Senate Recruiting: Huge Democratic Victories, Enormous Republican Defeats

[mndemocrat_29]

I think that one of the most important victories for Democrats this year has been our recruitment of candidates for the 2004 Senate Race. Democrats have attracted top tier candidates such as Tony Knowles, Joe Hoeffel, Nancy Farmer, Peter Deutsch, Inez Tenenbaum, and look like they could very well add Erskine Bowles, Andy Young, Gary Hart, and possibly Jonathan Miller to that list. Meanwhile, Republicans have completely struck out in attracting their candidates . Here's a list of candidates that Rove and Allen wanted, but couldn't get: Jennifer Dunn, Jim Edgar, Judy Baar Topinka, Peter Fitzgerald, Mel Martinez, George Pataki, Rudy Giuliani, John Hoeven, Ed Schaefer, Doug Ose, Tommy Thompson, Michael Steele, Connie Morella, Jim Gibbons, Kenny Guinn, Mike Huckabee, Dale Brown, and Asa Hutchison.

What do you think of the current slate and what it means for chances at reclaiming the Senate.

P. S.: I just want to say a big thank you to Sens. Jon Corzine and Debbie Stabenow, who are both in charge of recruiting candidates!

[ComerPerro]

1. Having Edgar and Fitzgerald both decide not to run

Is fantastic news for Illinois

[mndemocrat_29]

2. Absolutely

I think that even with either of them running, the Democrats would've won, but now it seems a lock.

I still wonder if the huge open primary is such a great thing here. At this point, I don't see any candidate catching fire and easily winning the primary. Hopefully the competitiveness will cause people to become more aware of the Democratic nominee and vote for them in great magnitudes (ala Rendell in 2002). However, I just want to put in that the two candidates I most wanted nominated in 2004 aren't running for the Senate from Illinois (Bill Daley and Jesse Jackson, Jr.) I still think that we'll get a fine Democratic senator out of this (and hopefully Illinois will help tilt the scales so that we have a Democratic Senate!).

[Ellen Forradalom]

4. Take a look at Barack Obama

from Hyde Park. Stellar resume, active in Springfield, and doing the political hoofwork: speaking to small groups, appearing in parades, getting endorsements. He's been endorsed by all major South Side political figures except Bobby Rush, who has some sort of pissing contest going with Obama.

http://www.obamaforillinois.com/

[madrchsod]

6. haven`t heard anything

about him,but i live in the heart of the repup empire. i get most of my info from the lasalle county demos. and they haven`t mentioned him either..you got to get out in the country if you want to be elected.

[madrchsod]

5. jessie jr

would have made a good senator.i`m for skinner. the repubs really have no one at all. the only person i think would be trouble is jerry mitchell. he`s got alot of support from both the democrats and repups in his dist. and he actually gets things done. i think that has alot to do with being respected by the guys you work with....

[Bombtrack]

9. they have a few very strong candidates

take a look at my post below

or http://www.ilsenate.com/

[jfxgillis]

3. You left Condelezza Rice off your list of Bushies.

She was supposedly being pressed to run against either Gray Davis or Barbara Boxer.

[sal]

7. Ann Richards vs Kay B. Hutchison

I wish! The battle of the high hairdoos.

[jiacinto]

20. I doubt she'd run

nt

[Bombtrack]

8. the GOP's got some strong candidates in both IL and GA

I really thought we had a good chance at IL, but we shouldn't underestimate there candidates

Jack Ryan is the ex-husband of Jeri Ryan, and like her character on Boston Public, he's a young very good looking professional who left a hugely high-paying job to go teach in an inner-city school

They also have a self-made billionaire indian sheik running

and in both races(IL and GA) there are millionaire black conservative entreprenuers.

black conservatives are like gold in the eyes of the RNC, and for good reason, they

[Cocoa]

10. Ryan has a secret weapon...

A very special man on his finance committee.

http://www.jackryan2004.com/news/contentview.asp?c=7024

The Jack Ryan for U.S. Senate campaign today announced its Finance Committee, an impressive collection of active Illinois business leaders and national trendsetters.

Local standouts include Michael Birck, CEO of Tellabs, Inc.; Pat Daly, Chairman of Daly Group; and Bruce Rauner, Chairman of GTCR. National additions to the Finance Committee include former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett, Goldman Sachs CEO Hank Paulson, and Best Buy Chairman Dick Schulze.

