Scott Brown Wants To Change New Hampshire-- "Live Free And Die"-- And Thomas Ravenel Wants To Do Something Weird In South Carolina

Last night, Rachel Maddow's opening segment was the Scott Brown Story (above). It's an excellent piece of reportage and I recommend it. Thursday he makes his "official" declaration of candidacy to run for Senate (in New Hampshire). There are 4 other Republicans running, including an ex-New Hampshire 2-term U.S. Senator, Bob Smith. He might find it awkward using the carpetbagger charge against Brown because after he was ousted by John Sununu is the 2002 primary he moved to Florida (and ran for Senate there, unsuccessfully, in 2004 and 2010). But, awkward or not, he'll use it. And he won't be the only one. Mark Hounsell, Republican former assistant leader of the New Hampshire state Senate, pounded him as a shameless carpetbagger in the Conway Daily Sun and said Brown is a dunce to ignore the primary and assume he's the candidate against Shaheen.

To me, either Bob Smith, or Jim Rubens are much more preferable than the slick looking, silver tongued, golden boy from the flatlands.


Scott Brown is looking to the November general elections and not considering the GOP primary at all.  The John H. Sununu camp and his puppet, GOP Chairman Jennifer Horn, are doing all they can to see to it that Brown gets that nomination. Political hucksters, such as Karl Rove, are raising huge amounts of money for Brown’s campaign. Yet, they are forgetting one thing.  The GOP primary voters favor conservatives. Case in point.  the recent Executive District  One GOP primary.  The NHGOP establishment all lined up behind the moderate Chris Boothby and were floored when the conservative Joe Kenney prevailed.  That is real good evidence that in spite of everything else the independence of the New Hampshire voter cannot be bought.  Scott Brown will be a bright and short-lived Roman Candle, in the mold of Texas Governor and short-lived presidential candidate, Rick Perry. Rubens will split the moderate vote from Brown and Bob Smith will eek out a victory and secure the Republican nomination.


Regardless, of where they may fall philosophically on the political spectrum of left or right, both Bob Smith and Jim Rubens have something that Scott Brown lacks.  That is New Hampshire roots and New Hampshire experience.  New Hampshire voters will not elect a “Johnny come lately”  who will say, or do anything in order to achieve what he wants. When Brown loses his bid to become a Senator from New Hampshire where will he move next?  Perhaps he will pack his carpetbag and shamelessly move to Maine?

Yesterday, Joshua Miller interviewed Elizabeth Warren for the Boston Globe about Brown's chances against Shaheen. “Jeanne is tough, she is independent, and she is strong," she told him. "I think Scott Brown is going to have his hands full.” She also predicted Shaheen, who was New Hampshire's popular governor from 1997 until 2003, will win another term. Shaheen is the first woman in U.S. history to have been elected as both a governor and senator.

Recent polling backs up Warren's prediction. PPP reported that 40% of New Hampshire voters already have an unfavorable opinion of Brown (and only 34% have a favorable opinion of him). In a head-to-head match-up she beat him 46-43%.

Speaking of loser Republicans running for the U.S. Senate, last night, after his incredibly dysfunctional weekly appearance on BRAVO's sit com/reality show Southern Charm, South Carolina's Republican former state Treasurer, Thomas Ravenel, announced that he's a candidate for Lindsey Graham's Senate seat. He was forced to resign when he was caught selling cocaine and sentenced to prison. He's out of prison now, a BRAVO star, an embarrassment to Charleston and someone who could take away enough votes from Lindsey Graham in the general election to see progressive Democrat Jay Stamper become South Carolina's senator. Imagine!