December 15, 2010

"Poll shows Sen. Kohl in 'solid position,' but GOP points out same was said of Sen. Feingold."

"[T]he Dec. 10-12 survey shows him with leads over potential GOP rivals Rep. Paul Ryan, former Gov. Tommy Thompson and state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen ranging from 6 to 13 points."

***

Adding tags to this post, I had to make a new one for Kohl. I've been blogging for nearly 7 years. Kohl has been one of my Senators the entire time. I never had the occasion to make a tag for him? That means something.

43 comments:

AllenS said...

It's time for Kohl to go. He's been there way too long. I don't care who replaces him either. Could be another Democrat, but he has to go.

MadisonMan said...

I think Kohl should end every political ad by saying Excellent a la Montgomery Burns.

A lot of how vulnerable Kohl is depends on Ron Johnson's performance, I think. For example, if Johnson is a loyal Republican Soldier, I think it would be harder for a Republican to be elected. If Johnson is more interesting, then a Republican might more easily challenge Kohl.

The last time Wisconsin had two Republican Senators, McCarthy was one of them.

Drew said...

We have another Senator?

Phil 314 said...

Good thing since he's a Democrat he can't buy his re-election.

Anonymous said...

" I never had the occasion to make a tag for him? That means something. "

Exactly! It's like weekend at Bernie's. At least with Feingold, one knew what he was up to and what he stood for.

My guess is that Kohl won't run again - paving the way for Feingold to get back to the Senate....just like he said, "On to 2012"!

Feingold v. Paul Ryan. That would be a blast.

Anonymous said...

Of course the richest member of the Senate is a Democrat.

DaveW said...

Could Ryan win a statewide race in Wisconsin?

Original Mike said...

Ryan's got work to do in the House.

traditionalguy said...

Doesn't he run a Department Store?

Hagar said...

Off topic, but off my chest.

This tax rate deal - made by the White House (not Obama?) and "the Republican leadership" in a backroom in off-hours, and announced triumphantly with dire warnings to members of both parties that they had better vote for it or else (what?) - is not that exactly the kind of behavior we have been excoriating Reed and Pelosi for, and that was not supposed to be happening anymore?

And exactly what would be the awful consequences if it is not passed before Christmas, so that it will have to be taken up again in January and debated in public - at least in committees, if not on the floor?

Meade said...

Kohl was one of the few Democrats to vote for the 2001 tax cut. I don't see why they're called the "Bush tax cuts." They should be called the "Kohl tax cuts."

Ann Althouse said...

" If Johnson is more interesting, then a Republican might more easily challenge Kohl."

Yes, Wisconsin, a state with the values of a blogger — it's all about the interestingness.

Anonymous said...

Off topic, but has anyone seen Kookie lately?

The guy that shot up the board meeting of Bay Schools District in Panama City, Florida said this on his facebook page:

"My Testament: Some people (the government sponsored media) will say I was evil, a monster (V)... no... I was just born poor in a country where the Wealthy manipulate, use, abuse, and economically enslave 95% of the population. Rich Republicans, Rich Democrats... same-same... rich... they take turns fleecing us... our few dollars... pyramiding the wealth for themselves. The 95%... the us, in US of A, are the neo slaves of the Global South. Our Masters, the Wealthy, do, as they like to us..."


The video is pretty intense and I have to say it is a miracle he missed, yes missed, everyone with his shots.

Good marksmanship is paramount...

kjbe said...

That means something.

Yes, that he's been quite the wallflower. I've not been too impressed.

TosaGuy said...

I've met Herb Kohl. A very nice person, but he seemed genuinely confused and relied upon his staffers to feed him what to say, etc. Wisconsin doesn't need its own version of Robert Byrd or Strom Thurmond where the senior staffer does everything except actually push the vote button in the well of the Senate.

Mitch H. said...

To be honest, I have to struggle to remember if Kohl's a Democrat or a Republican. He's very, very forgettable, although not as forgettable as the Wyoming senators, neither of whose names I can tell you without recourse to Wikipedia. At least with Kohl, I could tell you that he has a reputation for stupidity on a level with that of my own senator, Bob Casey, Jr.

