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Ovide Lamontagne (NH) shows folks how it’s done.

By: Moe Lane (Diary)  |  September 15th, 2010 at 06:30 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

He has conceded the primary, will not seek a recount, and has endorsed Kelly Ayotte (video here).  Ayotte has accepted the concession with equal grace and politeness, calling Lamontagne a gentleman and a principled conservative (H/T: Hot Air). From now on, it’s all about defeating Paul Hodes in the general election.

Would that more politicians acted this properly when they lose a primary.  Michael Castle and Lisa Murkowski, I’m looking at you.

Moe Lane

PS: Jeanne Shaheen will be up for re-election in four years. This is not that far off in time, and I hope that NH conservatives will remember this dignified end to the 2010 campaign, if it turns out to be relevant to the one in 2014…

Crossposted to Moe Lane.

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COMMENTS

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  • Achance

    who have til COB today to change their nominee. That’s a couple of hours from now. The Democrats have one calculus with Scott McAdams v. Joe Miller. They have a very different calculus with Tony Knowles/Fran Ulmer/Eric Croft v. Joe Miller and Lisa Murkowski with Lisa’s money and organization. It is all real simple if you don’t know enough. Let’s see what the World looks like tomorrow or Friday. She has a presser scheduled for Friday.

  • kowalski

    And good for their respective supporters also. That could have ended badly but they both took it in a different direction. Good to see.

  • Lloyd Davis

    Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about most of the RINO candidates who lost and just won’t go away.

    The people said no, just go!

    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………

    ?Never say sorry – it?s a sign of weakness?
    John Wayne

  • cordpt

    From the competitive, hyped, state-wide primaries?

    Castle, Murkowski, McCollum, Didier, Lazio, McInnis. Who else am I missing? Have Schiff and Simmons endorsed McMahon yet?

  • http://masonconservative.typepad.com/the_mason_conservative Mason_Conservative

    she seems to be working hard to warmly embrace Ovide and his supporters, and isn’t insulting or pandering. She seems like a great candidate on her own.

  • Achance

    she’ll do the appropriate thing. See my post above.

  • cordpt

    the Dems may replace McAdams with a more high-profile candidate? It’d be wise for them, McAdams seemed to me one of the most unqualified, unprepared, uninspiring statewide candidates of this cycle. Almost AlvinGreenesque; the guy has no opinion on things like the stimulus or Obamacare. But will he voluntarily give away his 15 minutes of fame? Especially when the nutroots felt in love with the guy? Will a guy like Knowles run the risk of self-nominating himself this way?

    I do believe you when it comes to Murkowski decision-making process. Let’s see what happens.

  • ericc

    Compare Ovide’s class act to Murkowski, Castle, Crist, Specter, etc, etc.

    One set of rules for conservatives, another for RINO’s.

  • Achance

    and the State closes at 4:30 ADT. Knowles has said he isn’t interested, but if his lips move, that’s a good indication he’s lying. Ulmer has said nothing, nor has Croft, at least nothing that has been reported.

    I don’t see how they pass it up. The Democrats have plenty of money and organization; with anybody with name Id, they have a good shot at a Senate seat. So, if Lisa head-fakes them, she has done the Republican Party a great service.

  • eburke

    And true conservatives live by principles.

  • Martin Knight
  • powertothepeople

    but I am willing to state I bet she will run as a write in. That is being thrown around and with her public persona of someone peed in my wheaties attitude (whether legitimate or perceived), would not surprise me if her only goal now is to derail the Miller campaign.

  • natlanthem

    For years, you took the bread from the table of my children, gave some to yourself and let others distribute it to people that did not work for it. And now, when we thank you for your hard work but ask another to caryy on, you don’t have the character to get on board, even with an example like Ayotte.

    While not as decent as it would have been last night, you still have tonight to rescue your reputation and our gratitude. Do the right thing. Help us WIN!

  • eburke

    Haven’t followed this race that much though I sent Ovide a contribution about a week ago on the recommendation of a friend. But Ovide had me at:

    “The people are sovereign; that means the people are king. And the people have spoken.”

    Wow…just wow!

    If only the Republican DC Establishment had that perspective.

  • zornorph

    A class act, both of them. Clint Didier and JD Hayworthless could take some notes.

  • IJB

    …But will ultimately opt out of a write-in run because it’d be like tilting at windmills, and would destroy any future political career.

    My guess is Lisa M. may want to run for AK GOV down the road, and running as a write-in now would pretty much preclude that…

  • Achance

    f*(k all about this, so shut up and go away.

  • IJB

    He’s definitely earned some chits now for either 2012 GOV (if Lynch wins this year) or 2014 SEN.

