Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Dino Rossi is in for U.S. Senate

So, Dino Rossi announced this morning that he's running for the US Senate against incumbent Patty Murray. As a Republican, I am divided on how I feel about this. I know I'm not the only one, as I've talked to several about this.

On the one hand, Dino is exactly what our state and country need. A true leader, not afraid of making difficult decisions, knows what a balanced budget means and looks like. He knows the value the private market brings to citizens and that the vast majority of jobs created are done so by small businesses, and not by government.

On the other hand, this will be his third campaign. "Two-time loser" was bad enough. If he loses again, my heart will break. It's difficult to get jazzed and excited for him again. I'm also quite concerned what this could do to our Republican party in a year that we have so much to gain. See this article about how our candidates (and their supporters) are already dividing.

There's another side, and that is the strategy of the campaign. Here's what PubliCola (a Seattle-area blog) had to say about Rossi's announcement video. Though it's only been two years since Dino's second run at governor, this is a completely different race (national not just state), against a more ingrained incumbent. The message will need to change. His agenda will need to look different. Ironic -- in the midst of writing this blog I got a call from the Rossi campaign asking for a financial contribution. Because Dino waited so long to decide/announce, others have been campaigning for that seat and raising money. He’s lost those opportunities and that time. On the flip side, this Everett Herald column shows some strategic reasons why Rossi may have waited to announce as a candidate.

Only time will tell how Rossi will do, if waiting will help or not. Only time will tell if the Tea Party movement helps or harms the Republican party. The August primary and November election will be an interesting time indeed.

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