The Senate, 2012

From The American Spectator:

AmSpecBlog


Senate 2012

By Quin Hillyer on 11.3.10 @ 6:15PM



In 2012, Republicans will have failed miserably if they somehow don't take a majority in the Senate. More vulnerable Dems are up for re-election than vulnerable Repubs. In the following races, here ar ethe incubment Dems and the GOPers who ought to run.



California: Feinstein. (may not run for re-election). GOPer Poizner should run.



Delaware: Tom Carper. tough to beat. I wouldn't mind seeing Castle run again. Better than that would be to recruit some serious new blood from the business world. Nobody comes to mind.



Bill Nelson of Florida: C'mon, Jeb. Step up.



Hawaii: Akaka. Let's hope he retires. Either way, Linda Lingle and Charles Djou both should seriously consider the race.



Ben Cardin of Maryland: Tough, tough race. Calling Bob Erlich, but I doubt he'll do it. His running mate this time, Mary Kane, comes across well.



Michigan: Stabenow. She is eminently beatable. A host of folks could run. I wouldn't mind seeing Pete Hoekstra try the race.



Minnesota: Amy Klobuchar. Eminently beatable. Norm Coleman could try a comeback. I'd like to see Rep. Erik Paulsen try it.



Claire McCaskill. Decent GOP state, but she's positioned herself well. GOP needs to recruit new blood here.



Montana. Tester. Eminently beatable, because it's such a GOP state. Whatever happened to Marc Racicot?



Nebraska: Ben Nelson should be toast. Any number of GOPers could run.



New Jersey: Menendez. Tough state, but beatable. New blood is needed in the GOP. Tea Party needs to recrit somebody.



New Mecio -- Jeff Bingaman will be tough to beat, but not impossible. Tea Party needs to recruit.



New York: Gillibrand. Boy did the GOP ever screw this one up. It's time for Susan Molinari to come out of retirement. Or for Giuiliani to check his ego at the door and make a race of it.



North Dakota. Conrad. Tough te beat, but state REALLY should want another Republican instead of sticking with a Dem. Rick Berg, who just knocked off Earl Pomeroy for the House, should challenge him.



Ohio: Sherrod Brown. Please. Surely he can be beaten. I'd be thrilled if Kenneth Blackwell tried a comeback. He was victim of an awful year to run for governor. He might be able to really make a go of a Senate race.



Pennsylvania: If Bob Casey isn't beatable, there is no justice. The Tea Partiers should find a solid legislator/businessman, but if they don't, then Mark Schweiker, former fill-in governor and then president of the state Chamber, also could be strong.



Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island. Almost unbeatable, darn it.



Virginia: George Allen should trounce Jim Webb in a rematch.



Washington: Maria Cantwell is eminently beatable. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers should take her on.



West Virginia: Joe Manchin. It's time to start wooing him for a party switch.



Wisconsin: Herb Kohl. Here's betting Kohl retires. Either way, newly elected House member Sean Duffy should run.



Connecticut: Leave Joe Lieberman alone. He's a good man.



Vermont: Bernie Sanders. It's time to make a real effort to try to move Vermont back to the center. With whom? Who knows?



By my count, there are 11 Demo seats that the GOP really should be able to pick up. Only two Republican seats are at risk. Again, if the GOP, with conservatives in the lead, can't take a majority, it's incompetent.