    Very smart move…

  • zornorph

    I don’t think Hayworthless endorsed McCain yet, but it’s possible I’m wrong.

  • Achance

    that she might actually care about the State, would it?

  • ericc

    ..it just seems like the RINOs expect us to the right thing, respect the wishes of voters, and unite the party – which of course we should do as a matter of principle, whether they respond in kind or not. But then when the shoe is on the other foot, they pout, bolt the party altogether, endorse the Democrat, etc.

  • IJB

    …is awfully self-serving, so much so that it’s hard to be believable, especially in light of the media articles that have been written about her and her campaign since the Primary.

    I mean, yeah – she *might* be playing it the way you’ve been telling us.
    But it strikes me as… improbable.

  • IJB

    …Thus bringing smiles of vindication from the AZ ‘old hands’ around here. ;)

    And finishing Hayworth’s political career, this time for good.

    Next time Hayworth tries to run… well, let’s just say Pat Paulsen used to have more electoral credibility.

  • Achance
  • IJB

    Your wit and charm is why we love you so.

    Or something…

  • cordpt

    I wonder why.

  • Jack_Savage

    Sweet.

    And a lot of people, including me, will owe her a big, fat apology.

  • Sirithil

    …so far this cycle she hasn’t done a damn thing to show that she does. Based on the fact she’s on record opposing efforts to repeal Obamacare, I’d also suggest she doesn’t care about the country.

  • Jack_Savage

    Murkowski is not an idiot, nor a RINO along the lines of Spector, Crist, Chafee or the Maine Twins. She is experienced enough to know that she can’t torch her political future out of spite for losing a primary in an admittedly odd season, and I believe she may have just earned one hell of a big chip she can cash in later.

    If she pulls off the head fake that Art has outlined, and keeps any other Dem out of the race, she has made a brilliant move in so many different ways it is hard to count.

  • ericc

    …it was not my intent to imply that Ayotte is a RINO – she is not.

  • Achance
  • Sirithil

    Please, by all means, enlighten us how the illustrious movement conservative Lisa Murkowski has demonstrated how she cares for Alaska, for America, and for the conservative movement in light of the political landscape this year, and what the American people have unequivocably demonstrated they want out of their elected representatives.

  • Robert Allen Leeper
  • IJB

    Is two-fold.

    1) No media report *anywhere* backs up this narrative of Art’s. None of the media reports came out with “Lisa Murkowski is staying in the race to keep the Democrats honest.” Instead, they’ve all been along the lines of “Random people are coming off the *street* beginning poor Lisa Murkowski to run to save us from AWFUL JOE MILLER AND THE EVOL PALINS!!!1!1!!”

    2) Because of the above, there is no way to *prove* this was her motivation if she chooses not to run. Instead, the whole thing looks like an after-the-fact, thought-up ‘cover story’ to conceal her real motives – one they’ll conveniently trot out when she inevitably backs out of a doomed write-in effort.

    Look, if Lisa Murkowski and her campaign was all about saving Alaska from AK Dem chicanery, all she had to do is say so, at least through back-channels, if not publicly.

    Instead, the only person we’ve heard put out this narrative is Art.

    Having said that, I may give the story a little more credence *IF* Murkowski ends up endorsing Miller (which she still hasn’t done) in the next few days…

  • krsnadas

    I moved here (NH) from Washington State. I love this place. People here are very civil and honorable, which I think explains how the situation was handled with Ovide.

    Things here are like they used to be everywhere else in America. When I get a loan at the bank, I shake hands with my bank president. I don’t lock my doors. No sales or income tax. I can wear seatbelts or a motorcycle helmet if I want. My neighbor is Mark Fernald, progressive democrat, who ran for governor years ago and lost to Bentson (R). Nicest guy in the world and a friend. We can talk about politics dispassionately and he gives me a good window into a different viewpoint to better understand my own viewpoint. That’s the way it is here – and life here is great! Charlie Bass lives right nearby too. Interesting place.

    As an extra bonus, P.J. O’rourke lives in my small town!

  • Achance

    go look at my posting history here. It is a little longer and more comprehensive then yours.

  • Lloyd Davis

    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
    ?Never say sorry – it?s a sign of weakness?
    John Wayne

  • Achance

    Sen. Murkowski has a press conference scheduled for Friday. I think she says “thank you for your support,” but there are a lot of fairly influential people in Alaska who don’t want her to do that. I’ve been wrong before, but I’m right more than I’m wrong. Sen. Murkowski isn’t stupid and a write-in campaign is at best a forlorn hope. Two more days.

