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.
Good points.
Matt Blunt would have been landslided by Nixon. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it “wimping out” but he had no chance. Hulshof ran the meekest campaign I have seen in a long time-there was just no energy there whatsoever. I liked Kinder, and still do. He has fared very well in statewide elections and has even made some inroads within St. Louis City.
I agree that Roy Blunt can retire. We need some new blood in Missouri. It just seems like there is a collection of retreads running for all of the offices all of the time. I would be surprised if Matt Blunt wanted the House seat—I don’t think he enjoyed politics all that much.
Good idea on off year elections. Holden won the governor’s race on fraud in 2000 and I am sure they helped the late Shovernor’s wife beat Ashcroft. (Anyone who was around MO in the late 90’s will know why I call him the “Shovernor.”) Then we got McCaskill in the 2006 Republican drubbings—ugh. Steelman is a decent candidate, but I believe she is viewed by the public as somewhat of a “failed” candidate. The bottom line is that Carnahan needs to be defeated.
I disagree on the one point about their being “no chance” for Matt Blunt. Polling data I saw showed him trailing by a modest but not insurmountable margin. He just chickened out and left the party to have a nasty, internecine battle between two good people (and Hulshof, despite being the establishment candidate, was a good Congressman). Blunt could’ve done exactly what Kit Bond did in 1976, stayed in and lost reelection (at worst) and then made a comeback at a later date (as Bond did, rewinning the Governorship in 1980).
Matt Blunt may have done a creditable job with respect to policy, but it was all thrown away by his running away when the GOP needed a Governor to preside over redistricting (and we could wipe out Skelton’s and drastically reconfigure the other Carnahan and Cleaver’s seats, potentially giving us a 7-2 or even 8-1 GOP House majority). We have way too many gutless weasels in our party when we need more stand-their-ground Conservatives.
He had no chance. He was excoriated in the press for his entire term from day one. He may not have even survived a primary battle a la Holden in 2004.
I liked Hulshof—he was my Congressman. He is a nice guy and was pretty solidly conservative even though he represents us in the People’s Republic of Columbia. Honestly, I am really surprised we held this district in the 2008 elections. The national Democrats pumped a lot of money into this district. That gives me a little hope. The state legislature is becoming more conervative—that also goves me hope.
If we could sell St. Louis to Illinois, this would be a great state!
“BTW, am I the only one that thinks MO should go to off-year elections for statewide ?”
I agree. I don’t know why they have the auditor in off-years separate from the rest.
Unfortunately even as McLame surprised me with his win, the state ticket lagged behind and only Kinder won.
I forget why states like my own IL made the switch but it’s good from a turnout perspective in most states for it be off year.
In Washington state, Dino Rossi would have won in 2002, maybe even 2006.
In contrast it would be more helpful if West VA stayed with Presidential years.
“He may not have even survived a primary battle a la Holden in 2004.”
It’s unlikely any major Republican would have run against him.
“If we could sell St. Louis to Illinois, this would be a great state!”
You’re right but FRiend we have enough problems! For instance East St. Louis which you are more than welcome to. ;)
Perhaps not, but I was simply trying to illustrate the point of just how unpopular Governor Blunt was near the end of his term.
After selling St. Louis to Illinois, I was hoping we could the sell Illinois to France. Obviously, you would be welcome here!!!!
The Missouri GOP respects traditional. Danforth groomed Bond. Then Bond groomed Ashcroft. Then Ashcroft groomed Bond. Then Roy groomed Matt. It is tradition that gives Roy Blunt an advantage in the primary. Right now Roy is comparing Steelman to William Webster, a train wreck waiting to happen.
Webster, huh ? Roy still remains bitter about losing the ‘92 Gubernatorial nomination to him. Frankly if he has the unmitigated nerve to compare Steelman to a convicted felon, my opinion of him has managed to sink even lower. I’m sure Steelman can come back at this jackass with “Where’s Roy ?” during his time as House Whip and the loss of scores of seats due to his rank incompetence.
The French don’t deodorize (it’s in their constitution that they can’t) so I’d be forced to move.
McCaskill talks moderate, but that’s rarely reflected in her voting record.
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