SD-SEN: B-lister Kirby (R) might make it a race
ex-LG could self-fund
By Adam C Posted in 2008 — Comments (10) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
GOV Rounds is the A-list choice of GOPers to take on SEN Johnson in SD. However, it seems he is passing on the opportunity. Hotline ($) is reporting that:
'02 GOV candidate/ex-LG Steve Kirby (R) "says he will decide within the next week whether to challenge" Sen. Tim Johnson (D). Kirby: "I'm undecided but I am working feverishly on trying to come up with a decision in the next seven days." Kirby "is more well-known" than other announced GOPers, "and he is a wealthy businessman who potentially could fund" a race. He says he is talking to people in SD and DC, including some members of Congress and the WH, who are trying to recruit him. Kirby: "I'm talking to people all over the country to make sure I turn over every stone and know every little bit of information before I make the decision. It will be a family decision."
"In the meantime, he already is talking like a candidate. Fiscal responsibility would be a cornerstone of his campaign, he said." Kirby: "I am concerned that we continue to spend money in Washington that we don't have. Eventually that is going to have to be repaid." He "also says he hasn't decided if he would fund his own campaign." Kirby: "At this point I have not linked any personal financial commitment to the decision."
In SD with a strong, popular R at the top of the ticket, Mr. Kirby could make it a fight. And most importantly, he could help make sure that Johnson's big cash pile is used in SD instead of in CO, NM, OR, MN, and NH. In the best case scenario, he could win in a state where he has won statewide before. But even if that doesn't happen, he would be expanding the field and putting Rs on the offensive a bit more than they are currently. This would be the 2nd best pickup opportunity for Rs behind LA and just ahead of NJ.
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SD-SEN: B-lister Kirby (R) might make it a race 10 Comments (0 topical, 10 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Umm, CFG scorecard is wrong in this case. The problem is they recorded him as not voting "correctly", but in this case they unfortunately need to put a * by his name or something because I bet he didn't vote AT ALL on almost everything. Remember, he was essentially sidelined and recovering from his stroke most of the year! Kinda hard to vote the "correct" way when you're not there and thus such a low score.
I want to qualify that a bit after seeing your link below. The article states that he was 0 for 10, but with so many senators scoring just 1-2 out of 15 he likely wouldn't be last if he was able to vote on the 1-2 bills the rest of the Dems voted for.
Exactly.
What you thought was what I thought when I first saw it, then I looked more closely.
"I ain't never votin' fo another Democrat so long as I can draw breath! I'll vote for a dog first!" - Leola Thomas
South Dakota is a ruby red state, there is no excuse that they have a liberal Dem at large rep and a Dem senator - they used to have Puff Daschle too.
On that note, there is absolutely no excuse that the GOP doesn't hold both senate seats in places like Montana and North Dakota.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
They give the state GOP in ND, SD, and MT $1M a year for party building and full time GOP employees. Those states should have a farm team, be able to win most statewide offices and have locks on the SEN seats. Instead there is 1 R and 5 Ds right now. Further, only 1 of the 3 Reps is a Republican. So it's 2-7 for state-wide federal legislators with Thune (SD SEN) and Rehberg (MT-AL) as the only Rs.
They are cheap states and $1M a year would go a long way. Pay three people $50,000 or so to run the operation. Spend the rest on targeting close state level races, advertising for candidates, and doing party building activities (fundraising, town halls, etc).
It would cost a tenth of what NJ or PA or OH costs to run a campaign and could pay off a lot.
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Bravo Adam! For the life of me I can't understand why ND has all Dem congressional delegation and basically every cycle we allow all 3 to get off easily.
We could of had great Senator in MT from Fmr Governor (name I forget)
It's easy. As a local once told me "We elect D's for federal office to bring home the bacon, and R's back home to make sure it's well spent."
R's will ALWAYS have a tough time in these states, and they always have. They can win, but they are always playing a balancing act.
If the D's weren't so stupid as to be seduced by the dark side when they get here, a'la McGovern, Dashle, and instead actually had a true centrist voting record, a'la Stephanie Herseth-Saladin, they'd never lose.
"I ain't never votin' fo another Democrat so long as I can draw breath! I'll vote for a dog first!" - Leola Thomas
We can off him with a good candidate. But we can't with an alright candidate.
Pretty much everybody except Rounds is an alright candidate. That's the problem.
"I ain't never votin' fo another Democrat so long as I can draw breath! I'll vote for a dog first!" - Leola Thomas
Sorry, forgot link: http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/11/the_clubs_2007_senate_repork_c.php
"I ain't never votin' fo another Democrat so long as I can draw breath! I'll vote for a dog first!" - Leola Thomas
I doubt we'll beat Johnson, but if someone wants to make a race out of it, they might point out he is the ONLY SENATOR who got a 0% from the Club for Growth on pork issues.
And before you say "Well, but all politicians from South Dakota are for pork," note that John Thune got a respectable 73%.
Coburn, DeMint, Burr, and McCain are the only ones with 100%.
"I ain't never votin' fo another Democrat so long as I can draw breath! I'll vote for a dog first!" - Leola Thomas