To nobody's real surprise, Dick Leinenkugel kicked off his 4 1/2 month campaign today to get Wisconsinites to forget that he served in Jim Doyle's cabinet. If he's successful, the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate is likely his.
Terrence Wall's tax dealings, while perfectly legal, are the kind of stuff that doesn't pass the smell test with voters. Sure, he's polling in the low 40's against Feingold, but he's doing that while virtually nobody polled has an actual opinion of him. The more voters learn about Wall, the less they're going to find to relate to. He might own a pumpkin patch but, like Charlie Brown, I suspect voters are going to leave him rocks in his goodie bag when he goes door-to-door.
Meanwhile, Leinenkugel has his name on beer bottles. I am, in fact, throwing back a Leinie's 1888 Bock as I type this to christen Leinenkugel's entry. It's kind of light for a bock and it really wouldn't be my first pick, but it's leftover from a party a few weeks ago and someone's gotta drink it.
One has to wonder if the guy delighting most at the entry of all these fat cats into the race isn't Dave Westlake, whose one hope to emerge from the September primary might be to catch the 1992 Russ Feingold lightning in a bottle. That is, a primary in which a bunch of rich dudes throw gobs of personal wealth at one another in a no-holds-barred attempt to win. Can Westlake do goofy? He might be well-served to start practicing.
And in the meantime we've got Ted Kanavas waiting in the wings. Kanavas is about as orthodox and dull as it gets - he'll more or less be Terrence Wall without the money - but in a crowded primary he could generate enough support in southeast Wisconsin to squeak through to November.
Thoughts, dear readers? Who do you think is best suited to face Feingold in November, and will the GOP be smart enough to get that guy through the primary?
Terrence Wall's tax dealings, while perfectly legal, are the kind of stuff that doesn't pass the smell test with voters. Sure, he's polling in the low 40's against Feingold, but he's doing that while virtually nobody polled has an actual opinion of him. The more voters learn about Wall, the less they're going to find to relate to. He might own a pumpkin patch but, like Charlie Brown, I suspect voters are going to leave him rocks in his goodie bag when he goes door-to-door.
Meanwhile, Leinenkugel has his name on beer bottles. I am, in fact, throwing back a Leinie's 1888 Bock as I type this to christen Leinenkugel's entry. It's kind of light for a bock and it really wouldn't be my first pick, but it's leftover from a party a few weeks ago and someone's gotta drink it.
One has to wonder if the guy delighting most at the entry of all these fat cats into the race isn't Dave Westlake, whose one hope to emerge from the September primary might be to catch the 1992 Russ Feingold lightning in a bottle. That is, a primary in which a bunch of rich dudes throw gobs of personal wealth at one another in a no-holds-barred attempt to win. Can Westlake do goofy? He might be well-served to start practicing.
And in the meantime we've got Ted Kanavas waiting in the wings. Kanavas is about as orthodox and dull as it gets - he'll more or less be Terrence Wall without the money - but in a crowded primary he could generate enough support in southeast Wisconsin to squeak through to November.
Thoughts, dear readers? Who do you think is best suited to face Feingold in November, and will the GOP be smart enough to get that guy through the primary?
6 comments:
The candidate I'd most like to see against Feingold in the general is Dave Westlake, just because I'd love to see that debate, but if the GOP stands any chance of winning, their candidate would have to be Wall, because he won't be outspent by Feingold.
Zach, I think you're wrong, I'd be shocked if Wall outspends Feingold. Feingold spent $11 million against Michels in '04 and has over $4 million cash on hand now and will have no problem pulling in millions more in campaign fundraisers, not to mention PACs. Despite his personal wealth, Russ hasn't been the plucky underdog for some time - he's the heavy.
And Wall will have to spend money in a primary while Feingold obviously won't.
I think all the current GOP choices stink.
T. Wall is not sticking because people don't identify with him; he's the stereotypical rich white guy with absolutely zero personality. Oh yea, and then he has this tax problem, which you might expect from a stereotypical rich white guy.
Westlake is a joke and needs to throw in the blaze orange towel; nobody knows who Ron Johnson is, other than he might be "kind of a big deal" in Oshkosh; and Leine is a weak-kneed "republican" who probably won't be able to scrub the Jim Doyle taint off him in the next four months.
At this stage in the game, sadly, I don't think Feingold should have anything to worry about.
Locke, Feingold may have spent $11 million in 2004, and he may have more cash on hand than Wall, but just remember, Wall's already said he's committed to spending $10 to $11 million to beat Feingold, and I'm betting that if his fundraising lags as it has, he'll have no qualms about putting in some of his own vast personal wealth.
This is what Mr. Pelican Pants means by blaze orange towel. (Although, Mr. P.P., I'm a little disappointed you did not include your customary non-sequitur... oh, wait, maybe it was the phrase "scrub the Jim Doyle taint.")
This is shaping up to be funny. You could have a lot of fun with this one.
As for me, I vote for beer.
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