Capito vs. Byrd?

[davidinalameda]

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2005030831

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., might be planning to run against Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., in the 2006 elections, according to an article in Tuesday’s edition of The Hill.

The newspaper widely circulated on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., said Capito “is mobilizing for a possible challenge to ... Byrd, getting a head start on fund raising and making top-level personnel changes.”

R.C. Hammond, Capito’s spokesman in Washington, said, “I don’t think it is accurate. The bulk of what we told them is that she is focusing on her job as a U.S. congresswoman.

[WildClarySage]

1. I can't stand that beyatch.

But I thought Byrd has already said he would not run?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

2. he said that he would

it was announced about a month and a half ago in the sundqay gazette mail

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

3. look for shelley man capito to run a "positive, above the fray" campaign

while byrd will have to spend his time responding to and fending off third party attacks from GOP financed groups who claim tohave to ties to arch moore's daughter

they're gonna try to warren mcgraw byrd

why the state party is not trying to build up a war chest to combat the coming ad blitz is beyond me

maybe we could set up some kind of site and link to it on Du to appeal to national liberals to aid byrd?

[flaminbats]

4. Is Byrd really ready for this campaign?

In 2002, I was shocked that Max Cleland was defeated by an unknown rat from South Georgia. Cleland was better known, had never lost an election, and even more conservative than Governor Roy Barnes. Yet Barnes only lost narrowly to Perdue, while Cleland was blown away by Chambliss. Chambliss was effective in employing many of the same tactics mentioned above..using "independent" groups including neocon veterans to attack Cleland's service record in Vietnam. This enabled Chambliss to run an "above the fray campaign", while also ducking responsibility for these sick attacks.

If West Virginia Democrats can't organize an effective response against this slander, be ready for an unpleasant surprise in 2006. We need Dean to kick some state party ass in West Virginia. :kick:

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

5. exactly-capito id going to attempt triangulation

attacking byrd, but trying to distance herself from her own work.

this won't be the same old kind of campaign. byrd needs to hire some innovative people-maybe those guys who did wellstone's orignal run (don't remember their names) or ventura's campaign. they're very good at running successful nontraditional campaigns.

if byrd throws capito off her feet, she won't be able to employ the standard GOP attack plan

[MrSandman]

6. I only hope...

The 2nd will go Dem....
Byrd will win handily....

Byrd has brought too much to WV to be defeated by the Spawn of Arch.