And the Dems can say Bayh Bayh to the Senate, as well.The question is: What made him go? He was ahead in the polls. He was in re-election mode just last week. So what happened?
By the way: The Dems have all of one day to find someone else to run. That's the filing deadline.
The conservatives are painting Bayh as a victim of Obamacare. A quick check of the right-wing bloggers shows that they think Indiana residents are too conservative for Obama's "socialistic" health care plan, which Bayh has supported.
But: In fact, the majority of Indianans would support a "Medicare for all" plan, if one were on the table. But: The Obama plan is nothing like that. But: An effective right-wing propaganda campaign has managed to convince a large part of the population that Obamacare is like that.
So once again, we are left with insufficient polling. What do Indiana residents really think of Bayh's stance on health care reform? What misperceptions have they bought into? Do they oppose Obamacare? If so, do they oppose it because it is too "socialistic" or not socialistic enough? And would health care reform have been the deciding factor against Bayh in the election?
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He wants Obama's job. He thinks he can primary him. Needs some time to raise money.
The O-holes (commenters at HuffPo, et al.) are glad Bayh is leaving, because he was interfering with "Obama's progressive agenda."
So much for the theory that progressives are smart.
Indianans? Try "Hoosiers" instead!
Regarding Bayh: I'm sure we'll find out soon the reason for his withdrawal. Possibilities abound: medical issue, personal scandal, chance for personal enrichment. Perhaps he's considering a run for president in 2012. It is certainly a shame that he put this off until the last minute (which leads me to vote for personal scandal), because while the northern part of Indiana is centrist-to-liberal, the central and southern areas are hard-core, knee-jerk goopers. They are the people who elevated W's towel boy to the governor's mansion (the clown who effectively sold the Indiana Toll Road -- located in the northern part of Indiana -- to a foreign company). The state is very likely to put a Republican, and most likely a rabid reactionary Republican, into Bayh's position.
Use of the word socialist is not a mistake it is a strategy. They are calling him socialist but it's just another way of saying he is a weak failure.
This is the republicans age old strategy-you paint the opponent as having a character flaw that makes him weak and hammer away. You can not be a leader if you are seen as weak.
Repubs therefore refer to Obama as a "socialist" -he is seen as an ivy league intellectual with odd foreign anti American views-a sort of utopian dreamer with no connection to reality.
I think it is too late to live it down, particularly because there seems to be no there there with Obama-he is a fairy tale and the republicans have taken over writing his story.
I lament this one-sided rout in "messaging" about healthcare:
http://trueliberalnexus.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/he-who-lies-first-lies-best/
It would be mighty hilarious if Bayh WAS positioning himself to usurp Obama in 2012...
LOLOLOL
*mommy, I'm scared*
I thought the filing deadline is Friday??? Not much better, but a bit better.
I like Post Partisan's take on this matter.
Bayh Goes PUMA, flips off Obama-Reid.
You do see the irony in doing it at the last minute, just the way Obama screwed with Hillary in Michigan, by waiting until the last minute AND THEN getting out, then hammering Hillary for staying in. I believe it was Obama, Edwards and Richardson that all waited until the 11th hour and then got out in Michigan.
What a trio, eh.
Wow, great move by Bayh!
Well, I believe we will see more and more of Clinton's supporters leaving DC soon....Soon OO and Pooplosi are the only ones left. The message is simply: you want it, you can have it.
Don't be surprised that Hillary will resign soon...You can see the frustation in her voice.
Putting this off to the last minute also suggests a personal scandal to me.
Phooey...
He's simply bailing because he sees what's coming and wants no part of it.
He's going to sit back and watch the shit hit the fan, and when it's all over, THEN he'll raise his hand and say:
"How about me"?
It isn't one day for the filing, as I understand it. The deadline for having enough petition signatures for entering the PRIMARY is Friday, but they are due on Thursday.
So, there will be a candidate in November who was picked by the party, rather than one who won the primary.
As for his leaving, why not? DC and the Senate in particular are not going to be wonderful opportunities in the near term; probably for the long term, they are going to be meat-grinders of pain.
Probably 4 years as AG, two 4-years terms as governor, 2 6-year terms as US Senator = 24 years in elective office, give or take. I don't begrudge anyone taking their leave of that life.
But it is certainly last minute, and it somewhat leaves the party in the lurch, I agree.
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They just need a name by Friday-it can be amended.
I wonder if it will be Clinton Bayh in 2012.She would likely only be a one termer at that point and he could run in 2016.
I wonder what Donna Brazile thinks of this new development. I guess it doesnt bother her. As I recall Donna's thinking goes something like this: BRAZILE: "Well, Lou, I have worked on a lot of Democratic campaigns, and I respect Paul. But, Paul, you're looking at the old coalition. A new Democratic coalition is younger. It is more urban, as well as suburban, and we don't have to just rely on white blue-collar voters and Hispanics. "
Donna is Karl Roves best weapon in defeating democrats.
Token Crazy Person checking in:
My impression--not exactly a scandal; worse than that. Threatened with something. I pick up a lot of fear and anger around Bayh right now. My sense is, he was told to get out, or else. Did "they" really have something on him? Don't know. But I agree with those who've said the reason will come to light soon.
As for "OO" (hee) as Anon 2:01 put it, his energy is like a toxic void. I don't see how he can keep this up that much longer.
"The extremes of both parties have to be willing to accept compromises from time to time to make some progress because some progress for the American people is better than nothing, and all too often recently, we've been getting nothing," he added.
From ABC this morning. I don't know why he is leaving because he sounds just like Obama, scolding the Liberals for pushing backagainst the insanity.
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