Breaking - Lugar has lost the primary

[malaise]

Go Dems!!

Breaking on Ed Shultz

[Horse with no Name]

1. Hopefully we will regain some political capital this election. n/t

[malaise]

2. Yes indeed

NBC projecting that the teabagger has wiped out the Dick.

[mahina]

3. Do we have anyone strong running?

I sure hope so...

[marmar]

4. Yep, otherwise it's another Rand Paul in the Senate.

[Horse with no Name]

5. I can't remember the name

but from what I understand, we have a very good candidate that is polling way above the teabagger.

[salin]

8. No statewide name recognition. Blue dog in the stylings of frmr Sen. Bayh.

The hope is that Mourdock is SO extreme that moderate repubs reject him and all independents (and of course dems). But given the HUGE margin (early numbers at 20%) more for Murdoch over Lugar - the signs are not good.

Depressingly, on the ground in this state, I think it means another crazy right wing Senator who toes the Teaparty line will be elected to represent us.

The size of the margin depresses me. I posted my response (explaining my concerns re the general election) to seeing Lugar's concession as an OP in this forum.

[Bjorn Against]

13. What was the turnout like?

A big margin with a small turnout doesn't mean much, if it is a big margin and a big turnout then we have to worry more.

[caraher]

18. I haven't seen numbers but I think turnout was quite small

It was very light where I voted... I think a good turnout would have helped Lugar, since the Tea Party people were going to be out in force rain or shine.

[Bjorn Against]

21. I think you are right about that

Small turnout primaries tend to be dominated by the true believers, the larger the turnout the more mainstream the electorate tends to become.

[AngryOldDem]

24. Joe Donnelly

U.S. Rep.

Can't say I'm too optimistic. I'm concerned mainly because he is Catholic -- I want to know precisely where he stands on a lot of issues, especially because he is a Democrat.

Still -- I'm willing to lay odds now that the race is Mourdock's to lose. This IS Indiana.

[IamK]

6. (D) Donnelly is VERY conservative....

no matter who wins, Indiana will have a very conservative Senator....

from his website... he is having to push himself as a conservative...

http://donnelly.house.gov/2010/02/congressman-donnelly-rated-8th-most-conservative-democrat-in-us-house-of-representatives.shtml


I would be interested in seeing your polling that Donnelly polling better...

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. I think that he's actually polling about even with Mourdock

Or at least was. The last poll was taken awhile ago I believe so it may not still be accurate. I believe that the same poll showed that Lugar would probably have easily walked away with the general election had he won the primary.

Oh well. Whatever the case may be, it will be worse for them, better for us. And, as conservative as Donnelly is, Mourdock would be way worse, particularly since he is on record saying that he basically thinks bipartisanship is evil and that he intends to do nothing but obstruct if he gets elected to the Senate.

[Bjorn Against]

15. Lugar also joined in all the filibusters, he was an obstructionist as well

While I would prefer not have a Republican at all, I would actually rather have Murdouch than Lugar if forced to choose. I fully admit Murdouch is worse than Lugar and that is why I would rather have him, because he will embarass the Republicans. Lugar went along with the party line on nearly everything, Murdouch will do the same and their voting records will be pretty much identical so from a policy standpoint I don't think it makes a difference which one is in there because they both suck (although Murdouch will be less influential because he will have less seniority, another reason that I would rather have him). Lugar was awful but he was not insane so he did not provide much embarassment for the GOP, I have a feeling however that Murdouch will be an embarrasment and that could help us swing Indiana our way.

[AngryOldDem]

25. I don't share your optimism.

Mourdock will have this seat for a very long time. This race, I think, is a bellwether for the way the GOP -- and the country -- is headed. No moderates welcome here anymore.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

9. This is not Delaware

Seat will stay red, and sadly get redder. Guy sounds like a real fucking idiot.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Indiana did have Evan Bayh in there in the D column until recently

as a DLCer, so conservadems do appear from time to time....

