Politico: Robin Carnahan running an “incumbent’s strategy”
Carnahan
Republican Roy Blunt isn’t the only one talking about the light public calendar of his Democratic opposition for a U.S. Senate seat.
Posted on the popular Beltway news site Politico is a story discussing Democrat Robin Carnahan’s early campaign strategy of staying out of the spotlight.
Carnahan has not held a news conference as a candidate, the story notes, and has not staked a definitive position on high-profile issues such as cap-and-trade.
“For the past seven months, she’s followed something akin to an incumbent’s strategy, keeping a low profile, refraining from making much news and mostly ignoring GOP challenges and demands,” reads the piece, which was penned by David Catanese, a KY3 journalist who freelances for Politico. “It’s a stay-above-the-fray approach that is frustrating and befuddling Missouri Republicans.”
Catanese goes on to quote Missouri Democrats and others who question whether, 14 months away from election date, a candidate’s political schedule is of much consequence.
Carnahan — if by (last?) name only — is a known commodity. Would stumping more than a year in advance help her election equation?
Of course, the more substantive beef maybe that voters are in the dark on certain policy positions in the here-and-now, issues such as health care and environmental legislation. While those votes maybe in the rear view mirror, the issues provide a telling insight into how a candidate would behave as a legislator.
Carnahan, however, does not show any immediate signs of ramping up her campaign activity — which means that Blunt will have to be content with shadowboxing in the early rounds of the campaign.
Smart strategy. Smart lady. She’s driving Roy Blunt nuts.
What she does more than a year out is of little consequence. But she can’t lurk in the shadows forever. My guess as to the Carnahan game plan: dodge the issues and go negative. Her record as a legislator is thin, and liberal. So look for no talk of her record, lots of pictures of her strolling around farms with older men in flannel shirts, and vague talk about how she support “Missouri values.”
More and more Princess Robin reminds me more of Caroline Kennedy: ‘what? RUN for office?’
As my friend Nick points out… between what she hasn’t done, and what she has done but can’t talk about… as it will hurt her election chances, Princess Robin has little she can say. So… she says nothing.
I wish Jim Talent was back to run for his old seat.
At least then MO would get conservative values for their buck.
I would be laying low as well. She can fly under the radar and let the Post kick Roy Blunt for a year and a half before she has to lift a finger. All the while, no one will ask her what her positions are on any of the prevailing policies…..
Smart strategy….
She is a true lightweight on policy like her brother Rusty. Will the Post-Dispatch, the KC Star, and the other Missouri news outlets ask her any tough questions or critique her history as they will with Blunt? One big problem she will face is this election will be held during the mid-term cycle. There will be no catalyst like Obama for minorities to come out and support Carnahan in large numbers. Of course, that won’t stop the dead and her living supporters from voting multiple times for, thanks to ACORN.
Carnahan does have some record and it’s not good. Remember when she, as our Secretary of State, single-handedly changed the wording on a ballot initiative that she disagreed with ? After getting all the legal, required signatures for the initiative (a lot of work for the petitioners) she changed the wording to confuse voters. It went down and many people were confused.
Blunt should ignore her. Make his own statements. Make his name known once again across Missouri. Define what his record has been in the House. Do not allow himself to be over exposed where folks will be sick of seeing him. Get his Conservative record out… just campaign against Democrats! Especially those running the show now. Ignore her… calling her out just gives her free…. free …. publicity.
Astonishing to me the swipes against Secretary of State Carnahan are not coupled with expression of love or even admiration — much less confidence — in Congressman Roy Blunt as the Republican standard-bearer. True conservatives will unite behind the true conservative Republican candidate for the United States Senate. That true conservative is Missouri State Senator Chuck Purgason. Washington Insider Roy Blunt wants to look past Senator Purgason and pretend he and his true conservative values do not even exist. True conservatives will know better.
The Carnahans seem to want desperately to be the Kennedys of the Midwest. Her father was the only one in the bunch with any apparent qualifications. When the “Still with Mel” crowd voted for him following his tragic death, we got two years of her eminently unqualified mother in the Senate. For now we’re stuck with her totally useless brother, a pawn of Nancy Pelosi and the unions, in the House. Now this one wants to ride her name onto the national scene as well.
Interesting how the Democrat nomination was ceded to her even as long as a year ago. So much for openness in government!