North Carolina 2008: Easley leads Dole

[Eraserhead]

http://www.newsobserver.com/659/story/535828.html

Senate:

Easley: 44%
Dole:41%

[Padfoot]

Although its possible he could beat Dole, I think Easley would be much better served if he waited until 2010 to take out the much more unpopular Burr.  Are any of the House Democrats from NC strong enough to take out Dole in 2008?

[Adlai Stevenson]

Although its possible he could beat Dole, I think Easley would be much better served if he waited until 2010 to take out the much more unpopular Burr.  Are any of the House Democrats from NC strong enough to take out Dole in 2008?

Bob Etheridge, Mike McIntyre and Brad Miller would all be strong candidates. But in running the GOP could well pickup their Congressional seats. 

[Keystone Phil]

Believable and justified but I doubt Easley will run. I wonder if Dole will be allowed to have any say in her campaign.

[WalterMitty]

easley is not going to run.

[Democratic Hawk]

Believable and justified but I doubt Easley will run. I wonder if Dole will be allowed to have any say in her campaign.

I take it you're not too impressed with Liddy Dole, Phil?

Dave

[Keystone Phil]

Believable and justified but I doubt Easley will run. I wonder if Dole will be allowed to have any say in her campaign.

I take it you're not too impressed with Liddy Dole, Phil?

Dave

I made that known countless times here. I am hoping that she retires.

[Democratic Hawk]

Believable and justified but I doubt Easley will run. I wonder if Dole will be allowed to have any say in her campaign.

I take it you're not too impressed with Liddy Dole, Phil?

Dave

I made that known countless times here.

Can't say I've particularly noticed

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Well, she might if she thinks cannot win. Much depends on which Democrats enter the frey or whether she's challenged in the Republican primary. Any pleasant (to you, that is) rumblings on the latter yet?

Dave

[Keystone Phil]

or whether she's challenged in the Republican primary. Any pleasant (to you, that is) rumblings on the latter yet?

I am hoping for her to get a primary challenge but I always felt that it would be very unlikely. I haven't heard anyone talking about it but we can hold out hope.

[TheresNoMoney]

He won't run.

That being said, I think there are a few other Democrats that could potentially beat Dole.

[Adlai Stevenson]

I hope either McIntyre or Miller run.  Etheridge is too old possibly at 67 in 2008.  I think Dole could be beatable, potentially there is a small chance. 

[HardRCafé]

Source:  Public Policy Polling of Raleigh.

Yuh-huh.

[JSojourner]

Question for you Tarheels...

Is Harvey Gantt done?  Erskine Bowles?  I like both of them so much, but I assume neither would dare run again.

[WalterMitty]

Question for you Tarheels...

Is Harvey Gantt done?  Erskine Bowles?  I like both of them so much, but I assume neither would dare run again.

gantt has long been done.   bowles has been done since he blew the race against burr in 2004.  he was leading most of that race and then blew it at the end.

the strongest candidate (other than easley, who wont run) is richard moore.  but all indications are that he is hell bent on running for governor (setting the stage for a nasty primary between him and lt. governor beverly perdue)

if democrats cant convince moore (or even perdue) to drop the governor's race and run for senate, they will likely give dole a pass and run a sacrificial lamb.

[nclib]

Although its possible he could beat Dole, I think Easley would be much better served if he waited until 2010 to take out the much more unpopular Burr.  Are any of the House Democrats from NC strong enough to take out Dole in 2008?

Bob Etheridge, Mike McIntyre and Brad Miller would all be strong candidates. But in running the GOP could well pickup their Congressional seats. 

Etheridge would have the best chance of the three. McIntyre is too conservative and Miller is too liberal to win statewide.

That said, I don't believe any of them will run against Dole, though against Burr is a possibility.

[TheresNoMoney]

Brad Miller is a great Congressman and I wouldn't dismiss his chances in a statewide race.

[Deano963]

I guess we will see just how persuasive Chuck Schumer can be. Convincing Gov. Easley to run would be the ungettable get of the '08 election cycle. I know that Easley has said he won't run, but Sherrod Brown and Claire McCaskill had both said the same thing at this point in the '06 cycle, and now they are both U.S. Senators. Schumer's job will be made much easier by the fact that the Democrats are now in the majority. If he had as much success recruiting top-tier candidates last cycle when the Dmeocrats were a 55-44-1 minority in the Senate, I imagine he will do an even better job this time around.

