Earlier this afternoon, the New Hampshire Union Leader sent out an alert saying that Gov. John Lynch would not challenge U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg in 2010. Here's the Nashua Telegraph's story: ["Lynch: I won't run for Senate against Gregg"].
This is good, good, and bad news.
First, it's good news because Lynch is correct: he won't be distracted by a major political run during the end of his third term and can, instead, concentrate on his job. That job is to be a great governor and preserve his own moderate version of the New Hampshire Advantage [i.e. no sales or income taxes]. This isn't just about the tax thing. It's about the fact that he is thinking about the body of the whole, in this case, the state, instead of self. That's leadership.
It's also good news because this allows the other potential candidates to start thinking about putting a race together ... and doing it soon if not now. Gregg is going to be a difficult person to beat despite the trends in New Hampshire. Better to get started on it soon instead of worrying about it next year when it might be too late [barring a major lottery win, I will also not be a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010 ... hah!].
It's bad news because many Dems thought that Lynch would be the party's best chance to beat Gregg. I don't know if that is altogether true but it's a safe bet.
However, with the economy in a total tailspin and Obama acting arrogant when he hasn't even been sworn in yet, there could be a backlash from the moderate middle in the state which could potentially hurt a Democratic challenger.
The naysayers on the progressive blogosphere will go apeshit if they read this comment, but it's kinda the truth. The elections of 2006 and 2008 were quite fickle. It could be just fine; it may not though.
As well, Gregg could continue to dig his own grave. If he continues to go on and on about deficits and spending on the poor people while ignoring what is going on over at the Pentagon and on Wall Street, he looks like a fool. If he continues to run from the mess he helped create with the disastrous bailout, he just looks like an idiot.
Some quick thoughts on Obama
I'm paraphrasing here something I wrote online elsewhere. I'm truly disheartened by the fact that Barack Obama seems to be pretty much abandoning everything he said he would do which means that he was nothing more than a phony hope-dope pusher. Of course, some of us already knew that he would be an empty pontificator of hyperbole. But, we were still hopeful that we were wrong.
The worst part about this in my mind is that there were millions and millions of people who believed this man and did everything to get him elected and now, he is treating them - and their wishes, hopes and dreams - like dog shit on the heel of his shoe. It's disgraceful.
Things like meeting with rightwing pundits or inviting Rick Warren to say a prayer over your inauguration ... you know, that is building bridges and breaking bread with people who don't agree with you. That's good politics. But filling your cabinet full of Clinton failures, listening to their horrific advice, badgering Congress over the TARP stuff when no one knows what happened to the first $350 billion, abandoning health care because of what the private sector did to the economy, lying and saying it will take a year to close Gitmo, not preparing to pull the troops out of Iraq, agreeing with Bush to send more troops to Afghanistan, on and one and on ... Barack Obama is a walking public policy outrage ... and he hasn't even been inaugurated yet!
This is good, good, and bad news.
First, it's good news because Lynch is correct: he won't be distracted by a major political run during the end of his third term and can, instead, concentrate on his job. That job is to be a great governor and preserve his own moderate version of the New Hampshire Advantage [i.e. no sales or income taxes]. This isn't just about the tax thing. It's about the fact that he is thinking about the body of the whole, in this case, the state, instead of self. That's leadership.
It's also good news because this allows the other potential candidates to start thinking about putting a race together ... and doing it soon if not now. Gregg is going to be a difficult person to beat despite the trends in New Hampshire. Better to get started on it soon instead of worrying about it next year when it might be too late [barring a major lottery win, I will also not be a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010 ... hah!].
It's bad news because many Dems thought that Lynch would be the party's best chance to beat Gregg. I don't know if that is altogether true but it's a safe bet.
However, with the economy in a total tailspin and Obama acting arrogant when he hasn't even been sworn in yet, there could be a backlash from the moderate middle in the state which could potentially hurt a Democratic challenger.
The naysayers on the progressive blogosphere will go apeshit if they read this comment, but it's kinda the truth. The elections of 2006 and 2008 were quite fickle. It could be just fine; it may not though.
As well, Gregg could continue to dig his own grave. If he continues to go on and on about deficits and spending on the poor people while ignoring what is going on over at the Pentagon and on Wall Street, he looks like a fool. If he continues to run from the mess he helped create with the disastrous bailout, he just looks like an idiot.
Some quick thoughts on Obama
I'm paraphrasing here something I wrote online elsewhere. I'm truly disheartened by the fact that Barack Obama seems to be pretty much abandoning everything he said he would do which means that he was nothing more than a phony hope-dope pusher. Of course, some of us already knew that he would be an empty pontificator of hyperbole. But, we were still hopeful that we were wrong.
The worst part about this in my mind is that there were millions and millions of people who believed this man and did everything to get him elected and now, he is treating them - and their wishes, hopes and dreams - like dog shit on the heel of his shoe. It's disgraceful.
Things like meeting with rightwing pundits or inviting Rick Warren to say a prayer over your inauguration ... you know, that is building bridges and breaking bread with people who don't agree with you. That's good politics. But filling your cabinet full of Clinton failures, listening to their horrific advice, badgering Congress over the TARP stuff when no one knows what happened to the first $350 billion, abandoning health care because of what the private sector did to the economy, lying and saying it will take a year to close Gitmo, not preparing to pull the troops out of Iraq, agreeing with Bush to send more troops to Afghanistan, on and one and on ... Barack Obama is a walking public policy outrage ... and he hasn't even been inaugurated yet!
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