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Opening Arguments

Tough call

The Atlantic turns to Indiana's GOP primary contest between longtime incumbent U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar and tea party-backed challenger state Treasurer Richard Mourdock:

WHO WILL WIN? As Indiana's current state treasurer, Mourdock has a better resume than Tea Party Express's previous success stories. Miller, Angle, and O'Donnell won their primaries with no state governing or legislative experience. They toed the tea-party line as substitutes for its ideology.

Lugar has represented Indiana for 34 years -- longer than the most notable Republican senators bounced by tea partiers in 2010, Utah's Bob Bennett (18 years) and Alaska's Murkowski (12 years). But in bouts between the seasoned pro and the hot young upstart, things can go either way. Ali lost to Frazier in their first encounter.

Still, the 79-year-old Lugar should hit the gym, jump some rope, and try to revive his right hook.

So, basically, too early to tell and too tough to call. I agree. Lugar has often been called Indiana's most-beloved politician, and that's probably right. But as this piece notes, he is the longest-serving senator and the last of the old guard, and these are unsettling times. If I had to give an edge to somebody, right now I'd probably pick Lugar, but ask me again next week. A lot will depend on how much money Mourdock can raise and how well he can spend it?

Comments

Tim Zank
Thu, 09/29/2011 - 4:31pm

Dick, thanks so much for your service. Now do the right thing and step aside.

littlejohn
Fri, 09/30/2011 - 2:34pm

Sen. Lugar, please serve another term. It's already embarrassing enough to admit I live in Indiana. Don't allow yourself to be replaced by some creationist, global warming denying, homophobic mouth-breather.

Bob G.
Mon, 10/03/2011 - 10:19am

Leo:

Two words-
TERM LIMITS.

'Nuff said.

William Larsen
Mon, 10/03/2011 - 12:18pm

Lugar has been in so long that he should realize that his past votes supported the mess we have now.

All those stimulus bills during past recessions with no thought as to paying back the money borrowed. Time to go.

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