McIntyre Out of North Carolina Senate Race

[ccharles000]

North Carolina Rep. Mike McIntyre won't be taking on Republican incumbent Richard Burr in the state's 2010 Senate race.

The seven-term Democrat published a statement on his campaign Web site Monday announcing that he will seek re-election to the House. "I deeply appreciate the confidence and encouragement from many who have asked me to consider the U.S. Senate race," he wrote. But, "With the leadership positions I currently hold in the U.S. House, there is a greater opportunity to capitalize on these to benefit our constituents and the citizens of North Carolina."

McIntyre is a Democratic whip and a member of the Majority Leader's Advisory Council.

With McIntyre's decision, Democrats continue to struggle to recruit a top-tier challenger to Burr, despite Democratic gains in the state in past two election cycles and polls showing Burr vulnerable. Attorney General Roy Cooper and North Carolina Reps. Heath Shuler, Brad Miller and Bob Etheridge have all rejected overtures to run.

McIntyre, a centrist Democrat and member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, would have made a strong candidate capable of appealing to moderates on both sides of the political divide. He won re-election to his 7th District seat in 2008 by more than 30 points, despite the fact that the district backed Republican presidential nominee John McCain over Democrat Barack Obama.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2009/07/mcintyre-out-of-north-carolina.html

[HillWilliam]

1. Bad and Good

Bad, since any Dem can beat Burr. Current polls indicate that Burr can't even beat himself, his approval rating is so low. Good since we don't need another treacherous Blue Dog. What to do...

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. Draft Dean Smith. n/t

[ccharles000]

3. who is Dean Smith?

[Davis_X_Machina]

4. You're not a Tarheel...

...you can't be.

Except for a few soreheads at State and a few carpetbaggers at Duke, he is God.

[dsc]

5. even I know who Dean Smith is

He is a bit long in the tooth but he is a principled liberal, an early desegregator, against the death penalty, and he is second to God here for most people.

[GentryDixon]

6. Have mercy.

You ask who Dean Smith is? You must be very young.

It's OK, but had you done the Goodge thing you would have seen who Dean Smith was and is.

:7 :7 :7