Nov 13 2009
Etheridge Being Courted By Dems to Run Against Burr [UPDATED]
UPDATE: Etheridge is out. [N&O] With no more top candidates to recruit, Dems turn to this woman.
National Democrats are apparently stepping up their efforts to try and recruit Congressman Bob Etheridge (D-NC-02) to run against Senator Richard Burr in next year’s election. They evidently think that Etheridge could bring a strong challenge to Burr. While I realize Burr isn’t all that popular or well known around the state, I think they’re wrong.
Bob Etheridge has this image that he is some middle of the road moderate, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Look at his voting record:
- Voted for Wall Street Bailout? Check!
- Voted for the Porkulus bill? Check!
- Voted for Crap and Tax? Check!
- Voted for the largest budget deficit in American history? Check!
- Voted for the health care bill that will put people in jail for not buying insurance? Check!
Bob Etheridge has more in common with far left radicals than he does with the people of North Carolina and I think the Burr campaign will take Etheridge’s record and absolutely destroy him. That’s my opinion.
In related news to this race, former state legislator Cal Cunningham has decided to bow out and not run. He was being embraced by the left wing extremists at BlueNC.
Additionally, Republican Dan Mansell of Selma has decided to make another run for the Second Congressional District seat. I think if Mansell is well funded he can make a similar case and mount a competitive challenge to Etheridge, although it will be more difficult for him to defeat Etheridge than Etheridge to defeat Burr. Of course, if Etheridge does run against Burr and NC-02 is an open seat then Mansell has an excellent chance of winning because this seat leans slightly Republican according to the Cook Political Index.
I hope Etheridge is dumb enough to give up that seat, but I suspect he’s just dragging this out to fill the campaign coffers.
To win a Senate seat in NC, Democrats have to lie their asses off, and to do that successfully, they have to be more or less blank slates on national issues.
I don’t see any chance of Etheridge running for the Senate, but if he does there will be much stronger canddiates on the Republican side than Dan Mansell. There are a couple of big name GOPers in that district who are waiting on Etheridge to run for something else or retire. Mansell is a great guy, but not a strong candidate and not a very good fundraiser.