  • Jack_Savage

    I have been a part of head fakes in business. We took the fake as far as we could, including flying me to Florida to hammer out a rental agreement on property that we had no intention of leasing. The agent we chose was a leaker, the competition crapped themselves and made a move that almost cost them their business. Even our own people thought we were expanding. It was brilliant.

    Of course the media don’t know about the head fake. They are gleefully reporting a rift in the GOP.

    You are correct in that no one will be able to prove anything one way or another. But if Murkowski endorses Miller in the next few days after it is too late to replace the current Dem candidate, then lands some plum assignment within GOP ranks, that will be enough for me at least to give her the benefit of the doubt.

    We’ll see. It’s fun to think about….

  • travelkingnh

    Trust me, it wasn’t easy today to stand inside the NH Legislative Office Building and listen to Ovide’s concession speech. Despite the overwhelming sentiment of his supporters and friends………

    see: http://www.facebook.com/slshutts?v=wall&story_fbid=114937578564927#!/pages/Ovide-Lamontagne-for-US-Senate-2010/177440823738?ref=ts

    ……… to ask for a recall, he did what was best for the Republican party to prepare for Paul Hode’s defeat in Nov……….and supported Kelly Ayotte. It was his call, and he chose party first. With all the red eyes in the room, it was the classiest act I have witnessed of someone running for office………putting his interests second.

    The vote total announced had Ayotte with 53,044 votes, Lamontagne with 51,377, Bill Binnie with 19,503 and Jim Bender with 12,609.

  • RedBeard

    Others may profit by his example, if they so choose.

    And if instead they choose to remain crouched in a corner, stroking their cramped and sweaty brains while moaning about how unfair life has been to them, they deserve the future anonymity they have earned.

    Petulance is excusable in my 3-year-old grandson. It is not excusable in supposedly grown-up politicians.

  • Oz

    Perhaps when the other NH seat comes up, we can see him jump into that one.

  • JSobieski

    If Chrissy Matthews is on the scenario Art described, then every D in AK would be as well.

    If she endorses tomorrow, there is no other explanation except for that date. Sounds great all around.

  • Achance

    I well know that a lot of people are encouraging her to stay in, some of them are people I really like and trust, but my best sense is that now that the Ds have gone with their little-known nominee, she makes a nice thank you for your support speech on Friday. I don’t thing there’ll be much of a Miller endorsement though; it is hard to drink from a well that has been pissed in.

  • NHConservative0227

    His comments personally attaking Christine O’Donnell were disgusting. I mean, who is he to criticize her over how she repaid her student loans???

    I’m done complaining about the NH Senate race, just needed to vent alittle. I will definitely be supporting Ayotte against the Socialist Hodes.

    Ovide would be an excellent pick to replace Shaheen in 2014. To think that she replaced a great Senator in Sununu in 2008, it would be only fitting to have Ovide replace her in 2014.

  • NHConservative0227

    His comments personally attaking Christine O’Donnell were disgusting. I mean, who is he to criticize her over how she repaid her student loans???

    I’m done complaining about the NH Senate race, just needed to vent alittle. I will definitely be supporting Ayotte against the Socialist Hodes.

    Ovide would be an excellent pick to replace Shaheen in 2014. To think that she replaced a great Senator in Sununu in 2008, it would be only fitting to have Ovide replace her in 2014.

  • eburke

    that he takes on Shaheen in ’14. He will have my passionate support from the day he announces.

  • Sirithil

    Whereby one posits that an argument is correct precisely because it is made by someone who is authoritative. It’s a fallacy. The amusing thing here is that as hollow as such a fallacy is, your statement is even more so, being as:

    1. The authority you’re citing is yourself.
    2. The authority you’re citing isn’t necessarily authoritative, but has simply been here longer.
    3. You’re using it as an excuse to back out of the discussion, which gives the strong implication you can’t address my point.

    Nice try, thanks for coming out.

  • Jack_Savage

    Either Miller is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and everyone in Alaska loves him, or something not quite like that happens and she lives to hold elected office another day.

    Her speech should be about how it is so important to defeat Dems, and how she will do everything in her power to make that happen. She doesn’t have to explicitly endorse Miller, and she doesn’t come off as a sore loser.

    This could work out extremely well for her if she plays it right.

  • Achance
  • The_Rebel

    On Hardball tonight Coons said he hasn’t asked for Castle’s endorsement yet, but that he does want it.

  • charliebravoNH

    Ovide your concession speech has earned you many new friends on top of the many you have. Stay in the game for 2014 so you could send Jean Shaheen into retirement.

