Moore Capito finally taking the plunge!

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Any potential Democratic candidate that could win the WV-2 in a open election?

In theory, lots. In practice in an Obama mid-term? Who knows?

[Mr.Phips]

Any potential Democratic candidate that could win the WV-2 in a open election?

In theory, lots. In practice in an Obama mid-term? Who knows?

The fact that Obama is already being held in check by a Republican House will greatly help Democrats here. 

[Antonio the Sixth]

So the GOP is already in the process of destroying its 2014 pickup opportunities? Good to know.

[BM]

So with this extra early announcement, there will be nearly two years of Capito being defined as too liberal by fellow Republicans who will be working to recruit a credible primary challenger.

Sounds good to me!

[Maxwell]

Joe Manchin is the only electable Democrat left in West Virginia

[Zioneer]

Club for Growth comes out against Capito.

Man, how do the GOP manage to screw up (or nearly screw up) every single Senate race they come across?

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Club for Growth comes out against Capito.

[Svensson]

I'm hoping Christie's inevitable landslide in New Jersey, in the face of the far right going absolutely apes**t on him for daring to give Obama one inkling of praise, will help usher reasonable Republicanism back in again. After his initial election and the absolute electoral massacre that it seemed to foretell, it wouldn't be the first time Christie has been the harbinger for political change.

[smoltchanov]

Jim DeMint's group just declared that it cannot support Capito because "her spending record in the House is too liberal."

I second that. But that becomes a sort of "norm" for present-day Republicans....

[smoltchanov]

Carte Goodwin could run for her seat?

Goodwin and Tennant seem like the best options for Democrats.

Tenant is pro-choice. It would be a big plus in many states, but not so much  in WV, with lot of pro-life Democratic voters and even elected officials.  Even Capito is more moderate on issue that many of them

[CountryRoads]

This is why I'm I-WV. Not every race needs to have someone primaried!

[Franzl]

So the GOP is already in the process of destroying its 2014 pickup opportunities? Good to know.

I hope they're as successful again as this year.

[Brittain33]

Place your bets! Estimate the odds that Capito's challenger:

• is a man
  
• has never run for state legislative office before
  
• has never run for office before, period
  
• wins the primary
  
• says something wholly inappropriate about women or abortion in August or later
• narrowly loses to an inoffensive conservative Dem

[Incipimus iterum]

GOP split resurfaces after Shelley Moore Capito announcement 

[Franzl]

Place your bets! Estimate the odds that Capito's challenger:

• is a man
  
• has never run for state legislative office before
  
• has never run for office before, period
  
• wins the primary
  
• says something wholly inappropriate about women or abortion in August or later
• narrowly loses to an inoffensive conservative Dem

I certainly hope so

[minionofmidas]

I'm hoping Christie's inevitable landslide in New Jersey, in the face of the far right going absolutely apes**t on him for daring to give Obama one inkling of praise, will help usher reasonable Republicanism back in again. After his initial election and the absolute electoral massacre that it seemed to foretell, it wouldn't be the first time Christie has been the harbinger for political change.

He'll be successfully primaried by a homeless person, 54-46. Meanwhile Democrats, assuming Christie's coronation is instoppable, will nominate an 84 year old archcorrupt former Assemblyman from Jersey City who will go on to win easily. This is America.

[RogueBeaver]

NRSC dipping their toe in.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/11/moran-defends-capito-against-attacks-shes-too-moderate-150410.html?hp=r4

[DINGO Joe]

From an economics standpoint it's hard to imagine any state more screwed than WV.  Sure Obama is anti-coal, but the fact is so is every state outside of WV, KY, and WY.  States up and down the entire East Coast have been building Natural Gas plants for years now,  and now, thanks to fracking, they've got a cheap plentiful supply.  Think Pennsylvania is a coal state?  Not with the Marcellus, no state has added more NG generation than PA over the last five years.  What about OH?  they're hoping the Utica is the next Marcellus (though the drillers really want more oil than gas).

On top of that Appalachian coal is the oldest mining region and it getting harder and more expensive to get it out of the ground while Illinois Basin and Wyoming coal have much lower costs of production.

What about clean coal?  It way too expensive to compete with NG (which is cleaner anyway).

Of course, you can't win elections going around and telling people they're toast, though judging by the weak turnout in WV they may understand that on some level.

[Svensson]

NRSC dipping their toe in.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/11/moran-defends-capito-against-attacks-shes-too-moderate-150410.html?hp=r4

Hopefully Moran will prove more competent at defending decent candidates than Cornyn ever did.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Place your bets! Estimate the odds that Capito's challenger:

• is a man
  
• has never run for state legislative office before
  
• has never run for office before, period
  
• wins the primary
  
• says something wholly inappropriate about women or abortion in August or later
• narrowly loses to an inoffensive conservative Dem Rockefeller

I certainly hope so

[CountryRoads]

You liberals are getting too excited too early. The Tea Party era is over. People will start to realize that things need to change in the GOP.

[Svensson]

You liberals are getting too excited too early. The Tea Party era is over. People will start to realize that things need to change in the GOP.

This, essentially. What people don't seem to realize is that, even for their earth-rattling stupidity, Akin and Mourdock were establishment. The latter was just less so than Lugar.

[Talleyrand]

You liberals are getting too excited too early. The Tea Party era is over. People will start to realize that things need to change in the GOP.

I agree with this statement. The real opposition to Capito is coming from outside sources, not within her state, and that's not going to defeat her. And now the NRCC is specifically working to avoid unelectable candidates and coming to the aid of "moderates". She'll easily win the primary and the general, maybe even crossing 60%.

[RogueBeaver]

You liberals are getting too excited too early. The Tea Party era is over. People will start to realize that things need to change in the GOP.

I agree with this statement. The real opposition to Capito is coming from outside sources, not within her state, and that's not going to defeat her. And now the NRCC is specifically working to avoid unelectable candidates and coming to the aid of "moderates". She'll easily win the primary and the general, maybe even crossing 60%.

She won't get over 60% against Rocky, but he's probably retiring. Plus she easily saw off a TP primary challenge in her district.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Damn, no wonder Portman didn't even try. Even people on the House side "knew" Moran had it locked up months ago.