Great Moments In Republican Strategy
Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol points out the curious political strategy being employed by the Young Guns SuperPac. This group "was designed to help leaders like Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy chart a new course for the center-right movement and the House majority,” according to its founder John Murray.
So why, he asks, did they just spend $104,628 to support six-term incumbent senator Richard Lugar in his primary battle to hold his seat against conservative state treasurer Richard Mourdock? Even without the ideological differences, Lugar is 80-years old. Come on! Kristol goes on:
It's not clear how this donation to Lugar furthers that cause. And it's not clear why Young Guns is meddling in a GOP Senate primary. Indeed, Mike Pence, another young gun-type House member who's now running for Indiana governor, has conspicuously failed to endorse Lugar for reelection.
More important: $100,000 could go a long way to supporting a Republican against a Democrat this year in a competitive House race. Is helping a six-term Senate incumbent who's not so conservative try to beat back a conservative primary challenge by someone who would hold the Senate seat for the GOP really the best use of that money? Is it the use donors to Young Guns expected? And if Lugar loses (as many expect), won't this expenditure be particularly embarrassing?
It's obvious that some Republicans in D.C. still don't get it. Not even close.
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Comments:
Jan '11
Re: Great Moments In Republican Strategy
This is why many of us refer to ourselves as conservatives (not Republicans).
Apr '11
Re: Great Moments In Republican Strategy
But remember folks, there is no Republican establishment. It's all just a myth conjured up by paranoid Tea Party hobbits.
Aug '10
Re: Great Moments In Republican Strategy
On the other hand, Republicans are a diverse group.
It depends on the level of government: federal vs. state vs. local.
It depends on which state we're talking about. It depends on which city/county we're talking about. It depends on the individuals within the organization. It depends on the vagaries of the election cycle. Etc, etc, etc...
This is one SuperPAC ... in Washington D.C. ... comprised of a specific, self-selected, subset of Republicans.