Theory on Why Coats Retired

[Free Bird]

THEORY: Dan Coats obviously has retired...again. His reasoning was age; that he would be tickling 80 in 2022. Age almost never stops politicians from giving up their career. He'll obviously return to lobbying, but I personally think he never wanted to leave that job in the first place. Back in 2010, the Indiana GOP was scrambling for someone to challenge Evan Bayh, not knowing he was to retire himself. If I remember correctly, they practically had to beg Coats to be drafted into the race. He never really wanted to come back to the Senate. He just did it out of party loyalty, and jumped at the first opportunity to leave as his drafted term was coming to a close, never actually considering reelection since he saw new, younger people to take his place easily. If Bayh had declared from the getgo, he may have stayed on board, though.

Do you think this is possible? Do any Indiana users have inside information to discuss this theory?

[Figueira]

Maybe. I don't know enough about him or Indiana to know for sure, but it sounds plausible enough.

[Indy Texas]

The accepted explanation was that Coats ran in 2010 because his old lobbying connections from his time in the Senate in the '90s had dried up and he wanted/needed more avenues of access. And then he realized Congress had become an unworkable hellhole compared to the last time he was there (which was already a fairly adversarial period) and decided he'd had enough and wanted out.

Allegedly this is also why Mike Johanns didn't run for a second term - he couldn't stand how toxic the work environment was.

[Bismarck]

Both theories seem plausible, and could both be true to some extent. . In Coats' defense however he is pretty reasonable and honest as far as the DC to K street politician for life types go, he certainly never sank to the depths of Evan Bayh.

[tmthforu94]

You're absolutely right. Coats was recruited to run in 2010 because Republicans didn't think Hostettler or Stutzman could beat Bayh. Had Coats not ran in 2010, Bayh probably would have ran for reelection since it would have been much easier to beat Hostettler/Stutzman.

Coats had actually been raising money in 2014/2015 and was helping local candidates, so initially, word on the street was that he was thinking of running again. I think he decided against it when he got wind that Holcomb and Young wanted it, since he knew both would be able to keep the seat for Republicans. Had Bayh announced early on, though, I definitely could see Coats sticking around for another term to prevent Bayh from taking the seat. Perhaps work out a deal with the Republican Governor to retire after a couple years and pick his own successor.

[Free Bird]

You're absolutely right. Coats was recruited to run in 2010 because Republicans didn't think Hostettler or Stutzman could beat Bayh. Had Coats not ran in 2010, Bayh probably would have ran for reelection since it would have been much easier to beat Hostettler/Stutzman.

Coats had actually been raising money in 2014/2015 and was helping local candidates, so initially, word on the street was that he was thinking of running again. I think he decided against it when he got wind that Holcomb and Young wanted it, since he knew both would be able to keep the seat for Republicans. Had Bayh announced early on, though, I definitely could see Coats sticking around for another term to prevent Bayh from taking the seat. Perhaps work out a deal with the Republican Governor to retire after a couple years and pick his own successor.

The way you described Young and Holcomb made me think of some grandpa passing his business to his grandchildren for some reason lol. "You must take my spot now."

[HenryVIII]

Coats wasn't doing a good job hoebslty

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I figured he was likely to retire after just one term from the time he got elected in 2010.