Winning The Senate

I want the Senate as much as I want the White House. The GOP picked up seven seats in 2010. Unfortunately, one of those seats now belongs to Scott Brown who flipped off his supporters by voting for the 3,000 page Dodd/Frank finreg bill. Thanks for nothing, Judas.

I digress. The GOP needs four seats for a simply majority, thirteen seats for a super majority. Yes, thirteen is possible. Keep in mind that the GOP still has its share of RINO's: Brown, Collins, Snowe. These cads caucus with the Dems. Do you think we can count on them to foster energy independence or financial reform? Probably not. The GOP has to think big in 2012.

If I was sitting in (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus's seat I would have paid a visit to the back of the pack (Pawlenty, Santorum, Johnson) and told them outright, "You will not be our vice-presidential nominee. Forget about it. However, if you pursue the Senate seat in your home state, I guarantee your campaign will be supported."

I would say something similar to Hamlet Pataki, Hamlet Giuliani and Hamlet Bolton. "Yes, I know you want to be president. Fat chance (said with obvious sarcasm.) But your odds will improve if you pay your dues. Help me out and your chances go from none to slim."

We might have a perfect storm brewing (I am not tossing that cliche overboard just yet.) An unusually vulnerable Senate class stuck with an unpopular presidential candidate, the aftermath of the 2010 elections leaving the GOP in control of most state houses, the continued diminution of the mainstream media. It does not look good for the Dems but the GOP has dropped the ball over and over and over. The Republicans cannot repeat the mistakes of 2010 this time around.

Let's examine the 2012 Senate field. (An aside. I have failed at installing tables into this blog in the past. so please bear with me.)

1. Arizona: Open Seat
Best GOP Candidate: Rep. Jeff Flake.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Rep. Jeff Flake.
MSNBC will hae a good time with his name but this guy is a rising star. If you like Rubio or Lee or Rand Paul, you will like Jeff Flake.

2. California: Diane Feinstein (D)
Best GOP Candidates: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Nancy Reagan.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Michael Stollaire.

3. Connecticut: Open Seat
Best GOP Candidate: Former U.S. Comptroller Gen. David Walker.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Former U.S. Comptroller Gen. David Walker.
In other years, this anticharisma candidate would be advised to explore academia for its many career options. But in the midst of financial Armageddon, the prophet deserves a long look.

4. Delaware: Tom Carper (D)
Best GOP Candidate: Mike Castle. Maybe then, Karl Rove and Dana Perrino and upscale, respectable, clean, articulate Republicans will be happy.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Not Christine O'Donnell.

5. Florida: Bill Nelson (D)
Best GOP Candidate: Jeb Bush.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Allen West.
The GOP cannot blow this one. If they do, heads should roll. In addition to these luminaries, the sunshine state features other strong prospects who deserve a long look. This is not quite a slam dunk but it is there for the taking.

6. Hawaii: Open Seat
Best GOP Candidate: Laura Lingle
Best Tea Party Candidate: Is there a birther in the house?

7. Indiana: Richard Lugar (R)
Best GOP Candidate: Richard Lugar.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Not Richard Lugar.

8. Massachusetts: Scott Brown (R)
Best GOP Candidate: Scott Brown.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Has Willie Horton been paroled? Anyone would be better than Judas Iscariot. Anyone! Anyone! Anyone!

9. Maryland: Ben Cardin (D)
Best GOP Candidate: John Bolton
Best Tea Party Candidate: I don't know of any. It would be nice if Bolton would run.

10. Maine: Olympia Snowe (R)
Best GOP Candidate: Olympia Snowe.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Andrew Ian Dodge.

11. Michigan: Debbie Stabenow (D)
Best GOP Candidate: Pete Hoekstra.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Thaddeus McCotter.
This is winnable.

12. Minnesota: Amy Klobuchar: (D)
Best GOP Candidate: Tim Pawlenty.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Michelle Bachmann.
Unlike Bachmann, Pawlenty does not currently hold public office. He would not give up anything to run for the Senate. Running for the presidency might have improved his chances for a Senate seat. This is winnable. Run Tim, run.

13. Missouri: Claire McCaskill (D)
Best GOP Candidate: Todd Akin
Best Tea Party Candidate: None identified. We can hope Akin fits the bill.

14. Mississippi: Roger Wicker (R)
Best GOP Candidate: Roger Wicker.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Roger Wicker.

15. Montana: John Tester (D)
Best GOP Candidate: Denny Rehberg.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Denny Rehberg.

16. North Dakota: Open Seat
Best GOP Candidate: Rick Berg
Best Tea Party Candidate: Bob Harms

17. Nebraska: Ben Nelson (D)
Best GOP Candidate: Pat Flynn
Best Tea Party Candidate: Deb Fischer

18. New Jersey: Bob Menendez (D)
Best GOP Candidate: Chris Christie
Best Tea Party Candidate: Chris Christie

19. New Mexico: Open Seat
Best GOP Candidate:Heather Wilson.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Gary Johnson.

20. Nevada: Dean Heller (R)
Best GOP Candidate: Dean Heller.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Dean Heller (we hope.)

21. New York: Kirsten Gillibrand (D)
Best GOP Candidate: George Pataki.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Pete King.
This one burns me up. Pataki has been testing the waters on Boston talk radio. I am not a fan of Rudy or Pataki but I will take either of them over Chuckie the Clown or Gillibrand. Both seats were open in 2010 and Rudy and Pataki sat on the sidelines. Don't even think about running for president!

22. Ohio: Sherrod Brown (D)
Best GOP Candidate: Jim Jordan
Best Tea Party Candidate: Jim Jordan (by default.)


23. Pennsylvania: Bob Casey (D)
Best GOP Candidate: Rick Santorum.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Laureen Cummings

24. Rhode Island: Sheldon Whitehouse (D)
Best GOP Candidate: Sigh.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Sigh.

25. Tennessee: Bob Corker (R)
Best GOP Candidate: Bob Corker
Best Tea Party Candidate: Bob Corker (We hope.)

26. Texas: Open Seat
Best GOP Candidate: Inconclusive.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Inconclusive.

27. Utah: Orrin Hatch (R)
Best GOP Candidate: Orrin Hatch.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Jason Chaffetz.
I think and hope that Hatch has seen the light. But I don't know if the people of Utah see it the same way.

28. Virginia: Open Seat
Best GOP Candidate:George Allen.
Best Tea Party Candidate: Jamie Radtke.
Battle ground state, indeed!

29. Vermont: Bernie Sanders (I)
Best GOP Candidate: A young, pro-life, fiscally conservative veteran.
Best Tea Party Candidate: A young, pro-life, fiscally conservative veteran.

30. Washington: Maria Cantwell (D)
Best GOP Candidate: None identified.
Best Tea Party Candidate: None identified.

31. West Virginia: Joe Manchin (D)
Best GOP Candidate: None identified.
Best Tea Party Candidate: None identified.
I like Manchin. If we lose this one to Manchin, so be it.

32. Wyoming: John Barrasso (R)
Best GOP Candidate: John Barrasso
Best Tea Party Candidate: John Barrasso

These are the battle fields. We will return to this chart until the primaries. Let the races begin.