Why Robert Bennett lost?

[kentuck]

Senator Robert Bennett (R) UT, became the first incumbent to be defeated this year. Some are speculating that this may not be an anti-Democratic year as much as it might be an anti-incumbent year? Charlie Crist, a very popular Governor in FL, had to drop out of his Party because his base was so angry with him. He is now running as an Independent. There is even a rumor that Charles Grassley, (R) IA, might also be in a little trouble in his primary?

Although the Republicans expect to do very well in the House, it appears they will be lucky to break even in the Senate.

This is not a typical political year. Anyone that counts their chickens before they hatch may end up with very few eggs in their nest? It's six months to the elections. A lot can happen in six months.


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Related story:

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-utah-20100508,0,3710088.story



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[FrenchieCat]

1. Maybe it's not so much an anti-incumbent year as it is a Media kissing Teabagger ass year!

[JI7]

2. yup

[rpannier]

6. I'll say what I've said before

In many states the primaries are not over or are just coming to an end

It's easy to say "I'm not voting for..."
Then reality comes by with a big club and slams you.
The other guy running is insanely dangerous

Suddenly the person you weren't gonna vote for doesn't look as bad.

I'll be more interested in polls about the November elections come the middle of September

[Juche]

3. The GOP is purging moderates

Which is comical, because they aren't even moderate. Any willingness to cooperate with this administration is considered treason by the tea baggers. So Crist, Grassley, Bennett all have to go.

I wonder what happens when Snowe and Collins are up for reelection. Hopefully they get purged in the primary and replaced with tea baggers. The public in Maine will hopefully not elect tea bag republicans with no history in Maine.

[jaxx]

4. The article described the paranoia of the rightwing to a T.

<snip> ...nervous about the direction of the country and the growth and expanded reach of the federal government. "They keep digging their fingers deeper into our lives," he says.

<snip> ...Lee senses a movement afoot. It is an awakening, he suggests, of conservatives who say that government must be rooted more firmly in the Constitution and that lawmakers need to focus less on power, perks and pork-barrel spending.<<

The talking points, looks like the nopers have succeeded in scaring the voters with the big government mantra. And when he uses the 'awakening'....religion rears it's head into the politics. They are fighting themselves and they are fighting the image of Barack Obama as the POTUS. (And another thing, Lee sheepishly admits: A photograph of Bennett grinning alongside Obama at one of the inaugural balls really bothered him. Why did he look so happy?<<)

I think the rightwing is in a flutter and can shred themselves if they try hard enough.

[BzaDem]

5. Breaking even in the Senate (50-50) would be a 9 seat gain for them.

Bob Bennett lost because of the strange way Utah nomintaes its candidates. Their caucus system gives huge weight to a few party activists, who are always much more ideological than the general primary electorate. If Bennett could have made it to the primary, he would have easily won.

The Crist/Rubio fight is a better example (though in that case Crist is no longer very popular and neither is an incumbent Senator).

[rpannier]

7. Apparently he hasn't ruled out a write-in campaign

That was in a Salt Lake Paper
He could win that one as he is more popular with Republicans at large in Utah than the lunatics

I'd laugh myself to the grave if he did and won
Jim DeMint would have failed again in getting his birther, tea-bagging racist the puke nomination

[Geoff R. Casavant]

9. I don't think the OP meant "break even" in that sense

I interpreted it as meaning, not lose any more seats.

[saltpoint]

8. Agree -- it's a volatile scene out there.

I think it would be great news if Roxanne Conlin could win that Senate seat in Iowa. Grassley is a fuddyduddy. He's none too bright and not very helpful on meaningful legislation. I'm really hoping Conlin's star rises.

Bennett is a very conservative three-term Senator. It's going to be a long-term problem for the Republicans if their rabid sub-groups become the status quo in primary states. Maybe Bennett will wage a write-in effort and slice up the GOP vote and a Democrat could slip in. It may not happen but it would serve the Baggers right.

[Arkana]

10. Republicans are realizing that anti-incumbent sentiment cuts both ways.