[Adlai Stevenson]

I guess we will see just how persuasive Chuck Schumer can be. Convincing Gov. Easley to run would be the ungettable get of the '08 election cycle. I know that Easley has said he won't run, but Sherrod Brown and Claire McCaskill had both said the same thing at this point in the '06 cycle, and now they are both U.S. Senators. Schumer's job will be made much easier by the fact that the Democrats are now in the majority. If he had as much success recruiting top-tier candidates last cycle when the Dmeocrats were a 55-44-1 minority in the Senate, I imagine he will do an even better job this time around.

I can only hope you are right. 

[socaldem]

I guess we will see just how persuasive Chuck Schumer can be. Convincing Gov. Easley to run would be the ungettable get of the '08 election cycle. I know that Easley has said he won't run, but Sherrod Brown and Claire McCaskill had both said the same thing at this point in the '06 cycle, and now they are both U.S. Senators. Schumer's job will be made much easier by the fact that the Democrats are now in the majority. If he had as much success recruiting top-tier candidates last cycle when the Dmeocrats were a 55-44-1 minority in the Senate, I imagine he will do an even better job this time around.

So to review our dream team:

AL: Bud Cramer.  Okay, not happening.  Oh well.  The Ag comissioner might be good. 

GA: Jim Marshall.  Cathy Cox.

KS: Kathleen Sebelius.  Dennis Moore.

KY: Ben Chandler.  Mayor Abramson

ME: Tom Allen.  Check.

MN: Mayor R. T. Rybak.  Honestly I think Rebecca Otto is best, though she just won statewide.  I think we need a vigorous Dem primary in this race to sort out the cream of the second tier possibilities.

NC: Gov. Mike Easley.  Treas. Richard Moore.  Congressman Brad Miller.

NE: Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey

NH: ex-gov Jeanne Shaheen.  Is that yogurt guy Gary Hirschberg a good recruit or a bad recruit?  He has money and is politically active, but I hope he's not as far out as Ben and Jerry.  I think its clear Gov. John Lynch won't run right now.  Best to save him to dragon-sleigh Sen Judd Gregg.  And it looks like Katrina Swett's running.  Sure she did badly in her congressional race but '02 was just terrible for NH dems.  I'd really like to see a woman in that seat.

NM (if open): Alberquerque Mayor Chavez.  Congressman Tom Udall.

TN: Gov. Phil Brehedson.

TX: Mayor Bill White, ex-Congressman Jim Turner, Congressman Henry Cuellar

OK: AG Bill Edmonson. Congressman Dan Boren. ex-congressman Brad Carson.

OR: Congressman Peter DeFazio. State Sen. Ben Westlund. Congressman Earl Blumenaur.

VA (if open): ex-gov Mark Warner.  state sen. Creigh Deeds.

[nini2287]

I doubt Easley will run.  I'm actually surprised he isn't leading by more.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I think Heath Shuler would make a great Senate candidate. Not now of course, but against Burr in 2010.

MN: Mayor R. T. Rybak.  Honestly I think Rebecca Otto is best, though she just won statewide.

I think Otto is likely to run for Governor in 2010, whether or not Pawlenty runs for reelection. 2008 would be way too soon, especially since Otto didn't even serve a full term in the State House, she won a special election upset in 2003 in a rather Republican district (it's located in Michele Bachmann's old State Senate seat), and then lost in 2004.

I think Hatch should give it a go and pull a McCaskill. He couldn't bash Pawlenty on the war like he can on Coleman. I'd also like to see Steve Kelley try, he'd be my favorite for sure if he did.

I think we need a vigorous Dem primary in this race to sort out the cream of the second tier possibilities.

The nominating convention usually takes care of that with candidates usually agreeing to abide by the endorsement and drop out if they don't win it, although that doesn't always work. In 2000 the DFL-endorsed candidate came in 4th, out of 4 serious candidates in the race.