Politics
Roll Call: Bill Nelson, 2012's 'Luckiest Candidate'
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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson | Credit: billnelson.senate.gov
Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Police Report at Roll Call took a tactfully different approach in critiquing the best and worst campaigns.
Rothenberg simply declared U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando, the “Luckiest Candidate of 2012.”
“The Florida Democrat won re-election last month by beating GOP Rep. Connie Mack, who raised little money and apparently figured that oozing cockiness was the best way to woo reporters and voters,” Rothenberg wrote.
“But what makes Nelson so lucky is that Mack was the third consecutive mediocre Republican he faced. The Democrat first won his Senate seat by defeating former Rep. Bill McCollum in 2000, and then was blessed with the controversial Katherine Harris as his opponent in 2006.”
Nelson had the better fortune -- in Rothenberg’s eyes -- than Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, or Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana, who were both running on life-support until their challengers stepped on mines in responding to questions about rape.
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Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
Comments (4)
McCollum weak? Not in 2000 he wasn't. After all, he had been one of the cheerleaders on the impeachment committee and we know that made his stock go up, right?
Nelson won in 2000 because he had been running and winning state-wide elections, not just gerrymandered Congressional district elections. That meant he was known state-wide and he did what most people considered to be a pretty good job at that state-wide job, Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner.
Oh, well . . . . that also was a pretty pathetic Republican "Big Lie". . . .
And, if the Republicants can't find more suitable candidates to run for office in this state ... well ... that's their problem! (Apparently Romney wasn't much better than Mack ... since Romney lost in Florida, too!)
About that "raised little money" thing . . . . it's not like Karl Rove's American Crossroads committed to spending $6 million on ads linking Nelson to President Obama, or that casino magnate Sheldon Adelson sent $2 million to a super PAC that was formed to back Mack’s candidacy, or that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent more than $3.8 million opposing Nelson, now is it . . . . . . .or even that Connie Mack spent over $7 million that he helped raise, now is it . . . .
Nor is it like Connie Mack just squeeked through in the primary, now is it . . . . overwhelming sweeping away all other Republican opposition . . . . yes, Bill Nelson was just got lucky . . . . lucky to have a message that people can actually believe in . . . .rather than Republican Attack and Fear Politics . . . . attacking women, youth, retirees, science, teachers, unions, the educated, the 47%, abortions due to rape, public workers, muslims, blacks, hispanics, immigrants, minorities, while pushing weird platform conspiracy theories like one that the UN is taking over the sovereignty of the U.S. through planning and zoning actions (Agenda 21) . . . .
Maybe, it's just the "New" Tea Party Republican message that's more than a little out-of-touch with Americans . . . . .
Yes, Bill Nelson was lucky . . . . lucky to run against today's Tea Party dominated Republican Party that has virtually nothing to offer a multi-cultural nation that doesn't believe in hate and demonization . . . .
Pathetic . . . .
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