http://practicalpoliticking.com/2014/04/22/winning-the-gop-senate-races-everything-old-cannot-be-new-again/Angle and O’Donnell, Akin and Mourdock, the names just roll off the tongue … just as easily as lunatic and loser do. In 2010 and 2012, these were the primary winners in what should have been easy senate wins for the GOP only to expose themselves as unelectable in short order. This is simply not a mistake Republicans can allow to happen again this year.
If you’re a bargain shopper then you’ll be pleased to know there’s a “four-fer” available right now in the form of Bevin, Brannon, McDaniel and Wolf … yes, the “purity for profit” crowd has managed to dredge up (without any obvious vetting, of course) a group of fund-raising products because they certainly do not qualify as electable candidates.
Bevin ran afoul with even his most ardent supporters in February for his flip-flop on TARP; the Kentucky Tea Party itself bailed on him; and he quickly became as irrelevant as Steve Stockman. His name has been noticeably absent from virtually all recent emails from any of the organizations who endorsed him and then raised millions of dollars using his name. The McConnell campaign, while not taking anything for granted, is already transitioning into general election mode; and the only remaining question is how much does Bevin lose the primary by on May 20.
Brannon, who is running in the GOP primary in North Carolina, is considered the principle competition for Thom Tillis, the current Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives and front-runner in the primary race. Brannon, cut from the “shoot mouth now, load brain later” cloth has a history of controversial positions and just recently added to that resume by embracing the possibility that the 9/11 attacks may have been an “inside job”. If this was his only suspect statement or position things may be different but the catalogue of issues he would be pummeled with in the general is building rapidly.
As if there wasn’t enough lunacy already surrounding Brannon, we have the latest just appearing today in the form of a BuzzFeed article, 13 Things You Won’t Believe The Man Who Could Be North Carolina’s Next Senator Said.
Tillis must garner 40% of the vote on May 6 to avoid a run-off against the second place GOP primary finisher. Incumbent Democratic Senator Kay Hagan is vulnerable, and this race is key to regaining a Republican majority in the senate. Latest polling put Tillis comfortably ahead but short of the magic 40% number; however there are more than 30% of the GOP voters still undecided and I would strongly urge them to consider the unelectability of Brannon, support Thom Tillis with their primary vote and allow the GOP to get on with the effort to defeat Hagan.
History has a strange way of repeating itself and the likelihood of more Brannon miscues coming to light is high. It took minimal effort for the liberal blogs and media to uncover what they have thus far; and one can only imagine what other counterproductive tidbits will be found by a concerted effort if the Democrats really went to work.
McDaniel, running against incumbent Thad Cochran in Mississippi, has a veritable treasure trove of controversial and unproductive gaffes and statements. In spite of numerous recent demands he release recordings of his former radio show appearances, he has failed to produce any such information leaving only the worst to be suspected. It begins to sound like a broken recording but McDaniel is simply another amateur candidate recruited for purposes of fund-raising with little regard to substance; and again the likelihood of more foibles surfacing is extreme. Recent polling shows Cochran in a solid place headed toward the June 3 primary but diligence is the order of the day to ensure McDaniel’s lack of electability is regularly conveyed to primary voters.
Wolf, the reported second-cousin to Barack Obama, is running against incumbent Pat Roberts in Kansas with the GOP primary not slated until August 5. Wolf ran afoul in February when revelations about significant improprieties as a doctor and his disclosure of patient information on social media came to light. Now it has been reported that in a 2012 radio interview Wolf embraced the “crown jewel of Donald Trump’s political career” – birtherism – suggesting Obama may have been born in Kenya.
As in other races discussed here, the incumbent, Roberts, has a considerable lead in the polls but the distractions of an unelectable candidate such as Wolf serves no greater good; and yet again we have to seriously consider the inevitability that there are more “skeletons in the closet” that will simply usurp new cycles while detracting from the overall Republican effort.
There is only one mission for realistic Republicans in 2014, and that is to regain the senate majority so we can stymie Obama’s disastrous agenda for his last two years while beginning to legislate for many conservative policies from a position of strength.
This objective can only be realized by nominating quality electable candidates in the primaries. It is a serious process not a carnival freak-show, but the GOP suffered with Angle and O’Donnell in 2010, then Akin and Mourdock in 2012, and lost four easy seats. The last thing we can allow this year is a repeat performance of the last two cycles; and every one of this “four-fer” of fund-raising products, not legitimate candidates, has the regrettable ability to create such an occurrence. Republicans can ensure that does not happen but just saying NO to Bevin, Brannon, McDaniel and Wolf as their respective primaries arrive.