Huge GOP blunder: Kerry opponent fails to make ballot

[nichomachus]

GOP's handpicked candidate doesn't get enough signatures to oppose Kerry

And, of course, now he's whining and wants special treatment.

In a major embarrassment to Republican leaders in Massachusetts and in the US Senate, Jim Ogonowski, the party's anointed candidate to challenge Democratic Senator John F. Kerry, failed by a razor-thin margin today to qualify for the GOP primary ballot.

With Ogonowski's stunning blunder, the only GOP name on the primary ballot will be Jeff Beatty, a little-known security expert from Harwich.

According to Secretary of State William F. Galvin's office, Ogonowski's campaign delivered just 9,970 certified voter signatures to its election division today just before the final deadline, 30 short of the 10,000 he needed.

His only options now are to seek relief in the courts by saying some local officials lost his signatures, as he claimed late today, or to mount a write-in campaign for the September primary.

[underpants]

1. Oh that has to be a top 10

:woohoo:

[Caution]

2. Everyone in MA that I know loathes that swift-boating a**hole anyway

He never stood any chance whatsoever.

[pinto]

3. LOL. Love to see that. He can, of course, run a write-in campaign - notoriously ineffective. n/t

[wryter2000]

4. Awesome

Can I ask a dumb question, though? I thought the primaries were all over.

[rox63]

10. This is the primary for everything but the prez race n/t

[islandmkl]

5. dude, shit like THAT never happened to LBJ when he needed names....

jebus, these f***ing repukes NEVER let me down...

[Melancholic Toaster]

6. hahahaha

I must say that is amusing. They're better off with Beatty.

[angstlessk]

7. dern it..now the RNCC will not waste another hundred thousand dollars...dern, dern double dern!

[nichomachus]

11. Yeah -- but Kerry won't be able to raise any money either

Not many people want to donate to a guy with no real opponent. This is why some pols pay people to run against them -- just to be able to raise money.

[Caution]

12. Kerry has $9.3M on hand currently. He doesn't need to raise any money.

[blm]

16. Which means he'll spread it around to Dem candidates who NEED IT. Great news for the party.

Kerry gave millions to Dem candidates in 2006 cycle and many of them won.

[karynnj]

14. Well HRC raised a huge amount of money in 2006

when her primary and general election opponents were pretty weak. If Kerry wanted to, he could easily raise money for himself - he raised a huge amount of money for others in 2006. He likely will raise more money if his opponents get a significant amount of money.

[sandnsea]

15. lol, he raises money all the time

There are millions of us out here who give whenever he asks.

[beachmom]

8. Too damned funny. K & R

[Breeze54]

9. Ogonowski never had a chance in hell in MA... NEVER!!!

:P

For that matter, no republicans have a fighting chance in MA. They have been removed.... essentially. ;)

[SpiralHawk]

13. You can be sure the republicon will whine it's not his fault

As usual. Republicons are predictable that way.

[opihimoimoi]

17. Pubs are known in many parts as the EXCUSE/BLAME PARTY

Excuses and blame the other dude...dats all they do...