Hiram Lewis to Challenge Sen. Robert Byrd

[wallybarron]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050410/ap_on_el_se/lewis_senate_2

[Catch22Dem]

1. It doesn't look like he's had a lot of success thusfar...

I doubt he will in 06 as well.

[rainy]

2. I wonder what kind of voting machines they have in W.Va.

Better look out. They could steal it there as elsewhere.

[Petrushka]

4. Marshall County (northern panhandle), past election: punch-cards. (eom)

[saltpoint]

3. If Byrd decides to run again, I hope he prevails against this guy.

Byrd is hardly a liberal senator. But I surely did appreciate his stand against Bush's insane war in Iraq.

[eriffle]

5. Hah!

First off, he won't win the GOP nomination let alone the General. The GOP needs to get someone who has won a few elections to run against Byrd. And there are very few career state-level republicans in WV. Secondly, as the picture below shows, you can't throw a rock and not hit something that is not named after Robert C. Byrd. The picture is of Lewis announcing his bid to run underneath a statue of Sen. Byrd.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

6. lewis will "stay positve"

while GOP 3rd party groups will do his work for him
is lewis' announcement a sign that capito isn't running?

[eriffle]

7. no it doesn't mean anything

The organizational skills of the WV GOP is roughly the level of school children, their real power and money comes from outside our borders. Sure Lewis may be the state treasurer of the WV GOP but he's really a nobody when it comes to the cronyism that is rampant in WV politics. Lewis's decision to run is probably his own and has no outside influence. I may be wrong since Brent Benjamin was a nobody, but he was more of a nobody than Lewis. Benjamin did have legal ties to his big money backers, who is backing Lewis? Who has backed Lewis in the past? I think the only reason Lewis did so well in November is because he was running against a McGraw and the name recognition from the Benjamin/McGraw race stuck. I think he's hoping to peak the attention of outside/national money sources before they can hand pick someone, but fails to realize they probably have already hand picked someone, but haven't announced them yet

[JeremyL]

8. Rage against the GOP

I along with the President of the McDowell County Young Democrats have been engaged in debate and discussion with Hiram Lewis even before he announced his candidacy. Hiram "No Win" Lewis has lost every major election he has contested which can be used as firepower against him. West Virginians do not want a loser to lead. But then again, weird things happen in elections, such as the Benjamin win. If enough money is poured into any election the outcome can be foggy and unexpected. Only time will tell how this election unfolds, so until then, do not underestimate and continue fighting.

The Republicans have been starting their fights earlier and earlier each election. They distort facts and keep these lies circulating through out the media to confuse voters and instill doubt in their minds. To combat this we must either do the same or do the honorable approach. I recommend everyone writing into your local papers (editorials/op-eds)telling them all the good things Byrd has done for us as a state and a nation. Keep the media flooded with Byrd's praises. This is one of the many things we can do to help and participate in our democracy.

[eriffle]

9. Byrd will not be defeated by a WV'ian

Sure, that sounds overconfident, but no one with an R after their name can defeat Robert C. Byrd. Name one West Virginian politician who could do it? Simply put they'd have to get a carpetbagger to do it. Rudy perhaps? Probably shouldn't say that because it might give some ideas. Even with a nationally known figure I still doubt they could pull it off. The only person the WV GOP has is Capito. Her house seat is way too valuable to the national party to risk it against Byrd. I would really like to see the full might and fury of the GOP come to WV and have their asses handed back to them by Robert C. Byrd.

[JeremyL]

10. Byrd will win... but....

I hope you are correct eriffle, however Republicans have been playing very strategically and are aware of tactics to use to dismantle the Democratic party. The majority of Bush supporters are uninfomred or misinformed on political issues such as the war, where Bush stands on issues, social security and a number of other things. Remember, this is the party that was not scared to send mail out stating that Democrats will band the bible. And this was not even important enough for us to bash them with such lies. If the Republicans really wanted to unseat Byrd, they would send Rove down here along with a few million dollars and then go on a distortion media spree. My point is, if the American people, including WV can be fooled by the Bush administration on numerous things, then they can be tricked on state and local issues as well. If they are not persuaded by the Racist crap or the liberal labeling crap, then they will (and are) play the "too old" card.

I am confident that Byrd will win by a land slide, but I am gonna be careful.

[Lyric]

11. Very first DU forum post :)

If the Republicans try to play the "too old" card, it would backfire spectacularly upon them. Recall Strom Thurmond--if any Senator was ever "too old", it would have certainly been him. Yet they continued to support him. All it will take to show them up for the hypocrites we know they are is a campaign commercial reminding voters about the GOP support for elderly candidates like Thurmond and Reagan (also no spring chicken).

Byrd will win. Most likely, he'll win the election and then step down, allowing Manchin to choose his successor, thus ensuring that the Democratic Party maintains that Senate seat.

I don't have a problem with that at all. If our party wins the election, our party deserves to replace the victor if he should choose to retire.

[davidinalameda]

12. as long as Manchin doesn't put his own butt in the seat

Manchin has ambition outside the state and he's the perfect center right candidate that would draw Republicans, but at the loss of the real Democrats

[newyawker99]

13. Hi oktoberain!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Hubert Flottz]

14. Welcome to DU!

I'm hearing some local Republicans pick up the GOP's latest gripe about Robert Byrd..."He can hardly even walk and has to use a cane to get around!" My reply to their discriminatory slurs against a fellow senior citizen...FDR did a HELL of a good job, from his wheel chair! A far better job, than any republican president in the 20th or 21st centuries! The only Republican who even came close to FDR's greatness was Abe Lincoln! Half of the people who vote GOP now would reject Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation today and Lincoln couldn't win a second term, if he depended on today's republican's votes! The republican leaders in Washington today want to make slaves out of every working class American man or woman! Look at the GOP's record on minimum wage, social security, education and union busting! Abe Lincoln would be sick to his stomach to hear about the neocon's goal of world slavery and world domination!

The GOPers hate Robert Byrd, because he can use those large words that are more than about five or six letters long!

Edit} age discrimination is the highest degree of bigotry!!!! Honor thy fathers and thy mothers, don't mean to steal from senior citizens, or to discriminate against them, after they start to show signs of weakness due to advanced age! If we were to all discriminate against the weak and the infirm, bush would be an even bigger loser than he already is, due to weakness of mind and character!

[Name removed]

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