(I know this may be a little repetitive, but I promised Janis I’d try to get it up this week.)
Coming down the stretch in a race that began almost a year ago, first when Erick started tagging what are all now recognized as a Class A list of candidates (Rubio, Haley, Buck, Lee, Angle, et al) followed by the Stupak Treason in February, which ushered in a whole new brigade of citizen-candidates such as Dan Benishek in Stupak’s old district (MI-01), RedState has stood above all the other national journals (RS is more like a news journal, so indulge me if I think of it that way) for showcasing dozens of candidates from around the country this election season.
The reporting and interviews here have been extraordinary, as you would expect from Moe Lane, Dave Poff aka Haystack, Neil Stevens, LaborUnionReport and a few others, tirelessly, almost on a daily basis.
Still, we found time to pause and reflect of the acrid odor of stench from the likes of Charlie Crist, Mike Castle, and the special aroma of the fair Scarlett Murkowski’s sweat socks after one of her foot-stomping teat fits. So not only do we support candidates here but we know where both our guys and the other guys fit into the larger scheme of things. (You can’t get that at Huffpo or DailyCuss.) When you think Red, think “thought and reason”. When you think Blue, think “knee jerk and whine”.
But to my mind, what has moved RedState to a cut above in this election season has been the work from the other side of the page, the dairies, and in this election context, especially Pilgrim’s extraordinary work in showcasing several lists of candidates who otherwise might have escaped everyone’s notice. (The list of his posts is too long to link here, just view his posts the past 30 days in his Profile, but I will note that his diary on ex-military GOP candidates may spur a new Hunk calendar if some of RS ladies have anything to say about it…which is why I link it again here, just so you can go back for one more peek.)
The Blue Safe Pool
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a piece here about how all our new citizen-candidates keep walking back the Blue Numbers in what were always considered to be safer Democrat districts, closing with the comment that I even expected 5-10 candidates in the +10 and higher categories to win, which even Charley Cook doesn’t consider winnable. I’m sticking to that claim.
I asked (who else?) Pilgrim to provide me with a list, so these are some of his choices. I’ve added three. All these were over +10 two weeks ago. These are GOP candidates Cook still considers dead in the water. Safe Democrats wins. These are all Democrat districts that Obama carried by more than 20, and Kerry by more than 15:
CT-3 Jerry Labriola vs Rosa DeLauro (+9)
MA-3 Marty Lamb vs Jim McGovern (+9)
ME-1 Dean Scontras vs Chellie Pingree (from +20 down to +8)
NJ-9 Mike Agosta vs Steve Rothman (+9)
RI-2 Mark Zaccaria vs James Langevin (+9)
NV-1 Kenneth Wegner vs Shelley Berkley (+10)
OH-9 Rich Iott vs Marcy Kaptur (+10)
CA-51 Nick Popaditch vs Bob Filner (+8)
My additions:
DE-1 Glenn Urquhart vs John Carney (+7) Mike Castle’s old seat
MA-4 Sean Beilat vs Barney Frank (+14)
CA-37 Star Parker vs Laura Richardson (+26)
Most of these people you haven’t heard much about. I could have added Jane Harman’s CA36 (only +12) and Linda Sanchez CA39 (only+12) in districts that Obama carried by over 32 points. Both I have a personal dislike for, and both those districts, in the next 3-4 cycles, will be in serious jeopardy if only the new Congress will seriously tighten its belt. And you may know of Rich Iott, OH09, near Toledo, best known after he showed up in a photo as an SS soldier from a military re-enactment in a district whose political class and media can only tolerate the Hammer and Sickle and The Internationale. You can appreciate their angst over this guy.
