Ayotte is almost unknown

and is not an elected official. This is looking like its going to be easier and easier for Hodes.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

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by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 18:44:35 PM CDT

She's best known for

being the appellant in Ayotte v. PPNNE, the Supreme Court (non)decision about the 2003 NH parental notification law.  It was basically a big gamble and defeat for Ayotte.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A...

The new all-Democratic legislature and governor repealed the law in mid-2007.  It wasn't the first thing they did, but they did it pretty emphatically at the end of their first legislative session.  Got that s--t off the NH lawbooks.  

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by: Baystater @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 04:36:23 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

so basically she's too socially

conservative for a fairly culturally liberal state like New Hampshire.

Call no man happy until he is dead-Aeschylus

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by: ArkDem the Ragin Cajin @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 16:04:01 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

yes, probably

She's at the right margin of the acceptable range.  She doesn't pose a serious challenge to Hodes.

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by: Baystater @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 18:11:51 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Speaking of Gregg

I wonder how hard his arm is going to be twisted in the coming months to un-retire and run again.

Too bad life ain't so sweet being in the minority with a 60 seat majority for the foreseeable future.

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by: homerun @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 18:51:12 PM CDT

If you check his arms

you can see Cornyn's fingernail marks scarred deep into what's left of Gregg's arm.

Been there, and tried that.

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by: trowaman @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 19:24:00 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Amazing

This may be a Senate takeover with little to no competition from the controlling party.  If Hodes could put in a knockout fundraising quarter this could be sewn up (problem is he's struggled to do that).

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by: DFLer @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 20:25:56 PM CDT

Hodes needs a million bucks raised this quarter

Several top-flight Dem candidates did that last quarter, many in abbreviated quarters.

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by: DavidNYC @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 23:56:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Reid fundraised for Hodes.

If he doesn't pull in over 750K he's asking for a stiff challenge.  

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by: JeremiahTheMessiah @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 01:28:00 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I don't think that's the case

Re: stiff challenge. Rather, the problem is that Hodes should look so fearesome as to make the NRSC give up. If Hodes needs DS money, or his opponent looks credible, then it'll be a huge wasted opportunity to put one in the bank.

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by: DavidNYC @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 01:43:11 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

The hard part will be the NH-02 primary

Make sure it's not Katrina Swett.

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by: duffman @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 22:23:24 PM CDT

And:

Agreed. We have to do everything in our power to ensure that Katrina Swett does not, and will not, get the nomination in NH-02.

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by: jsrosa @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 23:10:40 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

This

And making sure Ed Case does not win the HI-01 primary the netroots' top priorities in terms of primaries this cycle, as I see it.

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by: DavidNYC @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 23:56:58 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

A few thoughts

Now that no one has to fear Papa Sununu anymore (the NHGOP chair), we should be seeing lots of news on the R side of this race.

Already Ovide LaMontagne has re-signaled his interest, and it's unlikely astroturf self-funder Fred Tausch will not run now.

And Charlie Bass would not bow out of this for either of them (or Ayotte).

So it's likely we could have a 3 or 4 way primary, involving 2 loser re-treads and 1 or 2 total unknowns.

Also, and interestingly: this news increases Bass' chances of running, and therefore decreases his chances of running for his old seat in CD2 (the open one Hodes is vacating). That makes Jennifer Horn 2nd attempt there much more likely (though she will have to wade through a primary with a couple of minor figures).

Blue Hampshire - Defeating Republicans since 2006.

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by: Dean Barker @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 09:06:53 AM CDT