RK ARCHIVE - Kos' Take on Gilmore for Senate

Kos' Take on Gilmore for Senate

here

So here's the picture -- the Virginia Republican Party, reeling from three high profile losses in a row (Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, and Jim Webb), are losing their elder statesman in John Warner. In his vacuum, the party will face a withering primary pitting their crazy wing versus their slightly less crazy wing, pitting the booming, growing half of the state (Allen) versus the stagnating "southern" part of it (Gilmore), and potentially featuring the return of the state's most famous racist.

Mark Warner, who left office with 80 percent approval ratings, would have a clear primary field and a battle-tested, well-oiled, and increasingly effective state party apparatus and allied grassroots and netroots army laying the foundation for another big Democratic pickup.

All I have to add is this: PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE run Jim Gilmore. PLEASE!!! :)

P.S. This is utterly hilarious. Jim Gilmore is totally delusional:

I certainly do not seek a race against Gov. Warner, but I would run one if it was in the best interests of the state. And I would be pleased to match my record as governor against his any time. But it really is not a matter of a horse race between Mark Warner and Jim Gilmore. I think the right thing to do is to address what's right for the state and what's right for the nation. I think it would be a very spirited race.

Yeah, right, you match your record against Mark Warner's, that will work. Ha.

Comments

Shhhhh.... (Silence Dogood - 8/23/2007 3:22:55 PM)

Don't scare him. What you have to understand is that goading Jim Gilmore into a campaign is like attracting a butterfly. The more and more you chase it, the more it flies away from you. But if you sit still patiently, it will come and land on a small rock next to your knee.

Then you can bludgeon it with a hammer.

doubtful (hrconservative - 8/23/2007 4:22:17 PM)

Mark Warner or no Mark Warner, if the Republican presidential candidate wins Virginia in 08, the Dem Senate nominee will not have the crossover votes to win the seat.

I don't see a Dem winning in a presidential year. Not even Warner.

I gotta agree with Lowell (DanG - 8/23/2007 5:39:42 PM)

Warner wins this one if he decides to run. Period. And remember, according to recent polls, Dems aren't on the path to do terribly in the commonwealth. Depending on who you guys nominate, we may even win. Don't count on Virginia being "solidly red" in 08, hr. especially if we nominate Obama or Edwards.

I don't entirely agree with the analysis (legacyofmarshall - 8/23/2007 5:53:01 PM)

"pitting the booming, growing half of the state (Allen) versus the stagnating "southern" part of it (Gilmore)"

Disagreement 1: George Allen isn't running for senate in '08, he's said so (he wants to be governor apparently).

Disagreement 2: Since when does Allen represent NoVA and Gilmore represent SoVA? Gilmore is an attorney in Arlington, at least Allen *pretends* to be from somewhere rural (L.A.?)

Disagreement 3: I wouldn't call the South 'stagnating'. It's no NoVA, but show some respect, please.

Disagreement 4: Markos left out all the other Republicans who want to have higher office - most importantly Tom Davis - who comically is the strongest VA republican right now for Senate. I say comically because to see Davis try to relate to anyone south of the Rappohanock (which Warner did smoothly in '01) would probably be funnier than Arrested Development.