[Bjorn Against]

17. Indiana is a red state that has a good chance of turning blue in the future

In fact Obama won Indiana in 2008 so you could make the argument that it is already blue, but I don't go that far because I know that Republicans still win there more often than Democrats. Even so however, Indiana is one state that I believe could be flipped. There are a lot of working class people in Indiana who are being screwed by the Republicans, there is also a pretty large African American community that votes heavily Democratic. Indiana is far from a lost cause, we have won there in the past and we will win there again in the future.

[AngryOldDem]

26. Obama will not win here in November.

2008 was an aberration signifying nothing other than that this state got caught up in the frenzy. There are only two large blocs of African-American voters in Indiana -- in Indianapolis and Gary -- not enough to offset the rest of the state, which is extremely conservative and has bought into the Tea Party bullshit hook, line, and sinker. Obama is seen as a reckless socialist, and those opposing him are doing God's work. If more people with the mindset of Richard Mourdock come to Washington, especially if Obama loses, bad times are surely coming.

It will take a hell of an effort and a hell of a long time to change that mindset. Not saying it can't be done, but it will be a Herculean task. Please have no illusions about that.

[Raine]

11. Sorry, I can't be happy about any teabagger victory

it only drags the whole country further to the right.

[lunasun]

14. agree

[Bjorn Against]

19. I think it could actually move us to the left, remember extreme candidates get stronger opposition

Lugar and Murdouch will not vote any differently, they will both tow the party line. Lugar was evil but he was pretty smart and he knew how to keep himself from attracting too much opposition, Murdouch on the other hand seems like a total idiot and he is much more likely to do something stupid that will allow us to defeat them. If I have to choose to go against one of two god awful candidates who hold pretty much the same positions I would much rather they have the stupid one than the smart one.

[spanone]

12. indiana could bag the teabagger, they voted for Obama in 2008

[jimlup]

16. How batshit crazy are the republiscum of his district?

I mean I'm happy that the dem gets a real shot but when lunatics also get a shot I get worried.

[caraher]

20. It's the whole state, not a district

I'm very worried about November. Yes, we have a better shot than against Lugar, but we risk too much crazy making it to DC. In statewide elections we've seen truly awful Repblican candidates win simply because they have the R next to their names...

- Dan Coats: won the Senate seat Bayh vacated despite a complete inability to counter the perception that he is a carpetbagging DC lobbyist

- Charlie White: managed to win Secretary of State despite the rare endorsement of the Democrat by the Indy Star - an endorsement prompted by White's admission to knowingly voting using his ex-wife's address and continuing to serve in an office for which he was ineligible thanks to a move (he has since been convicted of charges related to these acts and removed from office, replaced not by the runnerup but by a Mitch Daniels appointee)

Hoosiers aren't all batshit crazy, but enough of them are to be electorally dangerous...

[Bjorn Against]

22. Lugar was a bigger threat to us than Murdouch is

Serously think about it, how is Murdouch going to be different than Lugar on his voting record? He won't be different, he will be pretty much exactly the same. The "bipartisanship" that came from Lugar never benefitted us, he was working with Democrats to expand the military industrial complex not to go against the Republicans on anything big. He was your typical Republican but he was fairly smart, Murdouch is also your typical Republican but he is a complete idiot. Who would you rather have the Republicans represent them, a smart person or an idiot? I want them to have the idiot.

[caraher]

23. Trouble is, my state's senator also represents *me*

I appreciate the tactical point, but for me it's not decisive.

Really, the biggest issue for me is that there really needs to be more than one sane and effective political party. While if there is only going to be one I'd of course want it to be the Democrats, I'm not in favor of a one-party system. Every victory by the know-nothings is a defeat for reason and reasonableness. The more Republican politicians need to be wingnuts first and Americans second, the more pain those of us living in R-dominated areas will feel and the less able anyone will be able to run effective government on a national level.