Posted on 04/14/2014 8:54:02 AM PDT by cotton1706
Monica Wehby is a pediatric brain surgeon running for the Republican Senate nomination in Oregon. She has never sought elected office before. But she is off to a well-financed and highly touted start. The reason: She has the support of GOP political operatives in Washington as the Republican with the best chance of unseating Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley.
Jason Conger is an Oregon legislator who is also seeking to win the Republican primary on May 20. He has won two state elections, ousting an entrenched Democrat in his first race. Mr. Conger doesn't have the backing of Republican strategists in Washington and his campaign is barely heralded at all. He trails Ms. Wehby badly in fundraising.
The Washington practice of intervening in Senate and House primaries, privately or publicly, is hardly a new one. Incumbents are routinely backed by party campaign committees. But intruding in challenger contests or races for open seats is controversial, especially when Republicans in Washington insist—as they do in supporting Ms. Wehby—that a less conservative candidate is more electable.
This was famously the case in Florida in 2010. The National Republican Senatorial Committee rushed to endorse then-Gov. Charlie Crist over Marco Rubio, his conservative rival for the Senate. It backfired. Mr. Rubio soared past Mr. Crist, who quit the GOP and ran (and lost) as an independent. Mr. Rubio won the Senate seat. This year Mr. Crist is running for governor as a Democrat.
In Washington, Ms. Wehby, 51, is viewed as well positioned to compete with Mr. Merkley, despite her lack of electoral experience. Her pro-choice stance on abortion and fuzzy but sympathetic view of same-sex marriage are seen as assets for a Republican in a blue state like Oregon. And perhaps they are, though Mr. Conger doesn't think so.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Nit-picking here, but if Monica Wehby is a pediatric brain surgeon shouldn’t the writer being referring to her as Dr. Wehby?
Are we to presume that Jason Conger is affiliated with the T.E.A. party in some way?
The GOP establishment continues to shoot themselves in the foot, time and again.
If they possessed a lick of sense, the Establishment would EMBRACE the T.E.A. party, an immediately available and quickly mobilized cadre to get out support for the rest of the Republicans.
If the T.E.A. party can get past this fixation by the Establishment types that somehow, the “Old Guard” will be pushed aside, a vast surging flood will open, with just maybe, a chance the nation that was once known as “the United States of America” could be restored to its former glory.
“The GOP establishment continues to shoot themselves in the foot, time and again.”
No, their goal is to keep conservatives out of their precious Senate. So they endorse or get behind the most moderate person in EVERY. SINGLE. ELECTION!
Shooting oneself in the foot is still going to make a person look pretty darned lame.
In another Oregonian article, Merkley pulled in another million last quarter.
I don’t know what’s going on in this election but if/when Sarah weighs in, Jason Conger will surge if chosen—even against an old time name association to Welby, MD.
I don’t know what’s going on in this election but if/when Sarah weighs in, Jason Conger will surge if chosen—even against an old time name association to Welby MD (Wehby)
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