Candidate recruitment troubles abound in states key to GOP's shot at Senate majority

[Judi Lynn]

Candidate recruitment troubles abound in states key to GOP's shot at Senate majority
Article by: THOMAS BEAUMONT , Associated Press
Updated: April 27, 2013 - 3:01 AM

DES MOINES, Iowa - Republicans are struggling to recruit strong Senate candidates in states that present the party's best opportunities to reclaim the majority, a sign that the GOP's post-2012 soul-searching may end up creeping into the midterm congressional elections.

It's admittedly early, with more than 18 months before the November 2014 elections.
But candidate recruitment efforts are well underway. And, so far, Republicans haven't been able to field a top-tier candidate in Iowa or Michigan, swing-voting states where the GOP hopes to make a play for seats left open by the retirement of veteran Democratic senators. Also, the GOP is facing the prospect of contentious and expensive primary races in Georgia and perhaps West Virginia, two GOP-leaning states where sitting senators — one Republican, one Democrat — are retiring.

With President Barack Obama not on the top of the ticket, Republicans may have their best chance in years to try to retake the Senate, which would put a major crimp on the president's efforts to enact his agenda and shape his legacy in the final two years of his presidency. Republicans need to gain six seats to win control of the Senate. Democrats will be defending 21 seats to Republicans' 14, meaning the GOP has more opportunity to try to win on Democratic turf.

Only recently, Republicans were reveling in the fact that several veteran Democrats were retiring in states where the GOP had not had a chance to win in decades. Last week, Democrat Max Baucus of Montana became the latest to announce his retirement in a state that typically tilts Republican.

More:
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/204974031.html

[Tennessee Hillbilly]

1. --

Don't worry -- They can always find more Pukes like Richard Mourdock, Todd Akin and Christine O'Donnell.

[AlinPA]

2. In the republican leaning states they could put up any nutcase religious right-winger and

make a race out of it.

[sofa king]

3. They need stupid, greedy liars.

I'm going to have to swerve to miss three of those people on my next trip to the grocery store. The GOP will never be at a loss for candidates so long as they demand candidates with only the Sarah Palin set of qualifications.

The good news is that voters are quickly catching on. Several million Republicans gave up their homes so that gay people couldn't marry, but it turned out that was a works-once trick that required voters to have the luxury of giving up their own treasure to restrict someone else's lifestyle.

They don't have that much to give up anymore; in fact they are quickly coming to resemble the social out-groups that they happily targeted when they were more privileged.

Now that most Republicans are "poors," I think we can expect them to become increasingly insular, increasingly traditional, less interested in federal candidates who betray them at the first opportunity, and more interested in securing some sort of homeland in which they can all congregate--just like the Indian tribes that they are quickly beginning to resemble.