NRSC Urging Steele to Run for Senate in Maryland

[Moooooo]

From the Baltimore Sun:

North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole and her staff at the candidate-recruiting National Republican Senatorial Committee have met with Michael S. Steele three times, attempting to persuade him to enter the race for U.S. Senate.

Steele also has been contacted by Karl Rove, the master strategist credited with engineering President Bush's election wins.

"No stone has gone unturned," Dole said last week. "I am a huge Michael Steele fan."

National Republicans are waging an aggressive campaign to launch Maryland's lieutenant governor into the race to replace retiring Democratic incumbent Paul S. Sarbanes, as party leaders sense their best chance in decades of gaining a Senate seat in the traditionally Democratic state.

Their effort to persuade Steele to seek national office -- which appears on the cusp of success -- could trigger the costliest and most competitive series of election contests the state has ever seen, Republican strategists say. The national party would make sure Steele had the $15 million experts say is needed for a serious run.
...
Although Steele has said he wants to run for governor in 2010, after a possible second term for Ehrlich, the prospect of an open Senate seat in a state where Republicans held little chance of making gains before Sarbanes' unexpected announcement seems too juicy to pass up.

Democrats outnumber Republicans in Maryland about 2-to-1, and Ehrlich was the first GOP candidate to win a governor's race since Spiro T. Agnew in 1966. So far, major Democrats in the Senate contest include Kweisi Mfume, the former congressman and chief of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, the 10-term congressman from Baltimore County. In a hypothetical match-up against either man, Steele is neck and neck, a poll for The Sun found last month.

[Keystone Phil]

Yeah, Steele has to run. Whether some Dems on this forum want to admit it or not, Steele would atleast force the Dems to throw some money into the race that they would want to be spending elsewhere.

Funny that Steele wants to run for Governor in 2010. He can do exactly what I see Casey doing. Run for Senate in '06 and win, then 2010 rolls around, run for Governor and win, and finally appoint your replacement to the Senate seat.

[Moooooo]

Yeah, Steele has to run. Whether some Dems on this forum want to admit it or not, Steele would atleast force the Dems to throw some money into the race that they would want to be spending elsewhere.

Funny that Steele wants to run for Governor in 2010. He can do exactly what I see Casey doing. Run for Senate in '06 and win, then 2010 rolls around, run for Governor and win, and finally appoint your replacement to the Senate seat.

There is one or two circumstances where he could pull it off and win.  To be honest one of those circumstances is very likely.

[Keystone Phil]

Yeah, Steele has to run. Whether some Dems on this forum want to admit it or not, Steele would atleast force the Dems to throw some money into the race that they would want to be spending elsewhere.

Funny that Steele wants to run for Governor in 2010. He can do exactly what I see Casey doing. Run for Senate in '06 and win, then 2010 rolls around, run for Governor and win, and finally appoint your replacement to the Senate seat.

To be honest one of those circumstances is very likely.

Please share. 

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

except Steele has a better chance of being reelected Lt. Gov. than winning the Senate seat.

[Keystone Phil]

except Steele has a better chance of being reelected Lt. Gov. than winning the Senate seat.

That's probably true but try admitting that he has a shot at the Senate seat. Come on. It's not that hard.

[Akno21]

MD Dems aren't going to be going up to PA to campaign in 2006, that's for sure.

The only good thing I can think of for Mfume is that he could eliminate any progress Steele would make with the black vote. I have doubts how well the black vote will do for Cardin if he defeats a black candidate in the primary and then runs against a black candidate in the general.

[Keystone Phil]

MD Dems aren't going to be going up to PA to campaign in 2006, that's for sure.

We saw enough of them volunteering for Schwartz. Please keep them down there! 

[Moooooo]

A scenario like this isnt out of the question...

Mfume loses a brutal primary - Blacks stay home on general election day OR vote for Steele as payback. (Maryland is 30%+ African American.)

Duncan and O'Malley go through a brutal primary - The losers base stays home. (Big problem here because they are both from Democratic strongholds.)

Mfume wins the primary - Moderate Dem's, Independents, and Republicans reject the radical race baiter Mfume and Steele wins big.  Im sorry, but I just cant see Joe Blue Collard construction worker and Sally Soccer mom voting for Kwesi Mfume.

[Moooooo]

except Steele has a better chance of being reelected Lt. Gov. than winning the Senate seat.

Actually Ehrlich's popularity has dropped big time over the past couple months.  His base is eroding.  Heck, a Republican State Senator retired the other day because he could'nt handle Ehrlich's obstructionism.  He also went on to predict an Ehrlich defeat in 2006.  As of right now Id say Steele has a better shot at the Senate seat.  You gotta' admit, the guy has some star power.  His resume is short, but I think his public speaking ability and positive energy could make him a forimidable candidate.  Sorta' like Ford Jr. in Tennesee, but Steele is more likely to win than Ford Jr.