Apparently St. Louis insiders Jack Danforth and Bert Walker aren't happy with Roy Blunt as our state's GOP candidate for U.S. Senate. So they're encouraging a run by Thomas Schweich in the primary.Thomas Schweich????
The Post-Dispatch describes him as a visiting law professor at Washington University and an official in George W. Bush's administration. He was "an ambassador for counter narcotics and judicial reform in Afghanistan." (Link to story here.)
Schweich might be great. But nobody's ever heard of him. And he's, apparently, never run for an elected office before. Him running for Senate is like Brock Olivo running for Congress. He's aiming too high, too fast.
Supposedly Danforth and Walker are worried about Blunt's chances against the Democrats' presumptive nominee, Robin Carnahan, this fall. If they're truly worried, they should be throwing every dime and every bit of political capital that they have Blunt's way because, guess what, he's going to win the primary.
Wouldn't you rather have a nominee with money and without primary bruises this fall rather than repeating the mistakes that cost Kenny Hulshof any shot that he had against Jay Nixon?
I would.
7 comments:
That picture makes him look a little squirrelly. Reminds me of Wormtail in Harry Potter.
Don't think I'd trust him.
LOL
When I heard about this I was dubious as well, then I read about what Thomas Schweich has been working on for the past few years. He's got the experience to be a great U.S. Senator. Here's an editorial he wrote for the NY Times on dealing with poppies in Afghanistan (http://tinyurl.com/6ygc34). As an Ambassador working at the highest levels of Department of Defense, State, the White House and NATO this guy is ready to step into the role as a Senator on day one.
PHARA0H . . . are you a paid employee of Mr. Schweich's campaign or of Ms. Carnahan's?
Just wondering because you must either have an alternate agenda or you missed the point entirely. Whether this guy is one of the dozens of people who, if elected, could capably serve as a U.S. Senator, he won't. He's NOT going to beat Roy Blunt. All that a Schweich campaign would do is ensure that Robin Carnahan wins the seat.
Sorry, no ulterior motive here. I'm just intrigued by the notion of someone new. You raise valid points in your post, but I don't think it's fair to discount other potential GOP candidates simply because you want to avoid a 'bruising' primary.
Sometimes political new comers can make a difference. I'm from NE where in 1996 a political nobody, Chuck Hagel, decided to run for Senate. He had never held elected office, but had experience as a Dep. Sec. of the VA. He overcame a popular Republican Attorney General, Don Stenberg, in a Republican Primary. He went on to defeat a popular Democratic Governor, Ben Nelson, to win election to the Senate. No one thought Hagel stood a chance, but he went on to be one of the most popular Senators in NE history.
Am I convinced Schweich is the next Chuck Hagel, no. Do I think it's foolish to write him off just because he's not Roy Blunt, yes.
Sorry for questioning your motives. I am just afraid that 2010 Missouri will be more like 2008 Missouri than 1996 Nebraska. And, I don't want the GOP to take that risk.
I just googled him and read up all I could on Schweich. He's certainly risky, but he's got some real substance -- real foreign policy experience, law & order type stuff, economic expertise, and he seems like a tried and true Missourian, not some DC carpet bagger. Obama got elected Senator and then president as a "fresh face" witout even half that kind of stuff. don't get me wrong -- not saying he would be our "Obama." Just saying we could do a lot worse, and probably will.
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