Posts Tagged ‘republican primaries’

Primary Election day in Massachusetts

Posted: September 14, 2010 by datechguy in elections, opinion/news, politics
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Lots of interesting races but for me there are three that stand out for me.

Kamal Jain at the Twin City Tea Party March 2010

Two of them are statewide: State Auditor features two spectacular candidates Mary Z. Connaughton and Kamal Jain are both seeking the auditor’s office. Mary has the experience as a CPA, Kamal has some spectacular ideas and experience as an efficiency expert. I will be happy with either candidate picking one is going to be the toughest vote I’ve ever cast. I keep going back and forth and I likely won’t make a final decision until I get into the booth. (Whoever loses this race needs to run for another office in 2012 so I can vote for them)

Mary Connaughton in Framingham August 2010

For Attorney General Guy Carbone and James McKenna are both running Sticker campaigns. Again both are more than acceptable. Carbone is paisan, his story is the story of my family, his patron saint is the patron of my church (St. Anthony di Padua) and his positions sync with mine, James McKenna is not paisan, I have no idea of his family background, but our positions also sync, I have some familiarity with his work as a prosecutor and his work with ethics and he will get my vote today.

Jim McKenna (right) at the Reading Tea party 9/2010


There are also contested primaries in the congressional races for the 5th, 3rd and 10th districts, most of the action is on the GOP side.

The other race that interests me in on the Democratic side and is local. For Worcester County Sheriff you have Tom Foley vs Scott Bove. Massachusetts is one of the few states where the Sheriff’s office is not very powerful. Foley has a long experience in law enforcement but Bove has 20 years at the prison itself as a Co. Since the primary duty is to run the prison Foley has to have my nod.

Scott Bove (D) for Sheriff


These races won’t get the press that Christine O’Donnell vs Mike Castle is getting in Delaware but the names in these small races often are where future reps, governors, and congressmen come from. The Mass GOP is building up its farm system and will be ready to play hardball in 2012.

Spin of the day

Posted: September 13, 2010 by datechguy in elections, internet/free speech, opinion/news, politics
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…comes from this huffpo story than yesterday.

FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey and President and CEO Matt Kibbe today refused to endorse Delaware Tea Party favorite Christine O’Donnell in the state’s GOP Senate primary. “We stayed out of that race because we’re not convinced that Christine O’Donnell can win,” said Kibbe.

However if you read deeper in the article you see this:

However, Kibbe didn’t have kind things to say about O’Donnell’s primary opponent, Mike Castle:

I think the question for Mike Castle is, if he can’t win his primary, does he deserve to win the general? And we’ll see what happens tomorrow, but it’s always a judgment call as to who is the most competitive candidate, and I think the vetting of the primary and what the Tea Party activists have really asked for is an open primary where their candidates get a chance to run and compete and prove themselves, or lose.

The Goal? Set one batch of conservatives against each other. The Huff po and the left are salivating at the back and forth on the right over Christine O’Donnell, I don’t blame them, it is the only hope they have for any sort of victory, but I would suggest to my fellow conservatives that we should disagree politely rather than writing their fall campaign scripts for them.

As for Mr. Kibee I have to disagree with his premise, He call is a pragmatic one and there are limited resources to be used, but one supports a positions for a reason. If you think that Christine O’Donnell and her positions are better for the cause and the country you fight for her so she CAN win. I ventured deep into yesterday’s crowd they would agree with me. Pragmatism has it’s place, but if you want to lead, you have to do so from the front.

Update: Stacy says it well:

Stacy & I discuss the vital issues of the day

Public opinion is a moving target, and the purpose of politics is not merely to react to public opinion, but to change public opinion. You will never win a fight if you walk away from the fight, and that’s what happens when you say to yourself, “Well, Delaware is a liberal state; there’s no point even trying to elect a real conservative there.”

Conservatives ought not succumb to the defeatist argument that we should retreat, ceding political terrain to our anatagonists, simply because they are strong and we are weak. When will we be stronger?

If Republicans can’t elect a conservative in Delaware this year, at what future point will such a victory be possible? In 2012? 2014? Ever?

He’s got a great point there. He would have had it up earlier but as you can see he was busy last night

I’ve not met Christine O’Donnell personally…

Posted: September 13, 2010 by datechguy in elections, opinion/news, politics, tea parties
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…as the Stacy McCain gonzo blogcon side road trip fizzled out but people I like and trust have had things to say about her positive and negative, that’s cool, friends disagree all the time and remain friends but this “unelectable” nonsense needs to be refuted right now. To Wit:

Every person who is going on about her “unelectable” needs to read that quote and the story it came from.

I’d just as soon win with you, than without you.

Update: Michelle Malkin absolutely nails it:

Guess what? You can be a “TRUE CONSERVATIVE,” a blogger behind a keyboard, a talk show host behind a mic, a prime-time TV host in front of a camera, a Beltway pundit, or a heartland Tea Party activist and come to different, good-faith conclusions about this race. I know people in both the Castle camp and the O’Donnell camp. I’m not going to deride or disown my friends in the blogosphere or anywhere else because we disagree. That’s, well, unhinged.

Everyone get a grip. Take a deep breath. Fight your best fight. Make your best arguments. Wait for the votes to be counted. Then march on and move forward.

Bingo!

How now Delaware GOP?

Posted: September 12, 2010 by datechguy in elections, opinion/news, politics, tea parties
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This news via Twitter is interesting:

Christine O’Donnell leading longtime Congressman and Governor Mike Castle 47-44. That 3 point lead is well within the poll’s margin of error.

If Castle is indeed defeated Tuesday night it will be yet another sign that conservatives have a strangle hold on the Republican Party and moderates may or may not be welcome anymore. Castle has an overwhelming 69-21 lead with moderate voters but they only make up 33% of the likely primary electorate. O’Donnell has a 62-31 lead with conservatives that’s more than enough to propel her to the overall lead.

Your one stop source for all things Delaware has no extra news on this yet, but this totally changes the game in the state.

Why has Mike Castle lost so much popularity? Maybe he was at this meeting:

One day, DeMint had had enough. He rose up in a seminar to question why representatives of the party of smaller government were so focused on earmarks and political fundraising. Why aren’t we talking about reforming the federal tax code or addressing the health care mess?

Midst laughter, someone shouted, “You’ll catch on to the system, DeMint.” But DeMint never did.

And if that poll was off before this news will cement it

“If the only option I have is to vote for those at 250 and below, of course I’m going to do that,” Boehner said. “But I’m going to do everything I can to fight to make sure that we extend the current tax rates for all Americans.”

Earth of Boehner it will be the only option till Jan 6th with the new congress comes around. That kind of talk angers and energizes conservatives…
…and this is simply nonsense:

The best estimates of observers in the state put turnout in Tuesday’s closed Republican primary around 40,000 voters. For Tea Party-backed Christine O’Donnell, the lower the turnout, the better on Tuesday.

This is exactly wrong, the conservative and tea party base that at one time didn’t bother to vote is going to come out in droves. I suspect the urban base that the writer is looking for to turn out for Castle might not be able to vote in a republican primary.

I’d keep an eye on this space the next day or two but If I had to put a $20 down, it would be on Christine.

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