Roy Blunt pulls in key Republican support in Senate race
ST. LOUIS — There will be no serious Republican primary in the race for U.S. Senate in Missouri — not in the eyes of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, at least.
The committee today announced its support for Congressman Roy Blunt, the 7th District representative from Springfield who will likely face Democrat Robin Carnahan in the 2010 Senate race.
Blunt has been working hard to clear the Republican primary field so he can concentrate on Carnahan, but he’s had a few speedbumps — Sarah Steelman, Thomas Schweich, and Chuck Purgason. Of those three, Purgason is believed to be the only one seriously considering a challenge to Blunt, but the NRSC isn’t going to wait for the state senator from Caulfield to announce his intentions.
“Throughout his tenure in Congress and during the early days of this campaign, Congressman Roy Blunt has demonstrated that he understands the difficult issues facing the people of Missouri,” said U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman, in a news release sent out by Blunt spokesman Rich Chrismer.
The support of the NRSC will be a boost to Blunt’s fund-raising as it will signal to national Republicans that they won’t be spending money that will be wasted in a divisive primary. While Purgason may still run, he’s unlikely to raise the sort of money that either Steelman or Schweich could have collected.
I totally understand this move, but it hardly seems like a surprise that the GOP senatorial committee would go for Roy Blunt. It will undoubtedly help with fund-raising, but it doesn’t necessarily avoid a GOP primary, which is or should be the short-term mission. I do read this as more likely Steelman will get into the 7th Congress primary and enjoy some financial support from relieved members of the establishment.
But if you’re Purgason and seeking to run as the anti-establishment candidate, you can do it in an old pickup with a gun rack - and the media will again show how much they love a supposed maverick by giving Purgason coverage, which will drive the party establishment nuts. I bet he runs just to be cantankerous. You can be cantankerous on a low budget and the media will seek you out if you’re quotable, which he would be, bolo tie and all. The Ron Paul wingnuts will work hard for a guy like that. Just saying …
All that is true, mattingly, but do you remember what percentage of the vote Ron Paul actually got? It was pretty sad. And Ron Paul was way more charismatic than Chuck “When did bowl haircuts went out of style?” Purgason.
I for one, am going to hold my nose and vote for Roy.
All true, Green Leader - but my point is that the media will adore a “maverick” candidate because they’ll abhor a boring race that shakes out between a single Democratic and single GOP candidate this far out.
The media like the notion of their reporting getting national attention, and that doesn’t happen with a boring two-horse general election race that’s essentially settled more than a year out. They get a charge out of appearing on national talk shows, being quoted and linked in blogs and being paid attention to, especially in this media marketplace when they may be auditioning for their next job.
The media like the notion of a competitive Senate primary, especially between the right and the far-right - because it gives them a fight to report.
And there are enough behind the scenes plotters who don’t like Roy OR Matt Blunt to encourage Purgason to take the plunge, bowl haircut and all, just to force Roy to have to keep swatting on his right.
I simply meant the Ron Paul folks are energetic, not that they’re on point. They will keep pumping for their candidate past the point of reason. All of which can be a distraction from the real November 2010 prize.
Can’t anyone in this family find honest work?
Missourians are sick of both families at this point. Carnahan has the privelege of winning a state-wide election already. But with the Dems spending habits(Carnahan’s brother voted for cap and trade) and the threat of an even larger Democrat majority, the seat could go by default to Blunt. Either way, Missouri voters are smart and will pick with their best interest in mind, not neccesarily by party (McCain won President in MO, Nixon won Governor)
McCaskill’s seat should be interesting if she continues to follow the President like his puppy dog into every tax and spend policy he suggests.