[mndemocrat_29]

11. Many consider the name Ryan a curse in Illinois

I'm not kidding here. After George Ryan (unpopular former governor) and Jim Ryan (a failed nominee in 2002), they may not nominate Jack Ryan. I do think that this is Democrats' best chance at a pickup in 2004, bar none. If we can't pickup Illinois, we'll be in trouble. Does anyone know if Sen. Durbin has endorsed anyone?

As for Georgia, there may be some black conservatives running, but I doubt they'll beat either Mac Collins or Johnny Isaakson in the primary. Our best bet right now would be to nominate For. Rep. Andy Young or Michelle Nunn (though she's basically disclaimed interest, if Andy Young declined a run, I'd bet she'd join the race).

[tibbiit]

12. none of this matters if

the voting machines are rigged.
sad to say.
tib

[jiacinto]

18. Not more voting machine conspiracies

Sometimes the voters do pick Republicans in close elctions.

[helleborient]

13. Skinner had someone at the Dean "Sleepless Summer" event

Skinner had someone passing out flyers at Dean's "Sleepless Summer" event this week...I was a little surprised that Obama had no one there.

Hynes seems to be the main game in town downstate so far.

I completely agree this Senate seat is the Dems to lose at this point...the Republicans have no one.

[mndemocrat_29]

14. It seems as if Skinner and Obama are the DU faves

n/t

[Changenow]

15. There are persistent rumors that Nickels isn’t running again.

Which means Oklahoma could have a Democratic senator. There are some strong possibilities.

[sable302]

16. Ooooh Nickles finally gone...

do we dare to dream...

[jiacinto]

17. AG Drew Edmonson would make a good candidate

for that seat.

[ShaneGR]

19. From my research paper on the Senate Races

OKLAHOMA
As of now Senator Don Nickles (R) will run for re-election in 2004. Senator Nickles was passed over for Senate Majority Leader in the recent events surrounding Trent Lott's remarks about Strom Thurmond and is a potential retirement from the Senate. Recently he said he will not decide until next year about his election plans. Democrats could have an opportunity in a state that is not traditionally thought of as friendly to Democrats. However the truth is that the Legislature is controlled by the Democrats and the state just elected a Democratic Governor.
Congressman Brad Carson (D) has expressed interest in the race. Carson has won impressive victories in his district and would be a formidable candidate against Nickles and especially against a replacement. Former Oklahoma and Dallas Cowboys football coach Barry Switzer is also considering a run. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Switzer won national titles with the University of Oklahoma in 1974, 1975 and 1985 before resigning in 1989. He coached the Dallas Cowboys from 1994 through 1998. The team won the 1996 Super Bowl.
If Nickles does retire this seat will be very vulnerable to a Democratic takeover. The state, while swinging to the right, has begun to move slightly back to the left. An open seat would present an excellent opportunity for the Democrats to create havoc for the Republicans in a state they otherwise would have considered to be safe.

[jiacinto]

21. What about Drew Edmonson, the AG

I think he would be the best candidate.

[jos]

22. Always talked about

But never runs for Governor or Senator.

[jos]

23. Encouraging, but

the Dems still have more vulnerable seats to defend than the GOP. Georgia is particularly vulnerable, followed by the Carolinas.

As for the pickups, Illinois and Alaska are excellent possibilities. Pennsylvania would follow. But seats like Missouri and Colorado always seems to be vulnerable, but it always seems the Dems come up short.

Bottom line, it's too early to tell. A wash is a good possibility.

[NewJerseyDem]

24. Democrats have done well

Due to recruiting democrats have made the 2004 senate elections potentially good for the democrats. However, we still need to find good candidates in Georgia and Colorado. The republicans have done awful which is surprising since they have the white house.

I do have a few questions about who is running in some states.

What is going on in Kentucky? I know Jonathan Miller, a moderate, has been mentioned but hasn't decided yet. I have also heard about Lt. Gov. Stephen Henry running. Is he a good candidate?

Is there any hope in Kansas? Clearly this is an overwhelmingly republican state but there has been a little talk of Brownback maybe being in trouble. Dennis Moore, Jill Docking and Dan Glickman have all been mentioned but are any going to run?

Is Grassley definitely running in Iowa? If he retires we could have a chance, but who would run there?