Ed Garvey wrote in a recent blog post that the rumor coming from DPW insiders is that Dave Obey is willing to run for governor unless there’s a primary. Upon reading Garveys blog an image of Brett Favre popped quickly into my head: an aging icon, ostensibly retired, who now wants back on the field uncontested. Sound familiar?
Maybe Mike Tate should call Mike McCarthy for some advice on how to handle the matter? My hunch is that McCarthy would tell Tate to trade Obey to Minnesota for Mark Dayton. It’s hard to imagine Minnesota’s DFL approving such a trade, but there’s no doubt the Vikings would pick Obey up and start him.
We need the closest thing we have to Aaron Rodgers to defeat Walker in a recall election, which happens to be Ron Kind. He’s never lost a congressional election, has a calm, confident demeanor, and he played quarterback at Harvard. Close enough.
There’s no doubt that Dave Obeys jersey should be hung prominently in the DPW Hall of Fame. But that doesn’t mean we should let him back on the field.
That automatically disqualifies him as a viable candidate in my book.
When you’re afraid of primaries, you don’t deserve to represent your party. Ever. I mean it’s not like Obey is a sitting President or even Governor at this point. That’s the one time you might be able to get away with that kind of hubris. But Obey? Can I get a break, please?
I swear that if Mike Tate “anoints” Obey with the sacred Democratic Party oil of candidacy, I’m sittin’ this one out. The Dems deserve Walker’s full term.
You’re forgetting something left out of a lot of the Obey comments. In just a few of them, he adds that due to the costs of primaries, he thinks it injudicous to run if there were others running.
Also, other comments make it sound like he wants others to run – sort of suggesting he’d run if no one else did.
Own opinion? The Fab 14 got a lot of publicity, both positive and negative, at least a few of them has canvassed the state for the 2011 recalls, I’d go for one of them. Erpenbach, Vinehout, Taylor, etc. Simple message – we listen, the Republicans dictate.
Susan,
Obey has said he’d like to see either Herb Kohl or Tom Barrett run, and that if they won’t he’ll consider it. Kohl has said he’s not interested. No word from Barrett.
My uncle Charlie used to stick a fork in the last pork chop at dinner, hold it just above his plate, and then look around and say,
” anyone else want this?”
Oh God, anyone but Barrett… Anyone but him. His catastrophically awful campaign should stay dead and buried in the past. Let’s not resurrect that zombie.
Steve,
Normally im on your side but NOT here. I think Ron Kind is a horrible congressman and would be a horrendous Governor. If you want to see how Ron kind would Govern Wi, check out Rahm emmanuel in Chicago.
Thanks but no thanks!
Jeff,
My point is that Ron Kind is our best chance of winning. Defeating Walker is far from a sure thing.
My point is if Ron Kind is going to be the next Governor, i dont see the point. The biggest reason that we are recalling Senators and the Governor (despite what mike tate says) is that they took the collective bargaining rights away from the people of WI. WHy would anyone take time away form their families gathering signatures, campaigning, etc… for an anti labor democrat to replace him?
Jeff,
Are you saying that you don’t think Ron Kind would support restoring collective bargaining rights to Wisconsin’s public workers?
Who do you think can defeat Walker in a recall?
Steve,
Based off of his love for “free trade” agreements and his overall record, that is exactly what I am saying.
Who do I like? Well personally i think its going to be a referendum on Walker but that we need to field a credible candidate. That being said my personal favorite would be Cory Mason. I would also support most other dems (not named ron kind) but some other names that come to mind are Peter Barca, Tom Nelson, Jon Erpenbach, Russ Feingold(I know he has said no, but…) etc… I would even support Barrett if he was aggressive and went after it hard or Obey maybe (I have very mixed feelings on Obey) but could see a way that he runs a successful candidacy. Like running as a fill in with one of the above mentioned as lieutenant governor to run in when the term is up in two years….
I don’t care if we run the Devil himself. Just Win Baby!
Seriously, Ron Kind won’t be passing free trade agreements as governor. I disagree with him on free trade as well. Yet, I’d take him over any of the other candidates I’ve heard are considering running. Why? Because he has the best chance of winning. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
I agree he wont be passing free trade agreements as Governor but the fact that he does shows how he feels about Labor, the middle class and small town WI. No thanks!
Again I say if you want to see how kind would Govern see Rahm Emmanuel, ask the teachers union of Chicago how that is working out for them