Clyde said...

And what do the polls say about the Phillies repeating as World Series champs in 2012? Oh, wait, they still have to win in 2011, don't they? Greatest rotation EVAH! on paper, but they still have to go out and play the games, and there's lots of time for unexpected things to happen. And fall 2012 is twice as far off as fall 2011, both in politics and baseball.

TosaGuy said...

Tommy Thompson would lose a race to any mainstream Dem (Ron Kind) or even to Tammy Baldwin. He would only defeat a minority Milwaukee candidate, like a Lena Taylor, or a stereotypical Madison liberal lightweight like a Barb Lawton. He would only beat Russ Feingold if the national mood was as anti-Dem as it was in 2010, and I would still doubt that.

His day is done and I no longer take his name seriously when mentioned with any statewide race.

garage mahal said...

For example, if Johnson is a loyal Republican Soldier, I think it would be harder for a Republican to be elected.

Outsider Ron Johnson, after laughably accusing Feingold of being “on the side of special interests and lobbyists,” has already hired a K Street lobbyist as his chief of staff. He either thinks, or knows, his base is really gullible.

JAL said...

He's completely unremarkable?

He's certainly been untaggable.

Shoot, even *I* have one tag at Althouse.

I think.

(What does it mean to be tagged for the reason of being untagged? And is that one g or two?)

wv derschie
What Alan Dershowitz's wife, if he has one, calls him.

Unknown said...

'12 will be a target-rich environment for Demo Senators.

And the old maxim about polling below 50 still applies.

TosaGuy said...

I've met Herb Kohl. A very nice person, but he seemed genuinely confused and relied upon his staffers to feed him what to say, etc.

If half of what I've heard is true, that applies to most Senators and a lot of Congressmen.

Witness Baucus' (I believe) remark that Senators don't read the bills because the staffers write them in legalese, making them too tough to fathom.

MadisonMan said...

Senators don't read the bills because the staffers write them in legalese, making them too tough to fathom.

This is one reason (of many) why I think Senators (and Representatives) should only be allowed to hire 4 people once they've served a term and know the lay of the land.

Titus said...

I heard he is gay.

FloridaSteve said...

An invisible senator. That could be good or bad I suppose.

Clyde said...

Oh, and off topic, but what's up with this up in the Dairy State?

Wis. Postal Worker Delivers Mail In The Buff

I think this goes way beyond Ms. Althouse's anti-shorts edict! Note that his happened a week ago, before your blizzard up there.

traditionalguy said...

The Senate candidates need to give one answer in 2012. What will they do on the Democrat's priority policy, which is a Cap and Trade theft bill to redistribute poverty. The Enemymedia is already preparing the battle space by re-naming the scam "Clean Energy Standards". Who will fight Clean or fight Standards of Cleanness? Somebody that is boldly willing to shout "Liar" had better agree to fight this battle for our survival. What is Khol's position on Clean Energy Standards...and fence sitting doesn't count.

Fred4Pres said...

Early polls are notoriously useless. Voters are not even really thinking and are just giving you a name. This is just a snap shot in time, and a blurry out of focus snapshot at that. But what will matter is what the mood is like next election. If it is anything like it was in the 2010election Kohl and Feinstein would probably not win.

A moderate Democrat? That person might have a shot. A Republican I(moderate or conservative)? Based on what happened last election, yeah a Republican definitely would have a shot. But again, it depends on how things are going when the election eventually happens not how things are now.

So have a cookie and some egg nog and chill.

Fred4Pres said...

Titus, I saw your snowmobile comment. Snowmobiling is fun. You should borrow Dad's polaris.

Fred4Pres said...

Clyde, I posted the naked mailman in the post below. But it is worth posting again. I thought Ann would be all over it for the Wisconsin connection. Plus, doing the mail naked in Wisconsin in December is newsworthy in itself.

Kevin said...

Well Ann, Kohl's campaign slogan has always started with "Nobody's Senator..."

MadisonMan said...

Re: the WFB Naked Mail Carrier: Why is the simple act of nudity 'lewd and lascivious behavior'?

