could Peter King beat Kirsten Gillibrand?

[© tweed]

I've been thinking about this for a good five minutes now and, although unlikely, it may be the only chance Republicans have of winning an NY Senate seat in 2010...

King might be able to successfully eat at the fringes of the suburban/urban greater NYC Dem voting bloc as Gillibrand is an upstater and he's from Nassau.  one interesting thing I found: he's had a relatively pro-gun control record (which is unsurprising, as his neighbor is Carolyn McCarthy and LI is the capitol of gun paranoia) and received a 'D' rating from the NRA in 2003.  Gillibrand has, of course, had the little tempest-in-a-teapot thing with her high NRA rating getting some play recently.

not that I think guns will be a big issue in 2010, but that isn't really the point.  King may be able to carry Nassau and Suffolk by decent margins and eat at Queens/Westchester as well because he has more of a cultural pull there than does Gillibrand.

it would take a perfect storm of sorts, but step one of 9000 is the selection of Kirsten Gillibrand

[© tweed]

King wouldn't have to beat her from the right.  he could beat her by being a real New Yorker downstate Irish Catholic who can beat the sh**t out of people.  although I do agree she would be susceptible to a primary challenge.