Jack "Chip" Carter considers a Senate run - photo

[NVMojo]

ELKO - Jack Carter said Saturday he wants a more responsible government, and he will decide in a “another month or two” whether to run for the seat now held by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.

“I want to see if Nevada will like me as much as I like Nevada,” he told a gathering of roughly three dozen people at the Elko County Democratic Central Committee meeting Saturday.

“I'm on a listening tour now,” the son of former President Jimmy Carter said. “I will continue for another month or two and then decide.”

Meanwhile, he told the local Democrats, “you all can act like I am running.”

more...

http://www.elkodaily.com/articles/2005/10/17/news/local_news/news1.prt

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I can see more of his dad in him than His mom, except maybe

around the mouth. :^) Glad he is taking an interest in politics.

[Awsi Dooger]

2. Harry Reid isn't exactly confident in Carter's prospects

I saw Reid on the Las Vegas political show over the weekend, hosted by Jon Ralston, the local Chris Matthews. Ralston said to Reid, "You're not going to lift a finger for Jack Carter, are you? It's going to be exactly like the Ed Bernstein race in 2000. You know he has no chance to beat John Ensign."

I expected some phony optimism from Harry Reid. But he didn't even pretend. After several seconds of silence, all he could manage was, "Well, you never know." That was it. Not even a smile.

Frankly, I don't blame him. John Ensign is a MUCH tougher out than liberal blogs tend to estimate. Especially since Ensign is based in southern Nevada. I'm afraid we're stuck with Ensign for several cycles.

[NVMojo]

3. he can always run against Reid in the future!!

And Reid knows it!!! LOL!!!

And the Republicans in our part of the state were very interested in him. They can't stand Ensign, call him Reid's lap dog.

[Awsi Dooger]

4. I can't stand Ensign, either

I just wish Richard Bryan had stuck around for one more term, ending next year. That might have enabled us to hold this senate seat. Ensign was the obvious frontrunner once Bryan bowed out, since he nearly ousted Reid in '98. Ensign might have turned to something else if he had to wait until 2006 or later.

Frankly, I think Bryan retired partialy due to the prospect of a very difficult and uncertain race against Ensign in 2000. But I think Bryan would have beaten Ensign in 2000. That was a presidential year so we would have had significant Democratic turnout. Republicans always get higher rural turnout percentage in midterms in Nevada, much better comparitive percentage than southern Nevada Democrats. That's another problem with facing Ensign in 2006, even if we had a string candidate he benefits from no presidential race on the ballot.