Allen is weighing a presidential bid in 2008. His trip to New Hampshire, a state critical to would-be occupants of the Oval Office, could be part of a strategy to capture the Republican nomination for president.
Allen’s campaign manager, Jason Miller, said, “This trip is purely to raise money for Senator Allen’s re-election.” He said Allen has done fundraising events in eight states outside Virginia this year, including in Pennsylvania yesterday.
The former Virginia governor will become another potential presidential candidate to have recently visited the home of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary — Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.; Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas; and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have already done so.
The Virginian’s trip is a signal to people that he’s taking this presidential race very seriously, said political scientist Robert Holsworth of Virginia Commonwealth University.
It gives a signal to the Republican base, to people who are likely to contribute or to work in the presidential campaign, and to people who will write about it, “that when you’re mentioning possible candidates it’s, ‘Count me in,'” Holsworth said.
Allen is scheduled for fundraisers in and around Manchester that are not open to the public or the media, his campaign manager said.
The senator knows he needs to raise a lot of money, especially if he faces a “self-financing multimillionaire” next year, Miller said, in an apparent reference to Gov. Mark R. Warner, who sources recently have said is unlikely to run against Allen. Another millionaire whose name Democrats have floated as a potential challenger is former Lt. Gov. Donald S. Beyer Jr., a Northern Virginia automobile dealer. No challenger has emerged yet.
George Allen, Bill Frist, Sam Brownback and Newt Gingrich? Jeb Bush is looking better every day. If it weren’t for Jon Kyl, George Allen would be the dumbest member of the Senate. I hope Mark Warner makes mincemeat of him.
Is Warner going to run?
Just from the little I’ve seen of Allen on teevee, he’s about as bright as W.
Which is exactly why you shouldn’t underestimate him. I would say that Shrub proved a dummy could get elected president, except that Reagan proved it before him (there are other historical precedents, I suppose, but none that faced more or less the same electorate we have now). And Allen is way smoother and better looking than W–he’s got that “presidential” look and demeanour that surprisingly few RL candidates have.
Alan
Maverick Leftist
Makes you wonder what John Kerry could have done if he had a face like Allen’s.
I like Kerry’s face MUCH more than Allen’s, which reminds me of a cheesy used car lot owner.
Would you say the same if his politics were in line with yours? You sure? 😉
The scariest thing about Allen is that stupid shit eating grin he can’t lose. Reminds me of a slightly toned down version of Pat Robertson. Something’s not quite right about the man, but as we have already seen, that won’t matter to the voters.
Here is a tidbit of information that puts a bright light on what the religious right fully intends to do. The nuclear option is but one of many ways the Theocrats intend to destroy a Democratically elected government and replace it with Fascist Theocracy run by the likes of Dobson, Robertson, Falwell and other right wing christian Nazi’s.
http://www.theocracywatch.org/yurica_weyrich_manual.htm
Remember way back when (around 2000 or so) when most of the talk about the possible Republican candidates for 2004 or 2006 were the ones that were considered fairly “normal”, or moderate? Christi Todd Whitman, Tom Ridge, Colin Powell, Tommy Thompson, etc… and Bush brought them into his administration and systematically marginalized or destroyed the reputations of every single one of them. No one talks about them going on to higher office anymore, lol.
Well, except for Guilani, who refused to join, and probably isn’t interested now anyway, since he’s making money hand over fist on the backs of the 9/11 dead. Even McCain has been marginalized, with all that awful hugging and stuff of Bush, in the past election.
So now, the talk is of the true wingnuts.. Brownback, Frist, Santorum etc.
I don’t have any deep analysis or anything… I just thought that whole chess game of getting some out of position and moving others in was interesting to watch, especially as there is no way those guys can win nationwide without controlling the machines. I don’t think, anyway.
as of now he is planning to take a shot a prsdient / vice president
the pressure is on two-time LT Gov Don Beyer to take the shot. Many people active in the Dean campaing (Beyer was national treasurer) here in Virginia, myself included, have lobbied Don on this.
I have said this multiple times — Allen is a paper tiger.
He only ran for governor because he was put into a conressional district with fran k Wolf and told by the Republican power brokers his legs would be chopped off if he did a primary contest.
His opponent – two-time Attonrye general Mary Sue Terry — ran possibly the worst campaing in the history of Virginia. Because hse had not challenged then Lt Gov Doug Wilder in a primary the previous cycle, she felt the nomination shold be hers without a challenge. Many people myself included, believe had Beyer challegned her he would ahve betan her, and I think he would have beaten Allen, who was totally unknown statewide at that point — it is my understanding Beyer’s wife megan wnated him to make that run. Yes, Allen won 58% in that race.
But what happened when he ran for the Senate in 2000? Chuck Robb had not wanted to run in 1994. He fully inended to retire from the Senate after that term. But the party had a thin bench, and no none else willing to run. Chuck ran, but his heart was not in it, and he did not start to seriously campaign until there only about 3 weeks left in the race. he was outspent about 10 million to only 6.6 million. The results? While Bush was carrying the state by 8 percent, Allen only won by 4%.
He is dumber than most pet rocks. He has done absolutely nothing of any notice for his constituents. He can be had, particularly since his opponent can demand that he commit to a 6 year temr if elected, in order to do the business of the people .. and to challenge him on going to NH to raise money.
I think Don would be able to beat him. I’ve told Don that. I ven promised to give up coaching soccer in the Fall of ’06 in order to help if Don decides to run,I feel that strongly about it.
Hi Ken-
I’m glad you showed up. You always have the good scoops on Virginia state politics. I was surprised to see you are also so involved in Texas politics too.
not really involved in Texas — I went to the Lampson event partly out of curiosity, and since Morriosn wasn’t running he seemed like the best bet. I Was impresed not only by talking to him, but by listening to what other had to say about him. So I’ve stayed in tuch – in fact, i got two emails from him directly last night.
I won’t mvoe to TX, and other than bloggin on his behalf and perhpas offering some advice on things like educational policy, I do not expect to have much invovlement beyond the $50 I’ve already given him. But he seems to like what I have to say, so who knows.
Sorry I ahven’t been posting here more often. I have not even had time to cut and paste from what I have put up at Kos. A very busy time right now.
peace.