The Senate Races of 2004

None ^ | 12/10/02 | RepublicanWizard

[the irate magistrate]

After I've seen his actions over the years I could swear that he's a big RINO.

[the irate magistrate]

ping

[CPT Clay]

Kay in '06? If Rick Perry want's to switch with her. Kay wants to come back and be guv. Big Q is does Rick want a second term as guv?

[jf55510]

Kay in '06? If Rick Perry want's to switch with her. Kay wants to come back and be guv. Big Q is does Rick want a second term as guv?

Well IMHO two years, was two to many years of Rick Perry. I just hope that he retires becuase he would be a horrible Senator. Also there are some rumors that Caryole Keeton Rylander will run for Gov, next go around. The thing is that she could win a primary against Perry.

[Jeb08]

Specter has a lifetime rating of 42 from the American Conservative Union. He joined Chaffee and Jeffords in opposing Bush's original tax cut. He voted against confirming Robert Bork. He is pro-abortion. If this is your definintion of a "conservative heart" who is "always there" for President Bush, then you are on the wrong web site. Specter must go.

[republicanwizard]

He was also President Bush's spear-thrower on Homeland Security, and he saved the nomination of Clarence Thomas with his skills at exposing liar.

If he voted not proven on impeachment, then I congratulate him. No man who served as District Attorney of Philadelphia could have voted guilty or not guilty in a sham trial which called no witnesses. How could anyone vote guilty or not guilty in right conscience?

I would have opposed Bork for the same reason I oppose Lott. I don't like naive Republicans.

I'll be proud to support Senator Arlen Specter for a fifth term in the United States Senate!

[Jeb08]

Another reason I don't like Specter -- he refused to go to the mat for Bush during the 2000 recount. A CNN debate featured John Breaux demanding that the votes be recounted, while Specter refused to even endorse the Republicans' position. I believe that Specter is a good man, but he is the epitome of wishy-washy politically correct moderation. I applaud him for going to the mat for Clarence Thomas, but his support of Clinton and opposition to Bork equal a man who is more in line with Daschle than with Bush.

As long as we're on the subject of primary challenges, I wish to begin to campaign to get rid of John McCain. I hope you're not a fan of his too, Wiz.

[republicanwizard]

Arlen and many Republicans were upset that they were embarrassed that they didn't carry Pennsylvania for Bush. Specter publically stated that Ridge would have made his job easier, so he might have been bitter at that point.

Suffice it to say that as a PA Republican, I've didn't appreciate Dick Cheney until the Veep debate.

As far as McCain goes, I'd let him run again if he wants. I would hope he retires if he is challenged by a serious candidate in the primary, but the last thing I want is to lose that seat to the RATS. Better McCain than any Democrat!

[JohnnyZ]

Yeah, I don't know much about Rick Perry, but it seems like Texas is the perfect place to get a really top-notch high-power senator into office, and if he's a minority too so much the better. I'm not a big fan of Kay Bailey Hutch. But we don't need a powerhouse candidate to win in Texas, so we don't need the governor running if he's not the best we can do.

[JohnnyZ]

Mosley-Braun Tells Daschle she WILL Run for her old senate seat in Illinois, against (presumably) Peter Fitzgerald! This is good news, because she could very well win the primary and would be a relatively weak general election candidate. Sweet :) Another link from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: " Braun, who is now teaching at DePaul University, told us she may run again for the Senate from Illinois."

[republicanwizard]

That is the only seat we have that the RATS could take. If she is the Democratic nominee, Fitzgerald will easily hold his seat, which means we will have at least 51 seats in the next Senate.

Then all you have to do is add any number of the following RAT seats:

Nevada
California
South Dakota
North Dakota
Wisconsin
Arkansas
Louisiana
Georgia
Florida
South Carolina
North Carolina

So, we will have between 51 and 62 seats!

[JohnnyZ]

Again, add New York if Rudy runs.

