I’ve missed Larry since his show went off. Great radio host and great conservative (to the consternation of many of his large-”L” Libertarian listeners who felt he’d betrayed them). I remember hearing his name floated for Senate some months back; knew it would never happen, but now hearing the inside story just makes me furious.

Forcing the Democrats to spend money in California is something of an accomplishment in itself. But if Cornyn has already decided that a winnable Senate seat is lost, over a year out — despite the fact that 2010 promises to put Boxer in the worst environment she’s ever faced in any of her four Senate races — then what the hell does it matter whether we lose with DeVore, Elder, or a complete dingbat? It’s not enough that the GOP won’t play to win; it also insists on completely embarrassing itself to boot? What kind of amateur hour is this?!

I can’t even finish reading Fiorina’s campaign slogan before last night’s dinner begins lobbying me in earnest to decorate my computer screen. This already promises to become the biggest debacle since the Katherine Harris Senate campaign, though at least Rep. Harris was able to claim a record of success and basic competence in her previous position of responsibility.

Go Chuck, go.

This kind of stuff is why the Republican party is in the mess it is in. I have worked with Carly and I know her capabilities. She is the female version of Obama…all talk and no delivery. Those that know her refer to her as the “Cheerleader”. She can talk a great talk, but never delivers. Look at her time at HP. She spent her whole time there talking about how to change HP, but never did anything to make it happen. Then pulled the classic Liberal victim meme when she was fired…”the good old boys kept me from being successful”.

I feel sorry for you folks, Larry Elder would be 10X better than Carly, but the idiots that run the Republican party still have not figured out what the Teaparty people are all about and I fear will not tap such a chance to change America for the better.

Cornyn is in that legislative branch in D.C. is it any wonder we’ve lost confidence in our so-called Republican leadership?

No news there. Sigh.

Folly…
Incompetence…
Douchebaggery…

Larry Elder would/have wiped the floor against any opponent. My wife(registered Dem, but has voted *conservative *due to.. me..lol) and I would have voted for him faster than a Dem signs a spending bill…

..sigh…

However he has moved for a stauch conservative to a fairly reliable conservative (all that growth in office…), but he is now a disaster to future senate elections. He appears utterly blind to what has been happening outside of the beltway and is missing an outstanding opportunity in the next 2 cyles to capitalize upon widespread anger at what DC is doing to the country. That is, unless he agrees with what is going on…….

He should step down as NRSC chair before he asks Dukakis to run ans a R on the ticket in MA.

With 9 MONTHS until the primary, there is no reason for someone with real ambition to serve as the junior CA Senator to decline to run. Larry is definitely a principled conservative, and with higher name recognition he should have a better fund raising base among Republicans and conservatives inside and outside of CA than DeVore. Basically, I believe the “It’s probably too late for him to enter” is a bunk excuse. If he’s really hot under the collar, and not just looking to use the NRSC situation to raise his media profile for a new radio gig, then he would get into the race. Carly is a flame-out and needs a total retooling to even stay in the race. DeVore is still an unknown and has little money compared to Boxer, but still is keeping within the high single digits of her. He’s acting as the generic Republican in the polls. If Larry has the CA following that Insider claims, then quickly pulling together a campaigning team and money shouldn’t be an issue. In short, the response to Larry should be this: We think you have potential, and yes, the NRSC screwed you a bit, but it’s time to put up or shut up. We need a candidate, not a complainer.

Fiorina doesn’t poll better than DeVore. But DeVore has proven he’s ready to hustle and fight a guerilla campaign if he has to in order to try to take that Senate seat.

Fiorina is making excuses for not even showing up at Indian Wells via video feed.

An absentee, partially-committed, incompetently-run campaign will not make Boxer work.

We all seem to forget that Cornyn is running a Republican Senate campaign effort, at a time when the GOP’s position in the Senate is as tactically sound as Custer’s position was on that Montana slopeside.

For those who’ve forgotten—or chosen to forget—in January, political experts were projecting the likelihood of the Republicans losing even more Senate seats in 2010. (Senator Jim Bunning is quoted as saying that the GOP expected to lose three seats in the 2010 elections.)

That raised a specter of the Dem Senate majority leader having the luxury of allowing three members of his caucus to vote against the Dem position on an issue—and still have enough votes to invoke cloture!

If I were Cornyn, facing those odds, I’d make some tough tactical decisions, too.

Perhaps an earnest but unsuccessful Fiorina campaign would bleed away enough Dem dollars to allow the GOP to hold onto a beleagured-but-winnable seat (OH?) elsewhere?

Yes, that’s desperate. But, when you’re holding only 40 seats and looking likely to lose more, you make desperate decisions.

It’s John Cornyn’s job to make those kinds of tough decisions. We can sit here and opine how screwed up he is…but perhaps we should ask ourselves what we would do, given the constraints he faced and the responsibility he has.

