You probably already know that Scott Brown isn't going to run for John Kerry's Senate seat in Massachusetts. This all but assures a Democratic victory (though, of course, a Democratic victory seemed all but assured the first time Brown ran).
The Washington Post lists possible Republican candidates:
With Brown out of the picture, potential GOP candidates include former state senator Richard Tisei, former governor Bill Weld and businessman and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez, whom national Republicans have been recruiting.Gabriel Gomez? Seriously? The national GOP has been recruiting him?
Last year, Gomez acted as a spokesman for the Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund, a supposedly nonpartisan group (actually run by GOP operatives) that produced a 22-minute swiftboat-style video accusing President Obama of deliberately endangering national security -- and putting Americans' lives at risk -- with leaks. Here's a trailer for the video:
On Hardball last summer, Gomez was brought on to defend the video, and he said that Obama besmirched the killing of Osama bin Laden by talking too much about himself:
"I think if you watch his whole presentation the night that Osama bin Laden was killed and he came out, I think that you'd come to the conclusion just like we did, I think a lot of Americans came to that same conclusion -- that he focused a majority of the comments on himself as opposed to the troops. We're not saying he didn't thank the troops and he didn't give credit to the troops. What we're saying is a big majority of the presentation was focused on him and his administration. That's the point we're trying to make."Really? You're going to run this guy, who can't even give unqualified credit to the president for the bin Laden mission, in a state Obama won by 23 points?
I think the Republicans who want Gomez to run don't care if he loses. I think they don't care if he alienates Massachusetts voters. I think they care about the fact that his name is Gomez -- they want another Hispanic-surnamed candidate to go with Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and Governors Brian Sandoval and Susana Martinez. The want the rest of the country to see this guy as a candidate with an (R) next to his name. Look! We're not racist! Either that or it's never occurred to them, in their conservative bubble, that this guy's past swiftboating might offend people in a very pro-Obama state.
Good luck with that strategy, Republicans.
Brown's no idiot.
ReplyDeleteHe realizes that he soiled his brand, running against Warren, and has decided to sit this one out.
Besides, he's smart enough to realize that MA has a much better chance of electing a Republican Governor, than a Senator.
Scottie's win in the Senatorial run-off, was an aberation - because his opponent ran one of the worst campaigns in the states history.
My hope, is that he's embarassed in his run for Governor, eliminating him from any national aspirations, until he's too old to run.
I think (just kidding) that Lynch will re-register as a Republican or run as an "independent" figuring he can pull all Brown's voters that way and maybe bewilder the regular dems.
ReplyDeleteI saw that Hardball interview with Gomez and he was god awful! Matthews, in his doddering, spittle manner just took the guy apart. Gomez was shifty-eyed and would not look directly in the camera. He's going to be an embarrassment if he gets the GOP nod.
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