You’ll notice I added some of my own, Glen Urquhart in Mike Castle’s old district, Star Parker in LA, CA-37, and Sean Bielat who’s going after Barney Frank’s seat in MA-04. Each deserve special mention here, Urquhart because he’s trying to be the first Republican to hold that seat for many, many years. Always a safe Democrat seat, he’s within 7, with only a quarter of the money of his opponent. His biggest secret weapon?…1) the possibility that Christine d’Arc might win, and 2) the general fear in Delaware that they don’t want to appear to be too sympathetic to the gods of communism. It also helps that Urquhart’s running against a non-incumbent, who although it is his party’s seat (Mike Castle held it for 18 years) still has no voting record to defend…only unlike the rest of the Democrat field, is almost giddy about supporting the same Obama agenda every other Dem is running away from. Even my home county in east Kentucky ain’t that stupid, Delaware.
Sean Bielet, in MA-04 may well win for the simple reason Barney secretly may not want to. After all, if he loses, he can be safely tucked away in Brazil when the indictments finally come down. A year or two head start, for sure, and what an ugwy sight that would be, to see him fwag-marched across the street to the courthouse to be awwaigned. An alternate theory, of course, centers around the bizarre behavior of his boy friend, showing up at Bielat events, disguised as a curious cameraman. Either Frank sent him out on this errand, or, he just couldn’t stand to see Barney come home every evening all fwazzled about the way this campaign is turning out, and dashed out on his own, furious at seeing his man so wwetched and wwecked.
Either way, Barney knows something we don’t know, and that enhances Bielat’s chances, alongside the general mood of the country.
And Star Parker will not win in CA-37, only she will win…some time, some place. She has real star power. And what she will leave CA-37 with, again assuming the new House of Representatives does as promised, and restores sanity to the national purse, including a long line of jobs…private sector jobs, with no strings attached…in those districts, the +30 Democrat Super Safe District will be a thing of the past in 20 years.
The rest, the top 8 races, well, they are all bound by a series of common markers; the Scarlet Letter S, (the Stimulus), the Mark of Stupak (Health Care) and TARP. Now, all these incumbents are walking back Health Care, with the promise, underscore “promise”, that the people should let them them fix what they in fact broke. (There’s almost an entire chapter in the Book of Proverbs speaking to this kind of self delusion, and people’s willful unwillingness to turn their heads toward wisdom, er, common sense.). Now most up-east liberal Democrats don’t have to stare down a religious (which is code for Catholic in the east since Anglicans, Methodists and Presbyterians ceased being “religious” in that neck of the woods years ago) constituency, but mid-western liberals do. Stupak was the hypocrite-in-chief of that group, and Marcy Kaptur (OH09) one of his gang of twelve-something, that came storming up to Pelosi, saying they wouldn’t sign onto Health Care unless the unborn were protected. I haven’t checked to see if all of them were lawyers, but they sure lied like ‘em. Marcy Kaptur included. But did you ever stop to think that Stupak & Co were always willing to sign onto death panels for the elderly, (after all, AARP also had), and a mandated requirement that citizens purchase health care, contrary to all freedoms expressed in the Bill of Rights? Even if they had been honest on that one issue, they treated all the other rights taken away in Health Care pretty much the same way the NRA treats the other 9 amendments in the Bill of Rights. See a pattern here?
(By the way, if you Tweet, Tweet this one message, I’m thinking of Scott Rigell in VA-02 now, but a host of others, as well…”If the NRA supports the Dem, they’re kissing the other nine amendments goodbye, with malice aforethought.” Don’t quote me, just say it.)
Replace the “D” with “De”
…as in Deflate, Defeat and Defund.
I’ve written of this before, that in the last week of the election, some candidates should roll the dice and lay it square at the voters feet…do they really want to see socialism become the law of the land? Have they thought that through clearly, as to what it means to today, and to their children’s future. Even the illiterate poor people of Nicaragua, back in the 90s, while wanting everything the Communists offered by way of education, jobs working to the state, better hovels and a better bowl of gruel, said No when they read the fine print that said this contract they’d made with the devil applied also to their children and their children’s children.
