And it isn’t just Democrats saying it, either. A republican pollster friendly to Sarah Steelman, Wilson Research Strategies, shows Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan winning the race for Kit Bond’s Class III Senate seat, regardless of who wins the primary, Blunt or Steelman. She leads Blunt 47% to 44%, and Steelman by a much wider 47%-39% margin.
In addition to her name recognition and the fact that she just won reelection as Secretary of State with more votes than any other statewide candidate in the history of the state, the republicans are headed for a brutal primary that will undoubtedly leave the eventual winner compromised going into the midterms. Of course, it does not bother me in the least that they will damage one another in a bloody and brutal primary any more than it did watching the Steelman-Hulshof battle in the primary for the republican nomination in the gubernatorial race last year. Jay Nixon was never going to lose, but the fact that Sarah crippled Kenny and let Jay take the Mansion by a humiliating 18% instead of 8% made me smile for days. Hell, I still catch myself with a big ‘ol grin just thinking about it.
After watching the republicans put on their off-off-Broadway production of political theater in the state House of Representatives on Wednesday, and seeing what their party has to offer in the way of “leadership” – let’s just say they can’t do enough damage to themselves fast enough for my tastes!
Bring on the primary! And if you have any money left to invest, I would recommend popcorn futures!
Hulshof was a bad candidate and doomed to a bad showing no matter what. Good candidates come out of tough primaries much stronger, like Jim Webb in 2006 and Barack Obama and Judy Baker in 2008.