Our friends at National Journal report:
Cornyn’s re-election provides the NRSC some continuity in 2012 when it faces a playing field with plenty of pick up opportunities. The GOP only has to defend 10 seats in 2012, while 21 Democrats and two independents who caucus with Democrats are up for re-election.
“I appreciate the strong support from all of my Republican colleagues, and especially our 13 new Republican senators, as we continue our campaign to win back a Senate Republican majority in 2012,” Cornyn said in a statement.
While Cornyn’s performance as NRSC chair has been praised in Republican circles since the election, it wasn’t without speed bumps. By wading into contested primaries early in the cycle, the NRSC was handed defeats when insurgent challengers like Christine O’Donnell (Del.), Ken Buck (Colo.) and Sharron Angle (Nev.) defeated NRSC-backed contenders in part by using the NRSC’s endorsement against them. The GOP went on to lose those three seats, costing them a chance at a Senate majority…
“The key now is to build on that success, while applying lessons learned from the 2010 campaign,” Cornyn said. “I believe Republicans are strongest when we stick together, and I continue to adhere to the words of William F. Buckley, who famously said: ‘I am for the most conservative candidate that can get elected.'” [Pols emphasis]
So, if you’re one of the local Republicans who lashed out against John Cornyn and the National Republican Senatorial Committee when they tried to clear the GOP Senate primary field for Jane Norton in August of 2009, you can interpret the above statement as evidence that Cornyn has indeed learned a very important lesson from the 2010 elections. A hint: it’s not that the NRSC should have ‘listened’ to the “Tea Party” groups and their unelectable pet candidates.
No, folks, the lesson, while maybe being a little slicker about it, is to never listen to them again.
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Cool- Cornyn is for Bennet.
whether the most liberal candidate would have been electable. I suppose they can but it is a moot point. Romanoff gets blown out by Buck if it is a change election. Senator Buck is now a punch line. Be grateful for small favors.
is that neither of our choices, Bennet or Romanoff, were more or less liberal than one another to any significant degree. It could just as easily be argued that Bennet was perhaps the more liberal choice by a tad than former Colorado DLC Co-Chair Romanoff as the other way around. In any case, both are centrists. Neither can be considered liberal except as reflected in today’s GOP fun house mirror that turns ultra conservative but not crazy into “moderate”.
I think there’s no question Romanoff and his supporters simply wouldn’t have been able to come up with the money it took to beat Buck since the Bennet force’s unstoppable funding just barely did the trick along with great, in terms of both quality and quantity, Bennet GOTV.
of BoulderRepublican, back before Norton even got in the race:
NRSC never listening to the tea partiers again. The problem is, can the R establishment get their caucus going and primary voting base to ever listen to them again?
Did Buckley actually say the “candidate that can get elected”? I strongly prefer “who can get elected,” unless we’re talking about a non-human. Ok, point taken
If so, that’s what Buckley actually said.
George W. Bush, in contract, would have said “whom can get elected.”
Sarah Palin: “that can be electifudiated.”
He would have said “electorated.”
He’s the type. Don’t misoverestimate him.
In honor of all his supporters in 2000 who were talking about the “electrical college.”
will be supporting only android candidates in 2012.
Or Spot. They’re crafty!
Now Lore on the other hand.
My grammar bone is the guy on NPR, and many others referring to them as “cannadits.” Drives me nuts.