Judd Gregg, who had been rumored to be in line for an admin appointment to Education or Treasury, put an end to that speculation (probably put out there by Shaheen) by announcing he's running for reelection. Some schmuck state senator (Bart Cohen) says he plans to challenge. Ha ha! Good luck.

ABC News' The Note reports that FL Sen. Bob Graham has been thinking a bit about running for president. While that would be an excellent pickup opportunity, Graham would be a stronger nominee than any of the other Dems in the race, so hopefully he'll stay where he is.

[spintreebob]

The Dems have all Illinois patronage jobs now. Machine Dems will control the primaries in 2004 and 2006. Unless the Dem EGOS can't live with each other, Carol Mosely-Braun doesn't have a chance in the primary. The machine could find a candidate who could even beat her in the Black wards. She has no money, no machine.

[spintreebob]

The Dems have all Illinois patronage jobs now. Machine Dems will control the primaries in 2004 and 2006. Unless the Dem EGOS can't live with each other, Carol Mosely-Braun doesn't have a chance in the primary. The machine could find a candidate who could even beat her in the Black wards. She has no money, no machine.

[Jeb08]

Top candidates

New York - Giuliani or nothing.
Nevada - Guinn or a likely loss.
SD - only if Daschle retires.
ND - toss-up b/w Schafer and Dorgan.
Wisconsin - Tommy Thompson or Paul Ryan.
Arkansas - leans DEM, need to avoid primary b/w Huck and Hutch.
Louisiana - only if Breaux retires.
Georgia - only if Miller retires.
Florida - need a strong candidate like Brogan; even then, it leans DEM.
NC - leans DEM; Edwards can win if he wants to.
SC - leans GOP. No excuse for losing this seat.

[JohnnyZ]

Roll Call profiles Sen. Harry Reid's reelection chances and challengers.

Jeb, you forgot(?) California, AND, as a North Carolinian, I think you're too pessimistic.

[Jeb08]

You're right, Johnny, I did forget about La-La land. But the CA GOP is in such disarray that we may just choose a candidate like Darrell Issa, an anti-Israel, anti-gay activist who will lose to Boxer. Rosario Marin looks like an excellent candidate to me, but this seat still leans DEM. I would love to see Dreier or Cox on the ballot, although I want Cox to be VP.

As far as NC, let's remember that the Dems still control everything from governor on down; also, our top candidate, Sue Myrick, said that she won't run. How about Richard Burr for Senate and Walter Jones for Governor?

[JohnnyZ]

Yeah, Burr has pretty much been annointed and is just waiting a while for an initial announcement. I wonder if he'll try to announce in such a way as to show up John Edwards -- Burr announces he'll run against Edwards, then Edwards announces two days later that he's running for president, and it looks like he's running away. Gore's no-go probably means that Edwards will be in the race through Feb '03 and will have to pick one race or the other to let the NC D's have an alternate candidate ready.

While the D's do have all the statewide offices except Commissioner of Labor (& of course Dole), they just lost the house and lost 7 seats in the senate, and only held onto that by less than 4,000 votes.

Last night on NC Spin, former Democrat speaker Dan Blue, who lost the primary to Bowles, 'didn't rule out', as they say, a run for Edwards seat if goes for the presidency. He's a good candidate, a moderate with liberal appeal. The NC Spin folks talked about the guv and senate races but didn't mention Walter Jones -- I emailed the show and asked them why.

[Jeb08]

Any mention of former Gov. Jim Hunt for the Senate seat? He reminds me of Breaux and Miller -- a popular conservative with high name recognition and broad appeal. Blue would be a decent candidate, but Burr is more experienced and would be the favorite.

Who did the network mention as possible GOV candidates?

[The Old Hoosier]

Don't bet on N. Dakota, and forget about Indiana unless Evan Bayh ends up as somebody's presidential running mate.

SC, NC, SD, GA and NV all look very good. In the dark horse category: CA (Barbara Boxer), WA (Patty Murray) and WI (Feingold). And if Breaux takes the governorship, the GOP could pick up the LA Senate seat, provided there isn't more infighting.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised to see some more Dem retirements coming.