the O’Bannon and Goldsmith ads that ran here in the Chicago media market. “Frank O’Bannon is no Evan Bayh” the ads went. Of course I had no clue who Bayh was so the ads lacked meaning for me. ;)
The hope is slight for this race but there may be a glimmer. If he votes for Obamacare he could possibly be Blanche Lincolned.