Tell your voters: At what time does “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me” not sink in? When does “better the devil we know”, cause nothing but harm? Every one of these incumbent Democrats played a hand in the straits we’re in now, and have the gall to say only they can get us out of it? It’s time, candidates, to put your own voter’s sense of self-dignity on the line. How often will you continue to allow someone to lie to you without exacting proper justice? For you know, they know, just as Stupak proved, and just as every Democrat candidate proved, even the Blue Dogs, when called upon to sacrifice one promise to their constituent for the “higher” common good of the Democrat Part, each in turn fell an line to vote as they were told. These are not men, these are cowards, and most importantly, the one thing they always promised to bring home to you, pork, (earmarks) they will not be able to deliver anyway. In most case, there’s a voting record 40 years long, the inner city black districts the saddest of all, those people held in virtual feudal serfdom. Tell them all, the days of plutocracy and thugocracy are dead, dead, dead, and you’re going to Washington to seal the deal.
Although I only pick up clips of debates and public statements by candidates, I am sick to death of hearing candidates speak of “lower taxes” and “bringing jobs back to the district” and uncertain “economic futures”…but still never mention the Constitution, or the fundamental loss of Liberty. It’s tyranny, for God sakes!, not bad banking policy. We wrote about this months ago, even two years ago, before I came to RS. I want to hear Mitch McConnell tell the people…every day…how much he loves the Constitution and Liberty. I want the GOP leadership absolutely weepy about it…
…or I want one that is.
Most of the people who listen to candidates still have jobs. What makes people run snatch Ol’ Betsy from over the mantle, or grab the pitchfork in the barn, or start sawing off i-bar for their rolled up newspapers, is what will carry the day this last week. Let them know you are coming, and that Hell is riding with us. Let them all know this is not revenge, even anger. This is a reckoning, (h/t Tombstone)…
and it won’t be finished this time…
….until it is finished.
Moe Lane
Erick Erickson
Jeff Emanuel
Steve Maley
Caleb Howe
Dan Spencer
"but still never mention the Constitution, or the fundamental loss of Liberty. It’s tyranny, for God sakes!, not bad banking policy."
ColdWarrior (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 12:39PM EDT (link)Amen.
We need to demand our elected public servants, who rank BELOW us, follow the damn law — the Constitution. We either have a written Constitution, or we don’t. It’s either written in understandable English, or not. It’s either fixed in its meeting, or it’s a “living, breathing document” that means whatever the majority says it means. And either enough of us get involved in party politics to demand the former, or not.
It’s liberty, or tyranny.
And it’s up to “we the people.”
Thank you.
For Liberty,
ColdWarrior, PC (that’s “precinct committeeman,” not “political child!”)
Conservatives, UNITE! CHANGE the Republican Party and save the world by UNITING INSIDE the Party as precinct committeemen. NOW! (9 days until Nov. 2 — what are YOU DOING to help get out the vote in your precinct?)
In 2012, will YOU become a “voting member” of the Republican Party in your precinct?
Where it all started. Twitter @kaltkrieger
Unified Patriots.
Learn how to GOTV at The Concord Project and at Procinct and
Amen, CW, Amen
Vassar Bushmills (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 2:59PM EDT (link)VB
Meant to type, "It's either fixed in its meaning"
ColdWarrior (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 5:27PM EDT (link)Wish I could type better.
Thank you.
CW
In 2012, will YOU become a “voting member” of the Republican Party in your precinct?
Where it all started. Twitter @kaltkrieger
Unified Patriots.
Learn how to GOTV at The Concord Project and at Procinct and
You've changed
remnant60 (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 12:41PM EDT (link)your writing style a bit…but what a great diary! I really liked this:
”If the NRA supports the Dem, they’re kissing the other nine amendments goodbye, with malice aforethought.”
Amen sir, amen.
Been awhile, remnant60, glad to see you back
Vassar Bushmills (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 2:19PM EDT (link)Didn’t know my style had changed, did have a haircut though, but the format on the screen changed due a button I mistanely pushed. I hate when I do that
Enh, what's a little center tag between friends
Finrod (Diary) Monday, October 25th at 3:09AM EDT (link)That’s why I don’t trust WYSIWYG editors. I use my own HTML tags, but then again I’m a computer geek of long standing, I don’t like giving control to software when I can do it myself any more than I like giving the government to Democrats.