  • travelkingnh

    http://www1.whdh.com/video/player/

    Video of Ovide’s speech from WHDH

  • travelkingnh

    What a story line that would be in 2014…….Ovide’s rematch with Shaheen from 1996.

    The chance to replace one with the other…….that would be a great race.

    I would be all over that!

  • Sirithil
  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    As for Rove, if he’s going to Death Spiral like this I’m not exactly sure if there’s anything I *can* do to affect the situation.

  • IJB

    You know – something *subtle* like that.
    I’m sure Rove will get the message then…

  • powertothepeople

    considering she has been beaten long enough to have more than ample opportunity to go public with a speech somewhere along these lines:

    Even if she did not mean it, it would be best for the state and the party…

    I congratulate Mr Miller on winning this race and it is time now for all who want this country to head back in the right direction to get behind Mr Miller in what is going to be a tough fight.

    But I guess that peed in the wheaties feeling is not conducive to that type of speech and we will see in a few days whether or not she got a new bowl or is still picking at the current one.

  • powertothepeople

    and considering I responded with no attacks and was polite stating only my opinion which is shared by a vast majority, I would politely suggest you stop sharing your breakfast wheaties with Lisa. You would be able to convey your opinion much better and in a more adult type fashion.

  • Achance

    You have no effing idea what is really happening in Alaska, yet you’re flapping your mouth. Fool!

  • eburke

    I actually agree completely. The point I was trying to make is that conservatives exhibit these behaviors on a regular basis because conservatives, true conservatives, live by immutable prniciples.

    Moderates, by definition IMHO, tend to not sway with the prevailing winds and much more seduced by the siren song of ‘mitigating circumstances’ (that’s why they’re moderates).

    Thus, the way you comport yourself after a loss, especially a bitter one, tells me much about your overall worldview. Coons unbelievably classy concession speech yesterday speaks volumes about the man’s conservative principles.

  • powertothepeople

    you have the inside scoop on Lisa, you know she will back off and do what is right, she never thought about crying foul and running on the Lib ticket……..

    Yet funny she has not at least supported Miller in the fight to beat the dems weeks after she was beaten, seems like sour grapes to me. You know, the same ones you seem to be eating,

    She gets told the Lib candidate will not step down, then and only then, does she make the claim she never wanted to run on that ticket. This claim by her and you is laughable. Why would someone who themselves say they are considering a write in run, which is very tough to do, all of a sudden have not wanted to run on a party ticket with some funding and a similar platform to the part she claims now. It is as an absurd claim not based in reality and it means she considered it but it got shot down. At the end of the day it means she could care less about Alaska and only cares about her sour grapes and her own political ambitions. That does not equal the claims you have made in any sense of the word.

    And on her own website, she makes it clear she is deciding whether to run as a write in which you have stated was not the plan and that she only wants what is best for the state.

    Funny, you may have her ear, but your ear has either not listened or been lied to.

    You may like being the internet name caller, but your argument is baseless and has no defense. It was not long ago that candidates when beaten, took to the stage and came behind their opponent. Now, they simply act like your love crush and get pissy. She was not the first in this cycle, but she is not innocent either.

    You may be all that is Alaska, but so far you have been wrong, will most likely be wrong Friday, and even if you get lucky and she backs down, the premise of your argument has been wrong which means on this, you are not Lisa nor are you all that is Alaska.

  • Achance

    and guaging the reaction to Miller’s appearance at a forum here in Southeast Laska. You might recall that I’ve said since the beginning that he’d run a campaign that meant he had to get enough votes in eight or ten districts to overcome his opposition in the remaing 30 or more districts. The bulk of his support was in the four districts contiguous to Wasilla but he carried all the districts accessible by road outside Anchorage proper. Murkowski carried most of Anchorage proper and all of the districts not accessible by road.

    There are some very stark political and economic differences between those two different constituencies and there are lots of people in Coastal and Rural Alaska who simply will not support Joe Miller. They are the ones clamoring for Murkowski to run a write-in campaign because they can’t support Miller and don’t want to support a Democrat. A lot of them are people I like and respect, many of whom have been tireless workers for Republican candidates and causes.

    So, Miller is speaking at the Juneau Chamber of Commerce luncheon at noon today and I’m going both to see what he says and to guage the Juneau business community’s reaction to him. He pretty much has to start with “I’m not Sarah Palin” because there is no love lost between Juneau businesses and the Half Governor. If he walks in there and gives his Matanuska Valley stump speech, he just going to add to the number of people calling Lisa Murkowski and encouraging her to run write-in. And just for the record, I emailed her last night encouraging her not to run.

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