First “The Kennedy Seat, Next “The Schumer Seat”?
A year ago, I suggested that Kirsten Gillibrand’s Senate seat should not be the target for Republicans in 2010. Why take down someone who could, with some finessing, become an occasional ally when Chuck Schumer was sitting there looking uncharacteristically vulnerable?
Schumer right now has a 57 percent approval rating in his state. That’s good, but hardly unbeatable. What’s interesting about his approval numbers to me is that his disapproval rating in the 18-34 year old age group is higher than his approval rating, 49 to 47. That’s a weakness Republicans can exploit if they start hammering things like Schumer’s campaign ties to companies like Citigroup (his largest source of campaign cash) and his huge-government proclivities. They can also use their friendly relationship with Gilliland to prove that they can work with reasonable Democrats while pointing out that Schumer is anything but reasonable.
Well, the Republicans haven’t exactly tried to befriend Gillbrand and they’ve shown no real inclination to mount a challenge to Schumer. Then again, the party’s leadership hasn’t made a ton of good political moves lately. However, as Moe Lane notes, Chuck Schumer is even more vulnerable than he was a year ago and if the GOP decides to stop leaning on the Tea Party for most of its heavy lifting, it could find itself in possession of a Senate seat it thought unwinnable.
Other Posts of Interest:
- The President is Wrong. America Hates His Bill and Wants Tax Cuts Now.
- I’ll Take My Pizza with Extra Grassroots Uprising, Please
- Conservatives Do Not Play Kissy-Face with Racists
Category: The Republican Minority
the rule is " strike while the iron is hot "…unseating ny jr. senator is the priority.