Could Congressman Dan Boran have beaten Tom Coburn?

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Well?

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

In a governor race

[minionofmidas]

Well Boren is the man elected to replace the guy who lost to Tom Coburn.

[Sam Spade]

Coburn is hard to beat fundamentally because his old eastern Oklahoma CD (Carson and Boran afterwards) is the most Democrat CD in Oklahoma.

He also has always remained very popular there as well. (which helps)

I doubt anyone could have beaten him in 2004.  Maybe in an off-year, non-incumbent election, it certainly would have been closer, but I think he still would have pulled it out, because of the reason above.

Face facts.  He's going to be in that for as long as he wants to, because he has literally no scandals in his career and his mouth is not the negative in Oklahoma that it might be in other places.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Tom Coburn would have beat either of them and did beat one of them.  I can see Dan Boren challenging him in 2010 or challenging Jim Inhofe in 2008.

He is really respected and well liked in Eastern Oklahoma CD 2 (Tulsa area).  He was a medical doctor before coming into politics, much like Bill Frist.  The only small skeleton in his closet is he allegedly performed an abortion while in practice and then ran against abortion in the Senatorial race vacated by Sen. Don Nickles.

[Sam Spade]

Tom Coburn would have beat either of them and did beat one of them.  I can see Dan Boren challenging him in 2010 or challenging Jim Inhofe in 2008.

He is really respected and well liked in Eastern Oklahoma CD 2 (Tulsa area).  He was a medical doctor before coming into politics, much like Bill Frist.  The only small skeleton in his closet is he allegedly performed an abortion while in practice and then ran against abortion in the Senatorial race vacated by Sen. Don Nickles.

Respectfully, that minor skeleton won't be an issue in 2010.  It was already sort of overplayed by Brad Carson as it was and didn't really help him much, frankly.

[ian]

No.  If a candidate as good as Carson couldn't win, I'm afraid no one could have.
And I hate to disagree, Sam, but I think that issue would be a major one.  Republicans down south are two-issue Republicans: abortion and gay marriage, as you probably know, and I think anything that implicates a candidate in an abortion scandal would definitely hurt that candidate a lot.

[Jake]

Are we talking former Senator Boren or his son here?

[Joe Biden 2020]

No. If a candidate as good as Carson couldn't win, I'm afraid no one could have.
And I hate to disagree, Sam, but I think that issue would be a major one. Republicans down south are two-issue Republicans: abortion and gay marriage, as you probably know, and I think anything that implicates a candidate in an abortion scandal would definitely hurt that candidate a lot.

I agree with Sam, the skeleton won't be that big of an issue in 2010.  People here in Oklahoma might forget about the skeleton in another 5 years, even though its a major issue in the South.  We haven't heard much from Coburn in the last 3 months, but its still really early.  Oklahoman's are a pretty forgiving people.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Are we talking former Senator Boren or his son here?

David Boren is the former Senator and current Univ of Oklahoma President
Dan Boren is his son, the current Congressman from District 2.

[Sam Spade]

No.  If a candidate as good as Carson couldn't win, I'm afraid no one could have.
And I hate to disagree, Sam, but I think that issue would be a major one.  Republicans down south are two-issue Republicans: abortion and gay marriage, as you probably know, and I think anything that implicates a candidate in an abortion scandal would definitely hurt that candidate a lot.

I'm not saying it's not that big of an issue to Oklahomans, ian.  I'm just saying that it won't have much effect on any potential election because it's been brought up before and it'll be familiar to voters.

For example, the fact that Senator Conrad Burns said in 1988 that he would only run for two terms was a very key factor in him almost getting ousted in 2000.  Other things may have an effect on his race in 2006, but that issue will not be an issue then probably, at all.

[Joe Biden 2020]

No. If a candidate as good as Carson couldn't win, I'm afraid no one could have.
And I hate to disagree, Sam, but I think that issue would be a major one. Republicans down south are two-issue Republicans: abortion and gay marriage, as you probably know, and I think anything that implicates a candidate in an abortion scandal would definitely hurt that candidate a lot.

I'm not saying it's not that big of an issue to Oklahomans, ian. I'm just saying that it won't have much effect on any potential election because it's been brought up before and it'll be familiar to voters.

For example, the fact that Senator Conrad Burns said in 1988 that he would only run for two terms was a very key factor in him almost getting ousted in 2000. Other things may have an effect on his race in 2006, but that issue will not be an issue then probably, at all.

One of Tom Coburn's biggest campaign promises is that he would spend maximum two terms in the Senate.  We'll have to wait until 2016 to see if he holds to his promise.

[Sam Spade]

No. If a candidate as good as Carson couldn't win, I'm afraid no one could have.
And I hate to disagree, Sam, but I think that issue would be a major one. Republicans down south are two-issue Republicans: abortion and gay marriage, as you probably know, and I think anything that implicates a candidate in an abortion scandal would definitely hurt that candidate a lot.

I'm not saying it's not that big of an issue to Oklahomans, ian. I'm just saying that it won't have much effect on any potential election because it's been brought up before and it'll be familiar to voters.

For example, the fact that Senator Conrad Burns said in 1988 that he would only run for two terms was a very key factor in him almost getting ousted in 2000. Other things may have an effect on his race in 2006, but that issue will not be an issue then probably, at all.

One of Tom Coburn's biggest campaign promises is that he would spend maximum two terms in the Senate.  We'll have to wait until 2016 to see if he holds to his promise.

Yep, that's a while in the future, though. 

I will say this, he did hold up his promise of only serving three terms in the House before when he was a member.  Few House members, with the exception of say a Mark Sanford, from the 1994 class held up their end of the bargain on that and I give him credit in that regard.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I will say this, he did hold up his promise of only serving three terms in the House before when he was a member. Few House members, with the exception of say a Mark Sanford, from the 1994 class held up their end of the bargain on that and I give him credit in that regard.

He sure did, which makes me believe he'll keep his promise 11 years from now.  But, again, thats 11 years down the road.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Probably a more gracious loser if he had lost.  Brad Carson was very bitter after losing.  The Oklahoma Senate Race of 2004 had more mudslinging than the Presidential race.

I voted for Brad Carson, but lost some respect for him after he showed a sore loser.

Tom Coburn probably is the better candidate.

[TomC]

Yes, definitely.

[Joe Biden 2020]

The race would definitely have been closer.  Either of them could win.  Tom Coburn would be the most likely candidate to win because of his familiarity with Washington and her politics (he was the OK2 Representative in the late 1990s).  Dan Boren is only in his second term in the US House (also OK2), and only his 3rd year of any Washington political office.  It would have been a very close race anyway you look at it.