Wednesday, January 8, 2014

The Most Unsurprising News Story of 2014 (So Far): Liz Cheney Drops Out of Wyoming Senate Race



Sounding rather hollow right now.  "Hi, I'm Liz Cheney.  Over the last several years, citizens across our great state have urged me to consider running for the Senate in 2014.  As I've traveled to every corner of Wyoming, seeing old friends and meeting new, I've been honored to have the chance to speak to so many of you about your concerns, your fears, and your hopes for the future. I've listened carefully and discussed the possibility of running for office at length with Phil and the kids.  Today I am launching my candidacy for the United States Senate."

So she announced on July 16, 2013.

176 days later, Liz mercifully aborts the mission.

Popular Incumbent and Policy Mismatch Hobble a Campaign.  (The New York Times, 1/6/2014)

Website headline: For Cheney, Realities of a Race Outweighed Family Edge.

How far and how often does Liz Cheney go wrong?

Jonathan Martin counts the ways.
  1. She hadn't lived in Wyoming for many years.
  2. The incumbent, Michael Enzi, is a well-liked and effective legislator.
  3. Her hawkish views on foreign policy are now out of step with today's reality.
  4. Her pandering to the base on gay marriage resulted in a public disagreement with her sister.
  5. She thought her name would count for something.
  6. Her election strategy was based on pie in the sky.  (RG rants.  Which seems to betray the observation that she is "no political novice".  So what if she was a "top-ranking official in the Bush State Department."  Her dad was the Vice President, some might say the de facto Presidentfor crying out loud.  Sounds like a blatant case of nepotism to me.  A "cold-eyed" realist would have never made such a series of blunders.  Guess it's back to Fox News, where she belongs.)

Health issues?   In an October poll, Michael Enzi led Liz Cheney by 52 percentage points -- 69% to 17%

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