2012 fundraising: Congressional races get more attention from GOP

No matter what any Republican thinks of the Presidential candidates, they need to be put aside the idea that they can stay home and not vote because they are mad.  Every last Republican needs to get out to support our Senate and House candidates.  If the trend continues for Obama like it has for a few weeks, we are going to need the House and Senate even more if Obama wins a second term.  That will be the firewall because who knows what he would do not facing election.  We hope that he would get even lazier.

Many Republicans share a renewed recognition, however, that the House is likely to be their party’s strongest bulwark against another four years of Democratic rule in the executive branch. If Obama continues to look more formidable as the economy improves, the party has to ensure that it doesn’t risk a shut-out by placing too much emphasis at the top of the ticket.

Those words on Politico are so true.  Republicans cannot afford to spend all their energy on the Presidential race which has so little enthusiasm for the front runner as evidenced in exit polling and how close most state races are for Romney.  There is no way to sugar coat it that conservatives have not warmed up to Romney and a good portion never will.  


Because of that lack of enthusiasm at the Presidential level after one nasty campaign thanks to Romney and his Super PAC, Republicans need to get the donors and the grassroots working in the House and Senate campaigns.  It is so vitally important that Republicans maintain control of the House in fairly large numbers and work as hard as we can to Take the Senate.  It is doable but we have to make sure that the Presidential campaign doesn't soak up all the funding and dampen enthusiasm even more.  After all the negative campaign commercials I have witnessed in my state which doesn't compare to FL or OH, I have no enthusiasm for the Presidential race and all the shenanigans that have been pulled on behalf of Romney.  


You need look no further for a prime example than look at Virginia where Republican voters stayed home in huge numbers after that debacle -- Governor McDonnell and his desire to help Romney win IMHO blew it big time.  Now it is time to get Republicans energized for George Allen for Senator.  He should have been our nominee in 2008 IMO but was taken out in the Senate general election with dirty tricks and voter fraud.  


All this negative advertising ($12.5 spent by Romney on negatives ads in Ohio) is not helping the Republican brand.  In fact, this primary is turning into epic fail with different rules for one state like Oklahoma compared to Florida.  The absolute disgust I feel about this orchestrated primary by the RNC for Romney is not going to get in the way of my enthusiasm to win back the Senate and keep our conservative House seats we won in 2010.  


Campaign ads are off my radio and TV so I am extremely happy today.  I just want other states to follow the same rules for proportioning delegates that Oklahoma is facing.  You would think the RNC would have all the states on the same page.  


I am so glad that RNC is not running the National Republican Congressional Committee or the National Republican Senatorial Committee or our chances of winning there might not be as good.  Cong Pete Sessions (R-TX) along with the Young Guns Program headed by Cong Eric Cantor (R-VA), Paul Ryan (R-WI), and Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) did a great job in 2010 in taking back the House.  They already have named some of the candidates who have gained Young Gun status which will be highlighted on here in the next few days.


The grassroots can make it happen in 2012 so don't let this nasty primary get to you -- just ignore it and move over to your House and Senate races.  They need and appreciate the help of the Republican grassroots who make up a good portion of the state/county tea parties in some states.

2012 fundraising: Congressional races get more attention from GOP

By ALEXANDER BURNS and MAGGIE HABERMAN | 3/6/12 5:13 AM EST

Republican fundraisers and strategists alarmed at the course of the 2012 presidential campaign are increasingly focusing their attention on congressional races, as the party’s chances of unseating President Barack Obama appear to grow more remote. 

Thanks to a long, damaging nomination fight and shifts in the Senate landscape, top Republican donors are becoming more concerned about their ability to hold seats in the House and recapture the majority in the upper chamber. 

Gone is the triumphalist thinking of a year ago, which imagined the GOP extending its 2010 wave and easily installing a Republican president. Even among Republicans who believe that remains possible, few think it is likely — or easy to achieve. Conservative commentator George Will gave voice to these concerns in his Sunday column when he urged his party to retrench and shore up congressional candidates. 

Leading Republicans are now pondering how best to head off a successful Obama reelection campaign that keeps the Senate in Democratic hands and allows the president’s party to gain ground in the House. 

“There’s little doubt that there is increasing focus on the House and Senate, given the fact that if you look back a year ago, I think most Republicans and most business people said, ‘We’re going to beat Obama because he’s going to beat himself and we just need a decent candidate,’” said Tom Bell, a top Republican donor and former Chamber of Commerce chairman. 

