Month: June 2014

Quote of the Day, I Wish That I Had Written This About Hillary Clinton First edition.

Because sometimes I see something and I think I wish that I had thought of that; and sometimes I think Dang, I was in the process of working that out myself.  Anyway, here’s Ed Morrissey, talking about how Hillary Clinton’s numbers are down by double digits since 2012 (and her generally poor roll out last week):

It’s difficult to recall just when a candidate with this many advantages managed to blow them all and torpedo his or her own strategy. Oh, wait, I do — it was Hillary Clinton in 2007-8.

This is, indeed, neither Ed’s nor my first time at the rodeo.

Eric Cantor will not pursue a write-in candidacy. People should say ‘Thank you.’ #va07

Because you have to positively reinforce, too.

Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor told key aides and trusted former staffers on Wednesday that he will not try his luck with a write-in campaign after his shocking GOP primary defeat at the hands of largely unknown tea party-backed economics professor Dave Brat.

“I am not going to do a write-in. I am a Republican and proud of that,” a source familiar with the Virginia Republican’s message quoted him as saying in a closed-door meeting.

Continue reading Eric Cantor will not pursue a write-in candidacy. People should say ‘Thank you.’ #va07

Gov. Brian Sandoval (R, Nevada) takes a big step forward in toppling Harry Reid in 2016.

If, you know, that’s going to be a thing that he wants to do.

Let me set the scene: Brian Sandoval is the (popular) governor of Nevada, and he’s going to win re-election in November. Yes, yes, there’s always the chance of scandal and/or unforeseen circumstances – but last night the Democrats’ top vote-getter in their gubernatorial primary was None of the above*.  Sandoval’s term-limited, so at 51 the man has to think about what happens next.  Basically, there are two options for him: a Vice President spot, or the Senate. Both would involve him leaving early, which Brian Sandoval said that he wouldn’t do.. but as the RCP link notes above Sandoval said that when he ran for Nevada Attorney General. That ended up with Sandoval leaving that job (as per a Harry Reid scheme) in 2004 to go be a federal judge… and then leaving that job to run for Governor in 2010.

Not that I – or many other Republicans – really mind any of that.  We typically don’t punish our politicians for deciding that, gosh and by golly, they’re going to run for something anyway.  Besides, in 2010 Brian Sandoval beat Rory Reid (Harry Reid’s kid) like a red-headed stepchild.  That’s the sort of thing that can endear a politician to the Republican base… Continue reading Gov. Brian Sandoval (R, Nevada) takes a big step forward in toppling Harry Reid in 2016.

Interesting – and, for Democrats, faintly alarming – results in Maine-02.

In ME-02 incumbent Democrat Mike Michaud is, of course, running for governor of Maine: so his seat is now open.  And after last night’s results, I think that it may end up being considered more competitive than Lean Democratic.  As of 10:30 AM today, Democrat Emily Cain has only gotten about 800 more votes than Republican Bruce Poliquin did; and turnout was noticeably higher on the Republican side than the Democratic one.  Both candidates are unabashedly partisan; but you’d expect that the Democrats would have done better with GOTV on a seat that they’re currently holding.

Keep an eye on this race.  Bruce Poliquin’s site is here.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

QotD, That’s The NIMBY, Elitist Colorado Democratic Party Right There edition.

The New York Times must not be feeling well: they usually just blurt out inconvenient truths about Democratic politicians like this.  Today’s example: millionaire Congressman Jared Polis (D, Colorado) and his hatred of cheap, clean energy:

Mr. Polis became a self-proclaimed poster boy against fracking last year when a red-and-white drilling rig sprouted near his weekend home in Weld County…

Yes, God forbid that our self-proclaimed ruling class ever see their part of the skyline sacrificed for such a trivial thing as energy independence and clean power*. That’s for the peons who aren’t enlightened enough to be rich Democratic liberals.

Via

Moe Lane

*Remember when the left liked natural gas? Yeah, turned out that was just pillow talk, baby. As usual.

PS: While I understand that hydraulic fracking is a matter of some theological urgency to certain percentages of the population, I would appreciate it if the people who are so insistent about keeping other people’s religious sensibilities out of the public debate would exercise similar restraint when it comes to their own.

Adam Schiff: White House should have informed Buck McKeon, John Boehner about #Bergdahl.

How bad is the Bergdahl matter for the President? Meet Adam Schiff, reliable California liberal Democrat (and member of the Armed Services Committee), refusing to defend (H/T: Hot Air) the President’s decision to cut Congress utterly out of the loop on the Bergdahl/terrorist swap:

One other fact I’ll raise is that most of the leaks that have taken place have come from the administration and not from Congress, so they really should have brought at least the leadership within their confidence, and I think that was a mistake.

Continue reading Adam Schiff: White House should have informed Buck McKeon, John Boehner about #Bergdahl.

So… Eric Cantor loses to Dave Brat in VA-07.

I’m not going to even remotely pretend that I’m not flabbergasted. I did not see that coming. Fortunately, I also stayed out of the dang primary, as near as I can remember. One thing to be surprised; it’s another to tuck into a big dinner of crow.

A couple of observations. First two:

And the third is that everybody’s going to have an answer on why this happened; but some of those answers are going to be a little bit of a stretch. For example: the Democrats barely have a candidate for this race (they got this guy picked by the local committee and now have to get him established on the ballot), which suggests that shenanigans by the Democrats were, at best, ad hoc. I would have had a state senator or representative prepped and ready to go.

So, basically, it could just simply be that the voters have chosen. Like they’re supposed to, you know, do.

Moe Lane

PS: Needless to say: Dave Brat for VA-07.

OBAMABUS *HUNGERS*, Chuck Hagel!

And Hagel approaches the Place of Sacrifice:

The last question asked at Monday night’s closed-door briefing of members of the House of Representatives was a simple one: Who made the decision to transfer five top Taliban officials held at Guantanamo Bay to Qatar in exchange for the return of the Taliban’s lone American POW, Army sergeant Bowe Bergdahl?

According to Buck McKeon, the chairman of the House Armed Services committee, the Obama administration’s briefers told he gathered House members that the person responsible for the decision to make the deal was not President Obama but Chuck Hagel, the secretary of defense.

Continue reading OBAMABUS *HUNGERS*, Chuck Hagel!