Not all Senate appointments last

All the fuss over the Illinois and New York governors’ appointments to open U.S. Senate seats is predictable, especially during a slow-news holiday period. But history, including Kansas history, indicates that appointments don’t always translate into election victories. Over the past 50 years, according to Washington Post blogger Chris Cillizza, just 23 of the 51 appointed senators who went on to run for full terms won their seats. The losers in the recent past included Sen. Sheila Frahm, R-Kan., the lieutenant governor chosen by Gov. Bill Graves to replace the retiring Sen. Bob Dole in 1996. She lost the GOP primary just weeks later by 13 percentage points to ambitious congressman Sam Brownback.

10 Comments

  1. American_Way
    Posted January 5, 2009 at 7:12 am | Permalink

    It’s not what happens after the appointment that counts.

    The issue is the initial appointment.

    Does that help you understand what the “Fuss” is?

    Genius. Mental Giants.
    Lost cause newspaper men and women.
    Paper don’t sell.
    Now you know why.

  2. American_Way
    Posted January 5, 2009 at 7:13 am | Permalink

    Unless the liberal is implying, “It doesn’t matter.”

    In which case, it makes perfect sense, from a liberal democrat point of view.

  3. YellowdogLiberal
    Posted January 5, 2009 at 10:54 am | Permalink

    I see Amway is in his usual snide mood. Get up on the wrong side of the bed, Bubba?

    Dennis

  4. mom
    Posted January 5, 2009 at 10:57 am | Permalink

    Of course it matters what happens after the appointment. Just think what our state would be like if Sam Brownback had NOT won the Senate seat?

  5. TomPaine
    Posted January 5, 2009 at 11:18 am | Permalink

    I dont see the Blago guy lasting very long.

  6. RoaCH
    Posted January 5, 2009 at 11:36 am | Permalink

    What the heck are you talking about mom?

    The point Amway made went right over your head.

    The concern today is whether:

    1. Illinois governor can appoint a replacement
    2. The US Congress throwing the appointee out
    3. The US Constitution on THIS subject and US Supreme Court precedence.

    The fuss is NOT whether or not the appointee makes it to an actual election and gets elected.

    Try mom, to keep up. I know you have children at your feet. Wonder how you manage to make ends meet.

  7. YellowdogLiberal
    Posted January 5, 2009 at 3:45 pm | Permalink

    When you get appointed to fill in a Senate seat, when you get to Washington, you should rent, not buy. You may not even be around long enough to figure out how to land a fat, cushy federal job.

    Dennis

  8. mom
    Posted January 5, 2009 at 4:36 pm | Permalink

    Roach – I’m sure that’s an appropriate name for you, judging from your self-professing superior condescending attitude.

    The topic of this thread was about not all Senate appointments last. Amway stated that it does not count what happens after the initial appointment.

    Since the topic header went on to talk about Sheila Frahm losing to Sam Brownback in the election – I just merely brought up the subject about how the Kansas political scene would be different if Brownback had NOT won the election.

    So – ROACH – it DOES matter as to what happens after the senate appointment. Or can you not grasp the big picture outside of one thought per topic???

    You might want to work on that multi-thinking and try to learn to see outside the little box you and Amway must be in all the time.

  9. Chrisfrommactown
    Posted January 6, 2009 at 10:12 am | Permalink

    Come on mom. Sheila Frahm was so over her head as Lt. Governor. There was no way she could be an effective Senator. Actually I’m glad Graves appointed such a lightweight. It paved the way for us to have fourteen years of a truly great Senator. (and soon to be Governor).

  10. bth
    Posted January 6, 2009 at 2:43 pm | Permalink

    What this really shows IMO is that it would make a lot of sense for such an appointment go to a “senior statesman” who would then not run for election. For example – in IL they could have picked Stevenson. If KS were facing this Bob Dole might make sense.

    The appointee could then hit the rgound running in the Senate and then gracefully exit later.