What if someone had clothes fashioned out of a picture of their naked body? Would the same statute apply? After all, you're wearing clothing!

Trooper York said...

Herb Kohl jumped the shark when he hired Don Nelson all those many years ago.

If you don't believe me....just ask Junior Bridgeman.

David said...

"That means something."

Herb is a shy, decent, very rich man who wins on name recognition born of Kohl's food stores, Kohl's department stores and the Milwaukee Bucks. He probably could not be elected to public office in any other state. His politics are well left of mainstream, and he has the charisma of a stale doughnut.

I suppose he can be beaten by the right candidate, but personal attacks are not going to work. Herb has too much decency and dignity for that.

ricpic said...

How much mind can Herb have leftover for affairs of state after running a department store chain? Wikipedia says he's still actively involved in the business.

David said...

Titus, Herb Kohl was reputed to be gay well before gay was in. In Washington some cruel types call him "the dairy queen." I've rarely heard that in Wisconsin, though. No one seems to give a damn whether he is gay or not. Like everything else, Herb has handed this issue with dignity, class and a quiet protection of his own privacy.

Michael Haz said...

Can't say how I know, but I know:

Herb Kohl will run again if his doing so will prevent Russ Feingold from running for Kohl's Senate seat. Kohl cannot stand Feingold.

Tommy Thompson will not run for Senate. He's doing well in the private sector, thank you; he is 71, and his family does not him to return to politics.

Paul Ryan will not run for a Senate seat because his current position (as of Jan 4) as Chair of the House Budget Committee is exactly where he wants to be, and where he should be. Ryan has recently stopped saying "no" to the question "Would you be interested in being a VP nominee?" He isn't saying yes, but he has stopped saying no.

Mark Neumann is still hopeful of gaining a elected position. If Kohl doesn't run, and Feingold is kept out of the race by receiving a Federal appointment, Neumann could win.

There are several "Johnson-like" potential Rebublican candidates for Kohl's Senate seat that are quietly making the rounds in DC, determining whether the RNC would support their run of office. Among these, Tim Michels's name is most familiar to voters in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin voters are consistently polling as opposed to bloated budgets, both state and federal. The current Dem majority pushing through fat spending in Madison and in DC before Jan 4 will make it more likely that a fiscally conservative Republican will be elected to Kohl's Senate seat, in the event Kohl does not stand for re-election.

David said...

Herb is not involved with Kohl's department stores, either as an owner or a manager. The family sold the Kohl's food stores to Fortune Brands (I think it was fortune) and made a ton of money. They were also investors in numerous other successful businesses, all of which they made better with their involvement.

Kohl's department stores built on the Kohl name but has no connection to Herb and his family.

MadisonMan said...

The current Dem majority pushing through fat spending in Madison and in DC before Jan 4 will make it more likely that a fiscally conservative Republican will be elected to Kohl's Senate seat,

You're assuming that voters will remember anything in two years. That's not likely IMO.

What will the economy be in WI in 2 years? That's the most important factor -- and with Republicans more in control in DC, they will share the glory or the blame.

Richard Dolan said...

It's just too early to think about the next election two years down the road, or to say anything useful about how it might play out.

W/V: fully. Fully what is left to the imagination. Even w/v is getting in on the interestingness shtick.

Fred4Pres said...

I do like cheese. Is Wisconsin cheese really better than any other state's cheese? Even better than...gasp...California's?

Meade said...

Yes, Fred. Everything is better in Wisconsin.

James said...

I ran into Sen. Kohl last year at the Great American Circus Parade in Milwaukee. From what I could tell very few people recognized him. I fired off a few - rather unflattering - photos of him and of course while I was distracted by him Ernest Borgnine drove by and I missed that photo opportunity. See the photos here: Senator Kohl

Saint Croix said...

I always liked Feingold. I don't think we agreed on much. But he always seem admirable to me, and classy. And honest.

I like Feinstein, too. And I love Lieberman. I don't know, I just like the Jews, I guess.

Except for Bloomberg, that putz.

I wish we could trade politicians like baseball players.

Ya'll want Bloomberg? I'll give you Bloomberg and Newt for Lieberman.