Monday’s political round-up

October 3, 2005

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* North Dakota Gov. Gov. John Hoeven (R) announced late last week that, despite heavy pressure from the White House, he will not take on Sen. Kent Conrad (D) next year. The announcement, which came as a relief to Dems everywhere, leaves the state GOP with no top-tier candidate to take on Conrad.

* In Illinois, former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar, who served two terms in the 1990s, has said he will not seek elected office again. Though the state GOP had practically begged him to run for his old job, Edgar, noting in the past that he never says never, said, “Today I say never. This is it.”

* Hitting depths of support I didn’t think were possible, Ohio Gov. Bob Taft (R) now has a 15% approval rating. There were no undecideds — the remaining 85% disapprove.

* Former Rep. Rick Lazio (R-N.Y.), who lost to Hillary Clinton in 2000’s Senate race, is now an executive vice president at J.P. Morgan Chase, but New York Republicans want him to consider elected office again. In particular, GOP power brokers believe Lazio’s name recognition, background as a prosecutor and crossover appeal might make him their best chance for winning back the attorney general’s office.

* A Dem commission charged with reviewing the 2008 presidential nominating calendar voted late last week to add two to four more states to the beginning of the nomination process. Iowa and New Hampshire would still kick off the season, but for the first time in the modern nominating era, they would have some company. Questions still to be worked out include how many states, which states, and whether they’d compete on the same day as Iowa and New Hampshire.

I didn’t think a gov. could get as low as 15%. Wow. Guess you know the percentage of Republican Ohioans who will never, ever, in a million years vote for a Democrat no matter who the candidates are.

Also, Capito is out of the WV Sentate race against Byrd. HMMMM Capito on WV and Hoeven – looks the GOP needs to worry about how current events are creating a recruitment issue – and I am not talking about the military.

  • Hitting depths of support I didn’t think were possible, Ohio Gov. Bob Taft (R) now has a 15% approval rating. There were no undecideds — the remaining 85% disapprove.

    Any chance of tieing House and Senate GOP incumbants up for re-election in 2006 to Taft? Tell me this is the #1 priority for the national Dems. Lie to me if necessary.

  • This seems a little nutty, considering the incumbent’s approval ratings. AP (10.03.05):

    “Seven-term Republican Rep. Ernest J. Istook said Monday he will leave Congress to run for governor of Oklahoma in 2006.

    The 55-year-old congressman joins a crowded field of candidates seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Brad Henry, who is running for a second term. Henry has a 70 percent approval rating in one poll.”

    Rep. Istook to Run for Oklahoma Governor

    SurveyUSA has Henry at 59% approval as of mid-September, 2005.

  • AP (10.03.05):

    “Roy Moore, who became a hero to the Christian right after being ousted as Alabama’s chief justice for refusing to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the courthouse, announced Monday that he is running for governor in 2006.

    Moore’s candidacy could set up a showdown with Gov. Bob Riley, a fellow Republican, and turn the Ten Commandments dispute into a central campaign issue in this Bible Belt state.”

    Ousted Ala. Justice to Run for Governor

    Riley’s approval rating is at 58%.

  • “Ohio Gov. Bob Taft (R) now has a 15% approval rating.”

    When he get’s to zero will he just wink out like the wick of a candle drowning in it’s own wax?

    Like the wicked witch of the West, he’s meeelllllllltttting.

  • The HuffPo has news on Paul Hackett running for the Senate. It notes:

    “Paul Hackett, the Iraq veteran who recently ran for Congress as a Democrat in the special election from Ohio’s second district, will announce his campaign for the U.S. Senate. Hackett, a father of three and practicing Cincinnati lawyer, volunteered for the Iraq War in 2004 while serving in the Select Marine Corps Reserve. He spent seven months in Ramadi and Fallujah.
    “Paul Hackett is expected to announce he is running for U.S. Senate in the third week of October.”
    This is going to be great for Ohio.

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