Posted on 03/12/2009 11:58:24 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued
Missouri has long been a swing state at the presidential level. In 2010, it will play host to a Senate primary that is already being painted by some insiders as a fight for the future of the Republican Party.
The players: Rep. Roy Blunt and former state treasurer Sarah Steelman.
Blunt has spent more than a decade representing Missouri's 7th District and, until late last year, served in his party's House leadership. Steelman was a Missouri state senator for six years before being elected treasurer in 2004. She ran for governor in 2008, losing narrowly in the Republican primary to then-Rep. Kenny Hulshof.
Blunt was the first Republican in the race to replace Sen. Christopher S. Bond (R), who is retiring after three terms, but Steelman is almost certain to run and is in talks with top national party strategists, including John Weaver, who was a top campaign adviser to Sen. John McCain. (Steelman endorsed the Arizonan for president in 2000 and 2008.)
"Sarah Steelman is a breath of fresh air for our party," Weaver said. "However I'm involved, I'm sure this conservative reformer will be the next senator from Missouri."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
If Steelman runs, Freepers and other grass roots conservatives should support her.
Steelman, I would not use anyone associated with McCain’s campaign.
who is more conservative?
I know ‘em both...have talked to Blunt more.
Blunt is more likely to be elected. Steelman is more conservative.
The St. Louis/KC liberals hate them both.
Both of them are better than whoever the dems put up.
The winner is going against Robin Carnahan. She has already said she is running. NO MORE CARNAHANS! Enough of the political dynasties, not to mention her combined with Claire Marxcaskill would be an atrocious representation of a fairly conservative state.
Steelman is much more Conservative. If we can get Steelman past Blunt in the primary, we may have just started down the road to regaining the soul of the Missouri GOP.
The Blunt name is somewhat tarnished now, in my opinion. Matt Blunt just got terrible press here when he was governor. I liked the moves he made but he was always painted with a bad brush. There are enough stupid people here to equivocate Matt and Roy to be the same person. Steelman is decent, but she has trouble getting support from the establishment and seems intent on running for everything or at least putting her name out there. Hopefully some of our state house and senate leader ship emerges to a national stage at some point. I have always liked Peter Kinder, personally.
If I didn’t have enough personal baggage to fill a dump truck, I’d get into politics. I would LOVE to go to toe-to-toe with some of these people. Just being in Columbia, I get plenty of opportunities to battle with liberal buffoons.
I was talking about the primary. I’d say it’s a toss-up on who would do better in the general election. The media has learned how to “take out” female candidates during the McCain/Palin campaign.
I support Steelman and voted for her in the gov. primary, even though I know Hulshof. She’ll have to work on her public speaking skills since “style over substance” is what wins elections these days.
Claire McCaskill’s vote against the omnibus was a good move; Steelman has been speaking out about all the spending. McCaskill’s strong support of Obama will either help or hurt her in the future. It will be an issue.
Blunt would be much like Kit Bond, maybe a little better. I’d like to get back to TWO conservative pubbie senators from Missouri.
Isn’t McCaskill a DINO??? She seems very moderate.
Steelman is almost certain to run and is in talks with top national party strategists, including John Weaver, who was a top campaign adviser to Sen. John McCain. (Steelman endorsed the Arizonan for president in 2000 and 2008
If she wins the primary we should support her because she’s not a Dim? Is that it? I don’t know. If I lived in MO and a conservative ran I’d vote for the conservative rather than a RINO...not saying she’s a RINO but to see her name closely associated w/McCain is not inspiring.
On what planet ? She’s a pro-False Messiah moonbat. She scored a 92% liberal rating from the ACU.
Oh, no. She only makes “conservative” comments when it’s politically expedient to do so. I can assure you if her vote was NEEDED to pass the budget, she would have voted yes. She has been on the Obama bandwagon from the start—she needs to be defeated at the next possible opportunity.
She only voted against the spending bill with permission from Pelosi and Reid. It’s all about fooling the folks in MO to vote for her again.
She is a Obama hack....
The main problem I have with Roy Blunt is that of competence. His job was to be front and center as Minority Whip hurling rhetorical bombs against the Democrats. He was nowhere to be found and seats were lost on his watch. Frankly he was the worst GOP House Whip in years. I think he should simply retire from Congress, period. His son should not get his seat, either, because of his cowardice in running away from a tough (but not impossible) reelection and effectively handing the Governorship to Nixon. That kind of behavior shouldn’t be rewarded.
As for Peter Kinder, he’s probably waiting on the Governorship. If Nixon bombs out in ‘12, he’s next in line to have a go.
BTW, am I the only one that thinks MO should go to off-year elections for statewide ? Dem turnout always gets ginned up in Presidential years (especially the voter fraud chicanery) and accounts partly for why the GOP has fared poorly for statewide offices despite the fact the state has effectively realigned downballot to them. As of now, Kinder is the sole statewide elected (non-federal) Republican.
I agree with everything you’ve said.
I don’t know Kinder. I gave him $50, though.
The Blunts Blunted out on us by running off. They are done.
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