Your writing is still excellent no matter how it’s formatted.
PETA and the ASPCA are pure evil. See here and here.
Amen, Vassar, amen.
penguin2 (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 1:00PM EDT (link)The very foundation of our country is being pulled apart. The Left has chipped away at the mortar for years, we’ve let them. The bricks will fall to fallow ground. This election is about so much more – more than the individual candidates, more than the issues – it is about preserving freedom, liberty and a traditional America that the world looks to, and the Founding Fathers envisioned. For me personally, it is about God and Country.
Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God. – Benjamin Franklin
When Good stands up to Evil, Evil blinks. – Vassar Bushmills
Conservative Education: Suggested Reading List
Activists Taking Action: Unified Patriots
And I second that Amen and raise you a Hallelujah, penguin.
janis (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 1:45PM EDT (link)The bums in D.C. hate everything that we, the common people, stand for. And that applies to both sides of the aisle. But first things first– let’s get the most R’s possible elected and then start holding them accountable to We, the People. Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, you’re on notice from this moment on– we’re watching your every move.
As to the ones on your list, Vassar, I am seriously smitten with Sean Bielat. Just the fact that he would go after that misewable little coward, Bawney and Bawney’s boyfriend, is enough to make me love him. But his record of service to our country is impeccable. That’s the thing about the ones who are running this year from the military– they know what true service is. And it doesn’t consist of taking with both hands while you lie to your troops to their faces while selling out their futures with a smile.
And I appreciate you keeping your promise to get it up by this week.
Thanks, Janis, the Scarlet S for Dem's
Vassar Bushmills (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 2:15PM EDT (link)…and the Scarlet A (Anathema) for R’s who crawdad on their promise. We’ll be in charge this time.
Thanks, Lady penguin, yep, we got out hands full the next two years
Vassar Bushmills (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 2:21PM EDT (link)…I hope no one is letting up. Let’s hope we can keep all out troops pumped. as we are depressing the hell out of the Left. Thanks, as always
Comparisons to Yamamoto are always garage-sale grade, but..
johnconradarens (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 4:16PM EDT (link)..Vassar B, allow me expand upon the theme for a nonce:
All Barack Obama did was Awaken a Sleeping Giant.
Liberty is so easy to take for granted when you are in the midst of it. Just as the country was so willing to smile and look past the train-wreck of the impeachment of BJ Clinton during the Roaring 90′s, they have heretofore been willing to cede certain bits of liberty as long as it doesn’t affect THEM… Untill it does. The professional political class has no algorithm to account for the angst, the fear, the anger that’s juxtaposed to the promise of freedom, self actualization and prosperity deferred. Thus, the wreckage, the jetsam they will witness on the morning of November 3rd will be utterly, indescribably alien to them. This includes your “10″.
But, do me a favor. From now on, when referring to Barney Fwank, never, ever, use the term “tucked away neatly” in any article in which you are discussing his “seat”.
You been reading my mail...
Vassar Bushmills (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 4:57PM EDT (link)I love the Yamamoto quote, for one, nothing is jaded when apropos.
You can see I struggled with the whole Barney thing. My brother is gay, been with the same partner 40 years, and has shown me some of the best times you can imagine in the side-saddle district of Phoenix, along Van Buren. Still, in all those years I could never bring myself to ask who was the pillow-biter-in-chief, knowing, just as in most marriages, how important that is.
Coffee almost shot out of my nose when I read "Side Saddle District". ..
johnconradarens (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 5:42PM EDT (link)But, truthfully, I never cared what the Grande Dame of Frank did in his spare moments, until HE MADE IT MY BUSINESS by parading his stupid, drug-addicted gigolo boyfriend (ewww) in my face twenty years ago, and insisted so sweetly we continue supporting his offensive life-choices with a congressional salary. In fact, it rather gives me the heebie-jeebie to think about what MOST politicians are doing when their pants aren’t zipped (ladies OR gentlemen): you know, the old aphorism about politics being show business for the ugly.
