The fun here in Colorado is that the upcoming gubernatorial campaign will be a three way between John Hickenlooper (I think I spelled that right) the current Mayor of Denver in the Democrat's corner. Dan no free bikes in MY state Maies (I KNOW I misspelled that) in the Republican corner. & Good old Tom Tancredo (yes, that Tom Tancredo) in the "I want to spoil it for everybody" corner.
I'm looking forward to many things to laugh at & hopefully nothing to cry about.
With Colorado trending blue anyhow and two teatards splitting the certifiable Grade-A kook vote, it would seem that Hickenlooper would be safe and that once again the Republicans have rescued the Democrats from themselves by refusing to be a viable alternative, even to thinking conservatives who hate Democrats. The same is happening with Oregon's Governor's race. Good luck.
The Reps may yet have a "viable" alternative. Mitch Daniels is now "open" to possibilty of a presidential run in 2012. And he looks respectable, his state is somewhat solvent, and he can speak well. Of course, Indiana is solvent because you have one person doing 3 peoples' jobs (at least), and we have "benefits" that are causing us--the workers--to lose money. He is also in the process of cutting out every one of the costless benefits that make the low pay worth it. I expect he'll get the idea to make us pay for parking before he leaves office.
And yes, I can complain. I voted in the last election. Against Daniels. Not because I liked the opposition, necessarily, but because Daniels broke his promises to the workers, and some of the other things I saw and see as a state worker. He has no respect for those of us in the trenches and no idea what regular people go thru.
That's the 2012 national ticket. I was talking about this year. I was talking about specific statewide races this year, and the amazing number of instances (Senate races in NV, KY, FL, CO, PA, CA; Governor races in CO, OR, CT, AZ. Maybe others) that have gone from "very bad for Democrats" to "tossup" or from "tossup" to "likely Dem", not because the Democrats are doing anything brilliant to save themselves, but because Republicans are nominating people so unprecedentedly crazy, stupid and mean that no one but the most hardcore right wing fanatic would ever vote for them. In many cases, solid, well-known Republicans with good reputations, who would have been favored to win a general election in an off-year when Democrats were in the majority and taking the heat for America's problems, were rejected in the primary in favor of teatards (Rob Simmons in CY, Trey Grayson in Kentucky, Scott McInnis on Colorado), or even forced to leave the party entirely for the crime of having a fully functional brain and actually wanting to support the government they want to be part of instead of destroying everything in sight (Crist in Florida, Specter in Pennsylvania).
As for Daniels, I don't know much about him, but he's got a big problem, as does any other establishment Republican. If he seems respectable, as you say, the Republican base will flee him in droves in favor of Hucklebee or Palin or whoever panders to Teh Crazy, and he won't win primaries. If he's serious and respectable instead of charismatic, he also won't be noticed by the majority, for the same reasons serious intellectuals like Tsongas and Dukakis failed. But then, if he DOES pander to the base, nobody BUT the base will vote for him, in part because he'll look like any other hack who changes his pitch ans just says whatever he thinks the electorate du jour wants to hear.
He is somewhat charismatic. Otherwise he wouldn't have won a second term here. By 2012 Daniels may well be able to win the national ticket. Especially if he can keep Indiana from financial implosion, no matter how he goes about it. Of course, being as familiar as I am with HOW he achieves that "financial stability" he touts so much, I am sure as HELL not voting for him.
If he's serious and respectable instead of charismatic, he also won't be noticed by the majority, for the same reasons serious intellectuals like Tsongas and Dukakis failed.
Err... you do know that Tsongas and Dukakis were/are both Massachusetts Democrats, right? They both did pretty well here in Massachusetts because we like serious and respectable with a strong side of thoughtful. Or at least male with good hair, like TwitMitt Romney.
I'm worried about Oregon. Unless Dudley continues to shoot himself in the foot by refusing to debate, he might win this. Kitzhaber isn't lighting fires in Portland.
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-13 03:39 am (UTC)I'm looking forward to many things to laugh at & hopefully nothing to cry about.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-13 04:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-13 02:32 pm (UTC)And yes, I can complain. I voted in the last election. Against Daniels. Not because I liked the opposition, necessarily, but because Daniels broke his promises to the workers, and some of the other things I saw and see as a state worker. He has no respect for those of us in the trenches and no idea what regular people go thru.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-13 04:48 pm (UTC)That's the 2012 national ticket. I was talking about this year. I was talking about specific statewide races this year, and the amazing number of instances (Senate races in NV, KY, FL, CO, PA, CA; Governor races in CO, OR, CT, AZ. Maybe others) that have gone from "very bad for Democrats" to "tossup" or from "tossup" to "likely Dem", not because the Democrats are doing anything brilliant to save themselves, but because Republicans are nominating people so unprecedentedly crazy, stupid and mean that no one but the most hardcore right wing fanatic would ever vote for them. In many cases, solid, well-known Republicans with good reputations, who would have been favored to win a general election in an off-year when Democrats were in the majority and taking the heat for America's problems, were rejected in the primary in favor of teatards (Rob Simmons in CY, Trey Grayson in Kentucky, Scott McInnis on Colorado), or even forced to leave the party entirely for the crime of having a fully functional brain and actually wanting to support the government they want to be part of instead of destroying everything in sight (Crist in Florida, Specter in Pennsylvania).
As for Daniels, I don't know much about him, but he's got a big problem, as does any other establishment Republican. If he seems respectable, as you say, the Republican base will flee him in droves in favor of Hucklebee or Palin or whoever panders to Teh Crazy, and he won't win primaries. If he's serious and respectable instead of charismatic, he also won't be noticed by the majority, for the same reasons serious intellectuals like Tsongas and Dukakis failed. But then, if he DOES pander to the base, nobody BUT the base will vote for him, in part because he'll look like any other hack who changes his pitch ans just says whatever he thinks the electorate du jour wants to hear.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-13 05:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-14 01:37 am (UTC)Err... you do know that Tsongas and Dukakis were/are both Massachusetts Democrats, right?
They both did pretty well here in Massachusetts because we like serious and respectable with a strong side of thoughtful. Or at least male with good hair, like
TwitMitt Romney.(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-19 05:34 am (UTC)