GOP Nominee
Former Candidates
United States Senator Norm Coleman from Minnesota tells Brady Averill of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Star Tribune that he does not want to be on the Republican presidential ticket in 2008 and instead will run for re-election that year.
This is likely to be one of the rare instances when the Race for 2008 field on the GOP side narrows rather than widens.
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September 30th, 2006 at 2:57 am
Is Cloeman possibily interested in a senate laedership position. Seems likke he is the presiding officer every time an important vote is made.
September 30th, 2006 at 4:46 am
Senator Coleman very narrowly lost the caucus vote to Senator Elizabeth Dole to head the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee for this cycle, which would indicate a leadership post desire.
Interestingly, Senator Ensign has been designated already to head up the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee for the next election cycle. So where Senator Coleman may set his sights remains to be determined.
September 30th, 2006 at 10:09 am
yes, still dont understand why Elizabeth Dole is head of the NRSCC… The republican challengers to certain seats dont seem to viable. Forgot it was Cloeman she defeated.
September 30th, 2006 at 2:03 pm
Elizabeth Dole does not select the challengers, it is her job to help them
after they win a primary. (There might be one or two where Elizabeth used
her influence to help a Republican incumbent win –like Chaffee– but that
is also her job to help the strongest candidate win)
Now if Santorum wins, and if Burns in Montana wins, and if Corker wins the
open seat in Tennessee, then Elizabeth gets FULL CREDIT for doing her job.
She is a very strong leader.
If a few challengers (as mentioned by Oklahoma Pol stated) are not viable,
it is not her fault. Some candidates are really not willing to give up
their governor’s office to run (like Hoeven in North Dakota to defeat Ken C
Conrad). If Mike DeWine wins in Ohio, I will give Elizabeth 50% of the
credit for using the National Senate resources to help him.
That is how it works. So let’s just see if the Senate stays in GOP hands
after November.
September 30th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
I am very much aware that Elizabeth Dole is doing an excellent job in certain states..
My comment was really in regard to Katherine Harris in Florida.. AND my first hand knowledge of Oklahoma events
There are a number of times that NRSCC and the DSCC has visited with a candidate and lined up support for cnadidate … that happened in Oklahoma in 2004… Our voters selected someone else…
So while she may not select them.. they definitely try to clear the path for the favored candidate.
September 30th, 2006 at 5:29 pm
The head of the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee is responsible for candidate recruitment. With all due respect to Debbie, her implication that you wait until after the primaries to get involved with Republican senatorial challengers is just flat out mistaken. Often the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee wil refuse to endorse in an open primary and almost always endorse the incumbent in a contested primary, but make no mistake - they get involved prior to and during primaries. I have worked with the NRCC on the House side and know exactly what I am talking about here. Candidate recruitment in open seats is a major responsibility of theirs.
October 1st, 2006 at 10:40 am
Yes, the Katherine Harris thing was an example of
Karl Rove and other DC powerbrokers wanting to get
involved to block Harris from being nominated. But
in poll after poll, no matter who was put out to run
none of them would defeat her in the primary.
That is my point.
Even if some guy had $1 million to help him, Harris
had the strongest support statewide.
Whether she wins or loses, it is not Elizabeth Dole
who will be blamed.
Yes, The Senate Committee will try to find strong
candidates, but they do not have the ultimate decision,
this is in the hands of the voters of the state.
That is my other point.
Self-financed candidates like McGavick in Washington
state might be able to defeat Cantwell for example.
He can put his ads on TV, build his base, and that saves
millions from the Senate Committee.
With Laura Bush coming out to Ohio and Tennessee to help
Senate candidates, if those GOP candidates win, it will
be part of the success of the LAURA BUSH FACTOR.
Speaking of Oklahoma, I hope JC Watts gets involved in
running for office in 2008, Governor or Senator.
He is one of the most dynamic people in the GOP, regardless
of race or gender. He is a ROCK STAR politican.
October 1st, 2006 at 5:16 pm
Seems like this is a female thing with you, Debbie, which is fine - Secretary Rice, Senator Dole, and Congresswoman Harris. Go ahead and defend them all. I don’t worry about the sex of the person, only how they perform. And I just don’t think Secretary Rice will be a candidate; I have serious doubts as to how good a job Senator Dole has done at the NRSC; and I think Katherine Harris is an absolutely abysmal nominee for U.S. Senate in Florida who guarantees the Democrats hold the seat with little effort.
A Democrat friend of mine is absolutely convinced that the country will not get set straight without having a female president. She may be right. But my point is that we should be focused on viable candidates, and I see no evidence that Secretary Rice is one. On the other hand, you hear rumblings that maybe Christy Todd Whitman may get in, who would be a great backup candidate for Debbie it seems.