But, I mean it: You’ve strolled into territory regarding the electoral upheaval about to hit (-with all due respect to the polling scientist that are busy with their green eye shades). I honestly believe we are on the cusp of a quiet rebellion, and we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
You left out CA-29
pilgrim (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 7:37PM EDT (link)John Colbert vs Adam Schiff (D+14). The one major factor that is overlooked in this contest is that John Colbert has Red State’s own Ron Robinson working tirelessly from now until every vote has been counted to GOTV for John Colbert. Ron also created the PROCINCT software to aid everyone going out door-to-door to have a voying history of the resident who opens that door.
My bad, Pil, and apologies to Ron,
Vassar Bushmills (Diary) Monday, October 25th at 5:56AM EDT (link)A good way to see any district is when a D candidate in inderperforming the Kerry win in 2004 by less than half…that’s a district thta should come under the GOP’s new-improved microscope the next 2-3 cycles.
5 days later and more changes in House races
pilgrim (Diary) Friday, October 29th at 12:22PM EDT (link)Today RCP moved ME-1 Dean Scontras vs Chellie Pingree from leans Dem to Toss-up. They also moved RI-1 from leans Dem to Toss-up.
The Three Cs
pamela1631 (Diary) Sunday, October 24th at 11:50PM EDT (link)Cackle, Chortle and Chuckle
I’ve done that today reading at RS.
Chuckling and Chortling are ok, but when I start to Cackle that really unnerves my family.
Mitch McConnell needs to switch to boxers or go commando to stop wussing out. Wimps! Useless!
I am fed up with devious forked tongued politicians.
I am totaling done with spineless, walk-on me politicians.
Most of all, politicians that have sold this country out and gotten our people killed,,,bring them up on charges of treason.
My family fought for the creation of this Nation. No one is going to cast their sacrifices, that of every person who fought and all the women who kept hearth and home together into the cesspool of political gain and profit.
Get use to the fact that the Americans are back from the shadows and run. Because we are pissed off all to hell and you’ll have a better chance of cutting a deal with Lucifer than Us.
This republic was not established by cowards; and cowards will not preserve it. ~~Elmer Davis
I am stone forged from the fires of creation into flesh ~~Pamela1631
The greatest civilization is one where all citizens are equally armed and can only be persuaded, never forced.~~Maj. L. Caudill, USMC (Ret.)
10 More I'd Like to See
SE-779 (Diary) Tuesday, October 26th at 12:36PM EDT (link)AZ-4: Mike Ross vs Beth Anne Rankin
CT-1: John Larson vs Ann Brickley
GA-4: Hank “Guam” Johnson vs Liz Carter
GA-13: David Scott vs Mike Crane
OR-1: David Wu vs Rob Cornilles
PA-17: Tim Holden vs Dave Argall
SC-6: Jim Clyburn vs Jim Pratt
WV-3: Nick Rahall vs Spike Maynard
I believe CT-3 and NJ-9 are lost causes. The others, especially Pingree, Kaptur, and Frank, may go GOP.
“Earnesty is stupidity sent to College”-PJ O’Rourke
“If you vote based on who has more election signs, you’re an idiot.”-Glenn Beck
“Stupid is what stupid writes.”-Yogi Berra
“It ain’t over til’ the sodaholic passes a gall-stone.”
“If I am going to stick a knife in you I am going to do it up front in your chest, I am never going to do it in your back. You will always see it coming.”-John Oxendine
“If wishes were horses, we’d be knee deep in crap.”-Dr. Robert “Rocket” Romano
“Yeah, try to hide your wild enthusiasm at my return. I find overt displays of emotion embarrassing.”-Dr. Robert “Rocket” Romano
“If you want something cuddly to keep you company, buy a hamster, don’t have a child.”-Jesse Ventura
How about the Wis St Journal endorsing Chad Lee in WI-2?
Southpaw75 (Diary) Friday, October 29th at 12:46PM EDT (link)I literally had to pick myself up off the floor after reading their endorsement of Lee over idiot uber liberal Tammy Baldwin. I’ve seen no polling and it’s a D+25 district so it would be the miracles of all miracles.