Roll Call: Lack of Dole Challenger Raising Doubts For Some Dems
Submitted by dnagy on Tue, 09/25/2007 - 10:30am
Matthew Murray writes about one of my favorite topics in this morning's edition of Roll Call; unseating Elizabeth Dole. Unfortunately, some of what the article reports is not news we'd like to hear.
Murray writes that:
...now some Democrats privately doubt the accuracy of earlier polls showing a pickup opportunity, claiming that only a down-and-dirty campaign will determine the full extent of the Senator’s vulnerability. Last week, a Dole campaign poll of 500 likely voters showed her approval rating at 64 percent. The survey had a 4.4 point margin of error.
“I don’t see that Elizabeth Dole has offended the voters of North Carolina,” one state Democratic source said. “I don’t see that her negatives are high, but a campaign could run them up.”
The source added: “She’s not coming in the election with a divided state the way former Sen. Jesse Helms [R] was.”
Murray goes on to note that Jerry Meek, chairman of the NC Democratic Party, said last year's Democratic watershead has complicated recruiting efforts for next year's Senate race. This is likely the exact reason why Brad Miller decided not to challenge Dole.
For all intents and purposes, Murray's article details what we've heard before. While it mostly serves to satiate the 'inside the beltway' craving for any gossip about interesting races around the country, Murray's piece does not report on the viability of a Grier Martin candidacy in North Carolina. Instead, he discards both Hagan and Martin as longshots because neither have held statewide office.
What I'd like to see is a piece of reporting on the viability of candidates with military backgrounds amidst a tumultuous Iraq war - a la Jim Webb and Paul Hackett.
Hopefully we'll see a profile on Martin as a challenger in Roll Call soon...
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umm
previous Senators from NC who had not previously held a statewide office:
Elizabeth Dole
Richard Burr
John Edwards
Jesse Helms
Locke Faircloth
need I go on?
"Keep the Faith"
So Terry Sanford was the last NC Senator that did?
It's pretty pathetic that that's the standard they hold when the last senator who did hold statewide office prior to being senator was elected to that statewide office in 1960.
Well gee - there aren't that many statewide offices to hold!
There's Governor of course.
And the Council of State.
And that's about it.
Are you suggesting we limit the folks who run for Senator to only people who have served in those roles?
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Dole's weakness will not be evident until a Champion appears
and challanges her record, her words, her presence of mind and her ability to effectivly represent North Carolina and America in a world which demands forward thinking and deliberate thinking.
Untill that Democratic Champion is named, of course it will appear as though she is unbeatable.
The notion that she is not vunerable is foolish, but effective if believed and acted on by those who seek real representation in NC.
As Democrats in NC, our own Inaction is our worst foe and the only thing that can defeat us..
Whoever does declare (especially if Hagan or Grier) will have
an absolutely amazing firsr quarter fund raising total.
Person County Democrats
No kidding.
I got one of the standard emails from the DSCC today (or yesterday.) I replied: "I'm not donating until we have a candidate in NC. And when we do, that's where my money is going. Do you suppose anyone reads those?
Probably not.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Yeah, probably not.
I prefer to keep my money in state as well. I also mentally include my sweat and as "in kind" contributions. If I had a dollar for every sign I've put up ..... But I wouldn't have it any other way, gotta back those dems. :-)
Person County Democrats
Yup. I've got a garage full of wire frames.
Waiting for new signs.
And I'm getting good at placement too. The key is not to group them all together with everyone else's sign. Put yours in a different spot - good visibility, but set apart. Then when the other side clusters around you - move yours.
Funny thing in 2006. We live on a fairly high traffic road - and asked our neighbor, who is also a Dem, if we could put up signs in his yard as well as ours. His response was - no one ever asked me before, but sure, as long as they're not those damn Republicans (that's how we found out he was a Democrat. I made a false assumption based on the rebel flag in his garage.) Well, lo and behold, a couple of nights later, Republican signs showed up next to the ones we put up. We made sure he hadn't given permission to the other side (he hadn't) - and tried to contact the other campaign. When we couldn't get a response - we called the Board of Elections. :-D We had a great time watching the Republicans take down their signs. It was something of a neighborhood event. (We're in the country, and the folks in question were from Pinehurst, so it was doubly fun to watch.)
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
You are my hero ... I would love to have seen
those signs taken down. That really must have been priceless!!!
We had a lot of sign shenanigans (to be polite) up in our part of the the state in 2004. Seems some folks just couldn't tolerate Kerry signs in private yards. One guy had 3 stolen and got so pissed that he mowed "KERRY" into his front yard in huge, well done, block letters. It was filmed by a news helicopter from one of the Raleigh tv stations, plainly visible from the air.
I place signs similarly to you, though I have not moved them once their location gets crowded. I will do that in 2008 if the opportunity arises. Good idea.
Person County Democrats