Politics1: McCaskill probably in, Rossi out of Senate races (MO, WA)

[UrbScotty]

In Washington State, former State Senator Dino Rossi (R-WA) -- who narrowly lost the '04 gubernatorial race by just a few hundred votes -- definitively said Friday what he had hinted for months: he will not be a candidate for US Senate next year. Instead, it appears he plans to run again for Governor in '08. The NRSC had attempted to recruit Rossi into the race, after recent polling showed he was the only GOP candidate who had a shot against US Senator Maria Cantwell (D). Cantwell already polls at or above the 50% mark in match-ups against the various other GOP names being floated. In Missouri, it appears much more likely these days that State Auditor Claire McCaskell (D) -- the '04 Dem nominee for Governor -- will challenge US Senator Jim Talent (R) next year. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, McCaskill has put her '06 re-election fundraising activities on hold because of her exploring entry into the Senate race. State and federal finance rules are different, so money raised for her state re-election bid could not be used for a Senate run. McCaskill said she'll make her decision on the race known by Labor Day.

www.politics1.com

[evlbstrd]

1. Run, Claire, run!

[ochazuke]

2. She'd lose

Missouri is a Red Neck state through and through. You need real out-state charm to win here. Kerry won the big cities by huge margins and still lost the state by like seven points.

[evlbstrd]

3. I disagree.

I live in Missouri, and she's respected. Talent won based on the damned gay marriage amendment that was on the same ballot.

[UrbScotty]

4. I thought the marriage amendment was last year.

Wasn't Talent elected in 2002?

[evlbstrd]

10. I stand corrected.

Sorry. I was really tired.

[nickinSTL]

6. It was Blunt who won on the gay marriage issue

not Talent.

And people in downstate Missouri are starting to really feel the effects of their vote.

Maybe some of them will get the clue that gay marriage isn't that important, in light of what Blunt's been doing that DOES affect their lives.

[ISUGRADIA]

5. No, she has a real chance, though I'd still bet on Talent

"Missouri is a Red Neck state through and through"

She got 48% of the vote in 2004 which is very respectable. It did not help that Kerry took all resources out of Missouri early on ceding the state to Bush.

[MadHound]

7. Sorry, but I beg to differ friend

Gee, Missouri has elected two Dems for govenor, and a dead Dem for Senate in the past ten years. Along with Dems in the Lt. Gov, Att. Gen. and Treasurer. Also we have had Dem majorities in Congress up until the '04 elections. Oh, and we also helped vote in Clinton twice. Doesn't sound red neck to me friend, so stop with the gratuitous insults.

The only urban area that goes for 'Pugs on a consistent basis is our third largest city, Springfield, but their votes are outweighed by the urban areas of St. Louis, KC and Columbia. And that leaves the rest of the rural parts of Missouri. While larger in size, the rural areas contain much less population, and if you get north of the Ozarks, you find many of the small towns actually going Democratic on a consistent basis, little towns like Hermann and Centralia.

Sure, sometimes it is a trade-off in this state, Dem govenor for a 'Pug Senator, but all in all, like most other states, we are pretty evenly divided, and whoever marshalls their troops to get out the votes will win in the end. That is what happened in '04, due in part to the gay marriage amendment. That isn't going to happen in '06. There is a strong and consistent backlash building in this state. Matt, the Boy Blunder, Blunt has pissed off enough people on all sides that he is going to be gone in '08. Claire is considered a strong up and comer who can contend with anybody, while Robin Carnahan carries a strong name that can carry her far.

So put aside you generalities of this state, and get ready to see a blue Missouri once more. And if Claire climbs into the ring with Talent, you could very well see that start next year.

[KingFlorez]

8. I think Claire can pull this off

That 48% she got in the Governor's race was pretty impressive. We can't afford to give any Repuke a free pass next year.

[election_2004]

9. Jim Talent is the Eddie Haskill of the U.S. Senate....

...and just you wait until Jean and Robin Carnahan get out there campaigning with Claire.

The Senate Democrats in the region need to really pump up McCaskill's visibility...the DNC must send Blanche Lincoln and Mary Landrieu to the state to do appearances/rallies with Claire.

Hillary Clinton will not play well in the Show Me State.

[deadparrot]

11. Go, Claire!

She lost for governor, but that wasn't by any huge margins, IIRC.

Plus, turnout is so damn low for midterms that if they get a loyal McCaskill base, I think she stands a chance.

Talent's like, what, 35% approval? Plus, our Republican governor, Matt Blunt, is even less popular.