Bell, a Mitt Romney bundler who lobbied Mitch Daniels last year to run for president, said a “long primary cycle and all the debates” had been a reality check on GOP exuberance. 

“It’s pretty obvious that there is a significant portion of conservative voters who aren’t completely comfortable with Mitt,” Bell said. “If the presidential contest is going to be very close … We’d better make sure that we’ve got the House and in a perfect world we’d get the Senate too.” 

 Excerpt:  Read More at Politico

OK Senator has 'sure-win list' -- Predicts Party Takes Control of Senate

Senator Inhofe is lightening rod in the Senate for Democrat hated by the likes of Boxer, Murray, and other clueless Democrats because he stands up for what he believes but he is also a thorn in their side. Former Senator Hillary Clinton and Barbara Boxer along with Patty Murray of Washington may detest him the most. When he talks to audiences he always has something to relate about those three especially when Hillary was in the Senate. If he got in the elevator, they got off. It is hilarious to hear him speak about how much they hate him and show that fact. Along with those Senators, the environmentalist wackos hate him in DC especially since he has been proven correct.

They may not like Jim Inhofe in DC but the grassroots here in Oklahoma love him. He tells it like it is. He has fought the environmental warming crowd for years and now he has been proven right in his assessment of their 'junk science.' We expect him to be right with his list of Senators who are going to win on November 2nd. We agree about the Senate seat held by Byrd 100% and are absolutely shocked it is even in play but then we never expected Scott to win the seat in MA after Kennedy died.

If I could have two people on my side in an election, I would want my two Senators Coburn and Inhofe -- you cannot go wrong having them support you. Guess Inhofe's problems with Murkowski have come out with her stance on Cap and Trade plus a few other things with his video for Joe Miller in AK. Don't think he will be sad to see her go. If you are around Jim Inhofe, you better have a sense of humor. What's he going to do for fun if Murray, Boxer, and Murkowski go down to defeat?

Have often heard it said that Jim Inhofe has the most integrity and honesty in the US Senate which speaks a lot about the character of the man. Raese has the best person he can get campaigning for him.

GOP senator has 'sure-win list,' predicts party takes control of SenateBy Shane D'Aprile - 10/29/10 02:32 PM ET

GILBERT, W.Va. — Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said Friday he's confident Republicans will take back the majority in the Senate and expects West Virginia's contest between Republican John Raese and Gov. Joe Manchin (D) to be the majority-maker for the GOP.

"If someone had told me 20 years ago or even six months ago that Republicans would ever take the seat vacated by Sen. Byrd, I would've called them crazy," Inhofe told The Ballot Box on Friday while campaigning with Raese on a swing through southern West Virginia. "But this race looks like a sure thing to me right now."



Inhofe then pulled out a sheet of paper on which he has jotted down his own Senate math.

"Here's my sure-win list," Inhofe said. "We've got Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Washington, Wisconsin and North Dakota. West Virginia is the newest one on here, and that brings us to 10."

In reality, several of those races, including the Manchin-Raese contest in West Virginia, are far from sure wins for the GOP on Tuesday, but Inhofe said the national environment continues to trend toward the GOP. He predicted things could get even worse for Democrats before Election Day.

The senator said he doesn't think Republicans need to win in either Connecticut or California on Tuesday, "but that doesn't mean we won't, which would give us room to spare."

After November, Inhofe anticipates a relatively uneventful lame-duck session, with Democrats largely unable to push much of anything through. He also doesn't think President Obama will move to the center if his party suffers big midterm losses.

"I kind of look at him and look at Clinton in 1994," Inhofe said. "While Clinton is arrogant, he can't approach the level of arrogance of Barack Obama. Obama looks in the mirror every morning and says, 'I can convince anyone of anything.' So while Clinton came back and started working with Republicans, I just don't see Obama doing that."

As for who would lead the GOP in the Senate if the party takes back the majority, Inhofe said talk of anyone other than Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as majority leader is just talk.

"He has the votes to spare, and I don't think anyone would challenge him," Inhofe said. "I know some people say Jim DeMint, but it won't happen."

Inhofe, who is often a conservative lightning rod in Washington, has hit the trail for a handful of GOP Senate contenders ahead of Election Day. He also recorded a video for Alaska's Republican Senate nominee, Joe Miller, which was played at Thursday's rally headlined by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R).

"The campaign trail's been great," said Inhofe. "In Washington there's so many people who hate me, it's kind of fun to go where people like you."

Source: The Hill