November 22, 2003
REMEMBER JOHN EAST:
He's Spoiling for a Chance to Take On Schumer (RAYMOND HERNANDEZ, 11/10/03, NY Times)
In New York Republican circles, Michael Benjamin has become a bit like the kid on the basketball court begging the other players to pass him the ball.Even as the party has all but given up any hope of finding a candidate who can beat New York's well-funded senior senator, Charles E. Schumer, next year, Mr. Benjamin has been trying to convince the party's leaders that he is the man for the job.
Mr. Benjamin, 33, has put more than 40,000 miles on his Ford Explorer in the last nine months, visiting every one of the state's 62 counties in an effort to round up support from local party leaders and rank-and-file Republicans.
He has also managed to arrange meetings with some leading Republicans in the state, including Joseph L. Bruno, the Senate majority leader, and Alexander F. Treadwell, the state party chairman.
He even cornered Gov. George E. Pataki at a recent fund-raiser in Westchester County to press his case, though the governor's response was something on the order of "Don't call us, we'll call you," according to people familiar with the encounter. [...]
Politically, Mr. Benjamin has sprung up from virtually nowhere. The son of immigrants — his father is Iranian, his mother Honduran — he lived in Central and South America because of his father's job with the Bank of America, the biography on his Web site says. Fluent in Spanish, Mr. Benjamin points out that he would be the first United States Senator of Hispanic origin from New York if he defeats Mr. Schumer.
Thus are Republicans known as the Stupid Party. In 1994, another Republican landslide held Daniel Moynihan, a far more popular Senator, to 55%, against a relatively unknown Republican, Bernadette Castro, who received almost no help from the National Party because her cause was considered hopeless.
Similarly, in 1994 the GOP failed to invest any resources in VT on the assumption that Bernie Sanders was unbeatable, but he barely escaped anyway, with under 50% of the vote. The Party seems unable to process the fact that when elections get nationalized they can carry seemingly unwinnable seats. If they'd recruit top drawer candidates and fund them, they'd not only stand to pull off upsets but would inevitably help other races down-ticket.
With that in mind, here are a few races to watch--states where the GOP is currently given no prayer to beat veteran incumbents (unlike SD, NV, WA & CA, LA--which are at least recognized as possibilities) but which will at some point in the process be recognized as lon--okay, very long--shot possibilities: Patrick Leahy, VT; Daniel Inouye, HI (assuming he decides not to run); Russ Feingold, WI; and Byron Dorgan, ND.
Posted by Orrin Judd at November 22, 2003 6:24 AMI'm in NJ and you can't find a more idiotic Republican party. They backed Bob Franks against Brett Schundler for the nomination for Gov. and, when Schundler won the primary against Franks, they gave him a very tepid response.
Schundler was an excellent candidate who should have been able to beat the incredibly incompetent Jim McGreevy fairly easily. No such luck. The Republicans were so afraid of Schundler's pro-life stance they backed away like he had leprosy. But as the popular former mayor of Jersey City -- a city with a large hispanic population -- he was a very good bet for Governor if he'd had some exposure. Shameful.
Posted by: NKR at November 22, 2003 11:26 AMJohn East must have made a really big impression on you.
Posted by: John J. Coupal at November 22, 2003 12:05 PMLast time Leahy manipulated the Stupid Party to the point where he got to run against a clown-geezer who all but endorsed him for reelection. It would be nice to force him to have to actually have an opponent this time around, especially if Dean is the nominee.
It appears that Bush wants to win with coattails, but the real questionis whether the Dem nominee with have any coattails in his safe states. Always better to fight your opponent on his home turf, too.
John:
It's hard to pick the least likely winner and least-well suited to the Senate from the motley crew that Reagan carried in, but Mr. East was close. He did after all kill himself before his term expired. Brilliant man, bad politician.
Posted by: oj at November 22, 2003 5:03 PMI met Mr. East myself; he was a senior professor in the political science department at East Carolina University (my alma mater) before he was elected to the Senate. He was confined to a wheelchair, as you'll probably remember - I forget exactly what it was, but I think it was some kind of degenerative disease and he was often so ill during his abbreviated tenure that he had considerable difficulty carrying out his duties.
Posted by: Joe at November 22, 2003 5:46 PM