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For GOP, runoffs could complicate key Senate races
philly.com ^ | 5/1/14 | Charles Babington

Posted on 05/02/2014 5:07:59 AM PDT by cotton1706

DAVIDSON, N.C. (AP) - As Republicans try to win control of the Senate in the 2014 elections, they may be forced to confront runoffs in key states that could expose conservative-vs.-establishment rifts and allow relatively tiny numbers of voters to pick the nominees.

In North Carolina, Republican Thom Tillis hopes to capture at least 40 percent of the vote on Tuesday's primary to avoid a mid-July runoff. Tillis, the GOP establishment's preferred candidate, would rather focus on Sen. Kay Hagan, among the most targeted Senate Democrats seeking re-election this year.

In Georgia, a large field of Republicans makes a runoff election likely, potentially helping Democrat Michelle Nunn in a state that hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1996. And in Iowa, the winner of a crowded GOP Senate primary on June 3 will need to capture 35 percent to avoid a state GOP convention, a process that often favors the most conservative candidate.

The outcome of the three Senate campaigns could help determine whether Republicans gain Senate control during President Barack Obama's final two years. They need to pick up six seats for a majority in the 100-member chamber.

Primary runoff elections traditionally draw small turnouts under the best of circumstances. The problem expands in the summer, when many families are on vacation and paying scant attention to politics and other news.

(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections
So a "firehose primary" in Virginia on a Saturday between 10 and 3 is just fine, but they don't want runoffs when families may be on vacation etc.

In a runoff, there can't be any "split the conservative vote so our guy gets a plurality" games. And that's what they don't like!

1 posted on 05/02/2014 5:07:59 AM PDT by cotton1706
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To: cotton1706

I very nice Associated Press is “concerned” that run-off election rules could “hurt” Republicans. Sure, AP, we believe you...really!


2 posted on 05/02/2014 5:13:47 AM PDT by House Atreides
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To: cotton1706

DAMN ELECTION LAW!


3 posted on 05/02/2014 5:21:23 AM PDT by struggle
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To: cotton1706

translation: Tea Party candidates only win when a screwed-up, unfair system slants the table in their direction by allowing small groups of organized wackos to hijack the runoff.

Yeah. Riiiiiiight!


4 posted on 05/02/2014 5:48:01 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: cotton1706

Do they want to ban primaries now? Lol


5 posted on 05/02/2014 6:18:42 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: struggle

Democracy is so horrible


6 posted on 05/02/2014 6:19:24 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: GeronL

“Do they want to ban primaries now? Lol”

I know. Isn’t it laughable.


7 posted on 05/02/2014 6:22:20 AM PDT by cotton1706 (ThisRepublic.net)
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To: cotton1706

It only helps the dems if the RINOs refuse to support conservatives who win the nomination.


8 posted on 05/02/2014 6:25:14 AM PDT by grania
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To: grania

That’s the ticket. All the GOP-e support flooding in to Tillis will dry up if he loses. For all their whining about how important it is to elect Republicans, this only applies to liberal Republicans. The GOP-e won’t give a dime to elect a Republican conservative, since they would rather a Democrat got the seat than a conservative.

Seriously. When conservatives finally get Republican leadership positions, there is going to have to be a purge of liberal Republicans from any position of authority. And probably a quarter of the former GOP-e will probably convert to Democrat in their bitterness.


9 posted on 05/02/2014 8:08:41 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy (WoT News: Rantburg.com)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

It’s such a rigged game. In the next election, if we get stuck with Jeb (or a suitable replacemet) vs hillary (or a suitable replacement) they’ve already won. But still they’ll be here with some fantasy about “the lesser of two evils”.


10 posted on 05/02/2014 8:21:11 AM PDT by grania
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To: grania
if we get stuck with Jeb (or a suitable replacemet) vs hillary (or a suitable replacement)

There will be a lot of write-ins for Putin!

11 posted on 05/02/2014 8:22:36 AM PDT by nascarnation (Toxic Baraq Syndrome: hopefully infecting a Dem candidate near you)
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To: grania; All

The question is how bad to they want the senate? If a non-insider loses will they support FINANCIALLY whoever wins the primary? How many of these states have sore loser laws?


12 posted on 05/02/2014 8:28:25 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: longtermmemmory
The question is how bad do they want the Senate?

Do they want the Senate? With both the Senate and HOR, they'd have little excuse to compromise.

It's time to give up the myth that the status-quo Republicans ever supported constitutional conservatives or for the US to put our economic and military strength and our security above global manipulations.

The irony is the dems have the same problem. They thought with Obama they were getting an anti-war guy who would fix the economy.

13 posted on 05/02/2014 8:33:07 AM PDT by grania
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To: cotton1706

establishment candidates still think of elections as if they are in the 1970s only now with “facebook”. If these establishment idiots think they can win with a two week last minute push, then they have already lost to their democrat opposition and lost the senate.

it is an unforced error.


14 posted on 05/02/2014 8:36:02 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: cotton1706
Then I heartily recommend that McConnell, Cochran, and Grahmam announce they are retiring at the end of 2014.

Problem solved.

15 posted on 05/02/2014 8:43:53 AM PDT by Night Hides Not (For every Ted Cruz we send to DC, I can endure 2-3 "unviable" candidates that beat incumbents.)
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To: grania
But still they’ll be here with some fantasy about “the lesser of two evils”.

Yup...the Jeb-bots, formerly known as Mitt-bots, will be out in full force.

As my voice mail message used to say, "If you agree with me that true conservatism is the last best hope for this country, then feel free to leave your name and number, and I'll call you back. If not, GOOD LUCK AND GOOD DAY!"

I had to remove it after it went viral at work. I must have heard from two dozen people who loved it. I was worried about the few that hated it.

16 posted on 05/02/2014 8:48:23 AM PDT by Night Hides Not (For every Ted Cruz we send to DC, I can endure 2-3 "unviable" candidates that beat incumbents.)
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To: grania

I have a dark suspicion that the powers that be have vetted Jeb and found him to be defective, or at least so unwanted that he could never get the nomination. So their idea is to put up Mitt as a alternative. An either/or choice that blocks any possibility of a conservative candidate.

“Take what we want, or what we want. There is no other possible choice. And certainly not what you want.”


17 posted on 05/02/2014 10:35:15 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy (WoT News: Rantburg.com)
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