Some Republicans are worried about Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr, and perhaps with good reason. Though Barr won’t get a lot of support, he could attract enough GOP voters to tip some swing states to Barack Obama. Ron Paul’s candidacy certainly highlighted the significant number of GOP voters who really believe in limited government. Other disaffected Republicans might vote for Barr in protest.
Are any of you fans of George Carlin, who died Sunday of heart problems? I didn’t follow his career or act much. He is best known for his “Seven words you can never say on television” bit, which led to a 1978 Supreme Court ruling upholding the government’s authority to sanction stations. But he also won four Grammy Awards for his comedy albums, was nominated for five Emmys, was a best-selling author and was to receive the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor this fall. Actor Ben Stiller said of Carlin: “He had an amazing mind, and his humor was brave, and always challenging us to look at ourselves and question our belief systems, while being incredibly entertaining.”
Here are two interesting blog articles making the case for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as Barack Obama’s VP pick.
The Fix’s Chris Cillizza points to Sebelius’ willingness to make tough decisions, as state insurance commissioner and governor, as well as her post-partisan and gender appeal. (In the next day’s blog, he makes the case against her, citing, among other things, her lack of foreign policy experience.)
The Huffington Post’s Sam Stein thinks Sebelius offers “a heap of electoral promise but with small but significant question marks.†He approves of her bold challenge of President Bush on relief response time in the aftermath of the Greensburg disaster.
But he quotes Kansas Republican Party director Christian Morgan on her weaknesses:
“She can’t deliver her own state. Moreover, she has never dealt with the national issues that a vice president has to talk about. She has no idea how military budgets work, or what it is like to be a commander in chief.â€
First-term Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Topeka — widely considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in Congress — looks to be much stronger and more popular than previously thought, judging by surprising new poll results.
The survey by Anzalone Liszt Research found Boyda with a comfortable lead over her two current Republican challengers, leading ex-Rep. Jim Ryun by 17 points, 54 to 37 percent, and up 30 points over state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, 57 to 27 percent. Moreover, 68 percent of respondents thought she was doing a good or excellent job.
If these numbers are accurate, then Boyda could be a shoo-in for re-election.
Democratic Senate candidate Jim Slattery isn’t the only one impressed by polls showing him only 9 percentage points behind Sen. Pat Roberts. The Evans-Novak Political Report recently said such polling suggests Slattery could give Roberts “a run for his money. If Roberts runs a smart race, he’ll win, but a misstep of ‘macaca’ proportions could put this one in play.â€
Some Republicans are worried about Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr, and perhaps with good reason. Though Barr won’t get a lot of support, he could attract enough GOP voters to tip some swing states to Barack Obama. Ron Paul’s candidacy certainly highlighted the significant number of GOP voters who really believe in limited government. Other disaffected Republicans might vote for Barr in protest.
