Kentucky

[Holmes]

I'm really interested in this race, so let's have a discussion.

So what do you think of Bunning's chances of retirement are? Mongiardo says if he decides to run, he expects Bunning to wimp out and do it. Pretty bold.

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http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=9693020&nav=menu54_3

And Bunning's also been MIA for the past while, but whether that's relavent or not, I dunno. Anyway, if Mongiardo runs again against Bunning, I'd say it's toss-up for now purely because of incumbency, but if Bunning does bow out, I'd give the edge to Mongiardo against a generic R...

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Bunning will be easier to defeat than to take an open seat, so he shouldn't be goading him into retirement.

[Keystone Phil]

He needs to retire or be beaten in a primary. That being said, I still think the GOP is favored to hold this seat with Bunning. Any other serious Republican would definitely be favored against Mongiardo.

[Lunar]

Bunning will be easier to defeat than to take an open seat, so he shouldn't be goading him into retirement.

I doubt he's goading him.  He's throwing down the gauntlet so Bunning can't retire without being a wimp.

[Holmes]

I hate Politico cause it always seems to wanna start a fight, but.

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17785.html

More inside the article. I think Republicans are feeling really bad about this seat, even Cornyn didn't give a straight answer when asked if Bunning was the best candidate.

[Brittain33]

He needs to retire or be beaten in a primary. That being said, I still think the GOP is favored to hold this seat with Bunning.

Bunning barely held the seat in a Republican state in a Republican year against a nobody state legislator with a name that is not an asset in Kentucky, and with people only finding out about his mental problems a few weeks before Election Day.

It is impossible for Bunning to win again.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I hope he does retire so someone like Geoff Davis or Ron Lewis can run and win this. I like Bunning but I think his day is done.

[Keystone Phil]

Bunning barely held the seat in a Republican state in a Republican year against a nobody state legislator with a name that is not an asset in Kentucky, and with people only finding out about his mental problems a few weeks before Election Day.

A few weeks before the campaign and it totally shaped the campaign. Sure he should have won by more but he also did everything he possibly could to try and throw it away. Plus, Bunning was never all that popular to begin with so the "Republican state in a Republican year" argument only goes so far.

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Uh...haha...ok.

[Verily]

Bunning will be easier to defeat than to take an open seat, so he shouldn't be goading him into retirement.

It may be an attempt to appeal to Bunning's wily side. If Mongiardo taunts Bunning enough, it's more likely that the old loony tries to run for reelection.

[Brittain33]

Uh...haha...ok.

You won't see me say that about any other Senator except for Joe Lieberman. Bunning has the Dead Man Walking award for 2010, no competition. The guy is unelectable and everyone in the state knows it.

Did you read that he vanished from the Senate this week and wouldn't tell his fellow senators why, except that family comes first? What's he going to do differently this time that he didn't do in 2004, when he had to participate in a debate by closed-circuit tv from Washington with an aide feeding him answers to questions? Is he going to draw a second-tier opponent with all of the disadvantages I mentioned, given that every top Dem in the state sees the opportunity here?

There are a lot of parallels with Mark Dayton's position heading into 2006, except Dayton was merely lame, not senile. You laughed off Dayton's chances for Governor because of his bad reputation as "crazy"...

[Brittain33]

Plus, Bunning was never all that popular to begin with...

I am struggling to see how this serves as an argument for his reelection in any way.

[Lunar]

Bunning still only has $175k in his campaign account, I mean, Eliot Spitzer has more money than that in his campaign account.  Most House members do as well

[Keystone Phil]

The guy is unelectable and everyone in the state knows it.

Possibly the worst generalization I've seen here in awhile.

Listen, I agree that he's a huge liability but saying that it will be impossible for him to win again is wrong.

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Hopefully, I won't have to see what he plans on doing differently. I want him beaten in a primary.  

But I think the campaign team and the NRSC will have a very tight leash on the guy this time around.

Plus, Bunning was never all that popular to begin with...

I am struggling to see how this serves as an argument for his reelection in any way.

I wasn't saying it was an argument for his re-election. It almost totally neutralized all of the advantages you listed so that it would seem like Bunning was actually super safe. That is all.

Bunning still only has $175k in his campaign account, I mean, Eliot Spitzer has more money than that in his campaign account.  Most House members do as well

Which means he's probably gone before ever reaching the General. 

[Brittain33]

Listen, I agree that he's a huge liability but saying that it will be impossible for him to win again is wrong.

Ok, so it sounds as if the difference between you and me lies between "likely to lose in the primary or general" vs. "impossible to win"? I'm fine letting that be.

[Keystone Phil]

Listen, I agree that he's a huge liability but saying that it will be impossible for him to win again is wrong.

Ok, so it sounds as if the difference between you and me lies between "likely to lose in the primary or general" vs. "impossible to win"? I'm fine letting that be.

Well, I'm not saying he's likely to lose in either. He's going to have a very tough time in both.

[Rob]

Bunning's senile dementia should sink him even in Kentucky, unless he runs against another gay Arab.

[Keystone Phil]

unless he runs against another gay Arab.

Mongiardo, Rob. Mongiardo.

Wait, I know what you're getting at. 

[Spaghetti Cat]

I like either one of them eons better than Bunning.  He needs to be primaried for Christs sake!

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Mongiardo is running. Seems like Ben Chandler is going to stay in the House.

[Lunar]

Bunning, when confronted about it today, didn't even realize that Mongiardo had announced his candidacy.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/0109/Bunning_reiterates_hes_running_again.html

[Ronnie]

Bunning, when confronted about it today, didn't even realize that Mongiardo had announced his candidacy.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/0109/Bunning_reiterates_hes_running_again.html

Uh oh

[Lunar]

Bunning, when confronted about it today, didn't even realize that Mongiardo had announced his candidacy.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/0109/Bunning_reiterates_hes_running_again.html

Uh oh

I also enjoy how he's only had 26 donors lately and they haven't contributed more than he's spending

You'd think major candidates declaring against you would be something you're immediately informed about?

[Tender Branson]

Anyone interested in the 2004 KY Senate polls between Bunning & Mongiardo ?

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/Presidential_04/ky_polls.html

Mongiardo did really well in the end ...

[Lunar]

On Wednesday, Jim Bunning attacked NRSC Chairman Chairman John Cornyn for suggesting Bunning hadn't made up his mind about running in 2010.

"He's either deaf or he doesn't listen very well," Manu Raju reported Bunning saying.

Well, Manu caught up with Cornyn this evening to see what he thought of that.

"What? I can't hear you," Cornyn said playfully, adding: "I think probably the less said about it, the better, from my standpoint."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0109/Cornyn_deaf_to_Bunnings_diss.html?showall

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

On Wednesday, Jim Bunning attacked NRSC Chairman Chairman John Cornyn for suggesting Bunning hadn't made up his mind about running in 2010.

"He's either deaf or he doesn't listen very well," Manu Raju reported Bunning saying.

Well, Manu caught up with Cornyn this evening to see what he thought of that.

"What? I can't hear you," Cornyn said playfully, adding: "I think probably the less said about it, the better, from my standpoint."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0109/Cornyn_deaf_to_Bunnings_diss.html?showall

Time for Cornyn to play dirty. He should secretly go and encourge Geoff Davis or Tray Grayson to run. Maybe even fmr. Congressmen Ron Lewis. Bunning is weak and I think he can be taken down in a primary.