Thursday, November 12, 2009

2010 Booyah!!!



A national internet "blog", I guess you'd call it, Politico, announced in an article Tuesday it's picks for the top 10 senate seats likely to turn over in the 2010 election. BOOYAH! Most of them are strongly Republican! And they don't even have my second-favorite pick! So, without further delay, take a look at the amazing hope coming next year.

10. New Hampshire

We bid adieu to Sen. Judd Gregg, a great (Republican) senator from The Granite State. Gregg is retiring this year, leaving his senate seat to be widely contested.

Democrats seem to like Rep. Paul Hodes, who has raised around a million bucks in his campaign fund, a modest sum in the world of politics. He has yet to prove himself as a strong candidate, and has already had come under attack for avoiding health care town halls a few months back. On the Republican side of the aisle, former state attorney general Kelly Ayotte is the front-runner, although she faces fierce primary competition from State Board of Education Chairman Ovide Lamontagne and RNC committeeman Sean Mahoney. Regardless, though, I believe the candidate who emerges victorious on the Republican side will have little problem in beating Hodes.

9. Kentucky

Goodbye, Jim Bunning! We love you! Bunning is also retiring this year, leaving his seat behind him. So we cut to the races...

Both parties are forced to come against major primaries this election. The Democrats are stuck in a bitter struggle for their party's nomination, the candidates being Attorney General Jack Conway and Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo. The Republicans, on the other hand, face a battle of their own.

Ever heard of Ron Paul? You know, that Texan who ran for Prez last year, but lost the primaries? Well, his son, Rand, is staring at the nomination for Bunning's seat. But while he's loved more by Kentucky bigwigs and people closer the the far-right, national Republican are endorsing his competitor, Secretary of State Trey Grayson. Grayson is a capable man, and an excellent overall candidate.

Regardless, if the difficult primaries are any indication, Kentucky's seat will be a hard win for either party.

8. Missouri

Farewell, to yet another retiring GOP senator, Kt Bond. Unfortunately, this race is likely to swing Democratic, as MO Secretary of State Robin Carnahan will almost certainly be the leading nominee.

Former Republican congressional whip Rep. Roy Blunt is looking at the title, but it competition will be fierce.

7. Ohio

We say goodbye to yet one more retiring Republican candidate, Ohio Senator George Voinovich. Farewell, George!

Former White House Budget Director Rob Portman is the favorite Republican candidate, and has already raised a hefty hefty hefty 6$ mil to run against the future Dem. nominee Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher. It looks good for Portman to take, which would be very nice, to say the least.

6. Pennsylvania

At last, a race I could tell you so much about! After all, I do live here, right? I've been watching this one.

This is the first race so far that doesn't have an senator retiring. After Sen. Arlen Specter flip-flopping Democrat, his poll numbers have crashed through the floor. Republican candidate Rep. Pat Toomey leads Specter 48% to 36% in the polls.

Remember Specter's immortal party-switching speech? He declared, "I am unwilling to have my 29-year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate..." Well, his 29-year senate record will be be judged by the Pennsylvania Democratic primary electorate. I, as well as many others across the blogosphere, are predicting fiercely that Specter will not even take his new party primaries, and that it will, in fact, be Rep. Joe Sestak, who will face the unchallenged Toomey in the election.

5. Illinois

Dost thou rememberist when Obama won election? Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached for trying to sell his senate seat? Well, Democrat Sen. Roland Burris ended up taking it, but he apparently isn't staying long: he's now retiring.

This forced Democrats to scramble around trying to find someone they like, as their original pick, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, declined to run. They have finally emerged with their front-runner Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois state Treasurer.

The tough blue-state is looking like a win for the Republicans now. They've chosen Rep. Mark Kirk, who's stubbornly held a congressional seat in suburban Chicago, a feat in itself. So, we're hoping that we can finally nail a Republican into office in a state full of Democrats.

4. Nevada

If there was one race that I could take off this list and replace with one of my own favorites, it would be this one.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is up for re-election in Nevada 2010. Unfortunately, the two Republicans who could have actually taken him out (which would be amazingly wonderfully awesome), declined to run. So, former state Republican Chairwoman Sue Lowden has snatched up the Republican race, but she is most certainly not the favorite against powerhouse Reid.

3. Colorado

Appointed Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is up for re-election, but he faces a tough primary against former state house speaker Andrew Romanoff. This race is still mysterious and mystical, and we know little about it. With the exception that former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton will most likely be the GOP nominee. But she, too, will face a contested primary.

2. Connecticut

Republicans are looking at a pickup against notorious Sen. Chris Dodd. While navy blue Connecticut is deep in the Democratic camp, Dodd is a weak candidate among Connecticut's citizens. Now, Republicans have to decide who is going to be the winning candidate... out of four good choices. Rep. Rob Simmons, Ambassador Tom Foley, anti-tax activist Peter Schiff, and CEO Linda McMahon will make Connecticut a race to watch closely.

But now, the one I think we've ALL been waiting for... The number one most seat most likely to turnover is...

1. Delaware

Joe Biden moved into the White House, leaving no incumbent in his Delaware senate seat. Republican Rep. Mike Castle jumped on top of it, and it's agreed he's the only senator who might actually make this a good race. It may all depend on Biden's son, Attorney General Beau Biden, who will keep the name bonus from his father.

Now, I could've told you all of that by sending you to the article. But, there's one thing you can't find in that article: my second-favorite pick.

My favorite ranked sixth in Politico's list, that being the Pennsylvania race. But my second-favorite is this:

11. Hawaii

Perhaps this is more what I WANT to see, rather than what will happen. Regardless, 8-term senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii has, in my opinion, been here waaay too long. Lame-duck Governor Linda Lingle is a potential Republican candidate who, I believe, has the greatest chance of knocking out Inouye than any other candidate ever has.

Inouye will be 86 years old in 2010, meaning by the end of his term, he'll be pushing 90. I hope his old senility will be a factor in his re-election

Overall, I predict a 2010 BOOYAH! So, BOOYAH!!!!

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