What I don’t see in this post, is details of the convincing case that Larry Elder made to John Cornyn in this past spring. You know—the case that showed Cornyn how Elder was going to convince CA African-Americans and state media to abandon their long support of the Dem party, cross ideological party lines and vote for Larry.

Once we see what Cornyn rejected, we’ll be in a better position to criticize him. OK—where’s that case?

I do wish Larry Elder would run, he at least would make for an entertaining campaign out here in CA. If you’ve ever caught his show you’d appreciate how well Larry knows the media and how well he punches back at Democrats.

Who knows, maybe he’s positioning his run for office as a contingency if Fironia continues to implode. Poking the NRSC is one way to make some news, and Larry knows how to play the game of making news.

but if she’s to sick to commit to attending conventions…is she to sick to run an effective campaign and/or to govern if she’s elected?

and then this gem:

1. If Elder chose to run, they would not support him.
2. The NRSC was already committed to supporting Carly Fiorina
3. The NRSC expected Fiorina to lose against Boxer, but expected her to tie up Democrat resources in the meantime.

So once again we have the party apparatus beginning an election with the assumption that they’ve already lost before the first baby has been kissed…or the first hand has been shaken…and everything else that is done from there is based on that losing assumption!

But above all…never mmind their belief that we’re fighting in a lost cause from the beginning…let’s not let a conservative even take the fist step…let’s not try anything new or different than the same brilliant that has lost California and NE to the Democrats!

Priceless!

The “Big Tent” analogy isn’t the correct one…the correct one is a MAGNET…we need to be a MAGNET that draws these independents in who are sick and tired of what’s going on in Washington—Fred Thompson

Why are we surprised that party leadership would prefer a “moderate” that they expect to be a looser to someone outspoken about principle?

Devore is a good candidate- so why is the Repub party searching around for someone else? Why don’t they support him? Boxer can be beat- her unfavorables have always been high and the reason she has won in the past is that the party has run weak candidates against her (like Fiorina)
My own mole at the convention reported it was controlled by Washington consultants who didn’t know any thing about Ca and who were too busy scratching each others back to actually help the party.
It was a depressing report about the Washington wing of the party which continues to be clueless and incompetent- so they are going to blow the opportunity of a decade.

Larry Elder is the bomb also…..

I’d pop a $100 down Right now, if either of those guys made the leap

A comparison…Devore, Elder or Breitbart against Boxer, it should be a no-brainer for Californians….

oh wait…..

For some bizzare reason the Republican National Committee keeps making hopelessly bad decisions.

Despite a strong, conservative candidate in southern Florida in Marco Rubio, the national “leadership” stands behind a Left Wing Liberal, Charlie Crist.

Seems like the BS in California is all too common.

Shame on you RNC!

Craig
“speak your mind all the time”
http://www.satireworks.com

Middle of the road “moderate/elite” Republicans under sell the power and the value of the conservative wing of the party, which is one reason they continuously feel they have to run to the middle over and over. Even after failure after failure they cannot seem to stop themselves. It sounds like California is doing exactly what the national republicans had done when backing McCain (who will go down in history as the man who ran the worst campaign ever.)

Too bad, it isn’t like the table hasn’t been set by the Obama power grab and the conservative reaction. All they have to do is sit down and feast. But no, the “Republican leadership” is hooked on being liked, being thought of as compassionate, and I guess, being in last place.

That is why I think the conservatives in the party should just hijack it away from them and drag everybody kicking and screaming to the right. Rubio would be a good first start, as would many others. Just pick the conservative candidate you like and support him or her. Force the Republicans to back your guy and not the one they prefer.

Is it true that the DeVore camp has been sending out results of a CRP straw poll that never took place? It’s being reported on the CNN.com politicker page. If that’s true, it’s pretty trashy

After reading through all the threads here, I must agree with Neil and cwilson: the NRSC should stay out of primaries.

However, as part of that acknowledgment, I think we should also acknowledge that the NRSC can only do so much to return the Senate to GOP control. If state GOPs nominate candidates that the party faithful like but the voters don’t—-well, no one can expect you to soar with the eagles if we send you turkeys.

Accordingly, I don’t see where you’re obligated to spend one thin dime on a Don Quixote candidate. If a state’s GOP decides to joust with windmills, I expect you to let them fight solo. If they’re not going to be serious about winning elections, then why should you subsidize them?

We are in dire straits in the Senate. We must first stop the bleeding before we can rebuild.

Of course, if a state GOP nominates a candidate that polls and fundraises well statewide, you should be there with all the support you can muster. But, IMO, you’re not only NOT obligated to spend money foolishly, you’re obligated to NOT do so.

Responsible people make tough choices in tough times. I disagree with your choices to support Crist in FL and Fiorina in the CA primary…but I see why you made them.

I can’t reply to a comment…… everytime I push the reply button the page goes back to the top.