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Opening Arguments

It's one to watch now

The announcement that Dan Coats might take on Evan Bayh in U.S. Senate race is further evidence of the Scott Brown effect -- voter dissatisfaction with the Obama agenda re-energizing the Republican Party -- and it has conservatives in the state in a pretty good mood. As the Indianapolis Star notes, the mere announcement shifted the political landscape, with handicappers moving Bayh's race from a safe bet to "one to wach,"

But Coats has his baggage:

Democrats in Indiana and Washington clearly took Coats' challenge seriously. They immediately fired off salvos against Coats' inside-the-beltway Virginia address, his lobbying work for banks that have taken bailout dollars, and the fact that he has voted and paid taxes in Virginia, not Indiana.

I suspect the one that might stick is the "inside the beltway" criticism. Democrats can't press too hard on the carpetbagger charge, or at least they should be careful not to, since Bayh got his own political start by moving back to Indiana to run for secretary of state. And "doesn't know state issues" can be answered with, "So how do you like the way Bayh has voted, him knowing the issues and all? In favor of that health plan, are you?" But voters are pretty much sick and tired of Washington. The idea of replacing one experienced player with another, even one who agrees with them more often on the issues, might turn voters off enough to give Bayh another term. I think Mike Pence would have had a better chance. He's an experienced insider, too, but in Congress. He didn't leave that institution and end up being one of

Comments

Kevin Knuth
Thu, 02/04/2010 - 4:02pm

And stuff like this will start to come out about Coats...

The GOP is overplaying their hand...

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0210/Coats_lobbied_for_Chavezconnected_oil_company.html

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