Roll Call | Senator Denise Majette?

[goobergunch]

Latest Name Floated as Desperate Democrats Search
By Lauren W. Whittington
ROLL CALL STAFF
November 19, 2003

Rep. Denise Majette (D-Ga.) is quietly talking to some of her colleagues about the possibility of running for the Peach State’s open Senate seat in 2004, sources said Tuesday.

more...http://www.rollcall.com/pub/49_56/politics/3676-1.html (subscription)

I'm not sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand, she's a DINO. On the other hand, she'd have a fairly decent shot at winning BECAUSE she's a DINO. :shrug:

[bluestateguy]

1. Majette

Anybody is better than Miller. I'm sure she is less of a DINO than Miller, and Miller would likely endorse and campaign for her, which would help. Right now the Democrats just need a candidate worth their salt, and I don't know if Majette is it. McKinney's supporters are still bitter about her loss to Majette, so she may not be the best option.

[dusty64]

2. I've heard very little about

her once she got elected. How is her record anyway?

[mndemocrat_29]

3. This would be great news

First, we'd finally have a really good candidate, a candidate who wouldn't be seen as second tier or third tier, but a first tier candidate (she is a sitting U. S. Representative, after all).

Second, Majette does well with moderate voters, particularly with moderate white voters and independents.

Third, her seat, unlike Jim Marshall's (who was also toying with a run), is overwhelmingly Democratic. We'd be able to hold her seat fairly easily. In fact, this could be an even bigger blessing in disguise, as For. Rep. Cynthia McKinney could run here, probably win back her seat, and more importantly, she would not be the Green candidate for president. McKinney is a strong liberal and would be good to have back in the House.

Fourth, this seat may look completely out of our range, but it isn't hopeless. Voting machines aside, Georgia still elects Democrats (witness Mark Taylor, Cathy Cox, and Thurbert Baker in 2002) and there will be a bloody primary among Republicans, which can only help Majette, who presumably would coast to a fairly easy primary victory.

Finally, though she may not be the most liberal member of the Caucus, she'd still be a vast improvement over Zell.

RUN DENISE, WE NEED YOU!

[dusty64]

14. This all sounds very

interesting and I'm glad Majette is turning out much better than many feared. cathy cox is not really a Democrat though, seems much more like a diebold operative to me.

[jiacinto]

4. Why is she a DINO

Have you gone to Project Vote Smart? I really would love to see what her scores are really like and what people at DU think they are.

[mndemocrat_29]

5. She's pro-choice

She favors increases in Education funding, she's against the death penalty, she wants to increase the federal minimum wage, she wants to strengthen the Clean Air Act, she's against drilling in ANWR, she supports a Patient's Bill of Rights, and she supports a lock box on Social Security.

Though she's slightly more conservative on gun issues, she's nowhere near what I would call a DINO. She may not be as liberal as Barbara Lee or Nancy Pelosi, but she certainly is not a Republican and is a million times better than Mac Collins, Johnny Isaakson, or Zell Miller.

[Classical_Liberal]

18. She was elected for the soul purpose of threatening`

dems who support the two state solution. She succeeded in her objective. Now even Clinton's position is too radical for Congressional dems. If no two state solution happens we can never stop the threat of terrorism. She is a real puke, even if she isn't a repuke.

[mndemocrat_29]

6. Who do you think would run for (and win) her seat?

I'd guess that Cynthia McKinney would be the frontrunner, but her primary loss last year signifies that she is vulnerable. The most likely candidate, after McKinney, would be State Sen. Nadine Thomas. Either way, this should stay in Democratic hands.

[NewJerseyDem]

7. She is not a DINO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where the hell is the evidence. If she is a DINO then basically every democrat in congress in a DINO.

http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=562
She voted against funding for Iraq war (She could potentially lose the elction because of that IMO)

http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=530
She voted against partial-birth abortion ban (Not many DINOs do that)

http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=630
She voted against the Energy Bill.

http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=332
She also voted against the republican prescription drugs plan back in June.

These are just some of her liberal votes.

[David__77]

8. I would support that, despite liking McKinney so much.

I did not at all support Majette's run against one of my favorite representatives of the modern era, Cynthia McKinney. But maybe for all the bluster about Majette's "bipartisanship," she can win. She does have what would be a great voting record for a Georgia senator.

[mndemocrat_29]

9. Also, McKinney would likely replace Majette in the House

n/t

[NewJerseyDem]

10. I don't know about that

Why wouldn't McKinney lose in the primary just like she did last year? I would think that the same would probably occur.

[mndemocrat_29]

11. The Republican Senate Race

In the last election, there were many Republicans who wanted McKinney out, so they voted for Majette (there weren't any big Republican primary races going on). In 2004, there will be a very competitive Republican Senate primary, so the crossover will be minimal. Therefore, McKinney, who already has a base and name recognition, will go into the race as the frontrunner.

However, depending on how large the crossover was in the primary in 2002 (I don't have the stats on how large the crossover was), McKinney could still be in trouble. State Sen. Nadine Thomas seems likely to want to run, should Majette vacate the seat, and if McKinney's support among moderate Democrats has eroded, Thomas could win.

[dolstein]

13. Wrong

Majette didn't win because of Republican cross-over votes. Majette defeated McKinney decisively in an overwhelmingly Democratic district. Republican cross-over votes may have increased her margin of victory, but she would still have won without them.

[jiacinto]

15. What the AJC said

I used to have the link before my computer was stolen. Now you have to pay to get it; but, even if you took out the crossover votes, according to the AJC, McKinney still would have lost narrowly to Majette by a few thousand votes.

[jiacinto]

16. What the AJC said

I used to have the link before my computer was stolen. Now you have to pay to get it; but, even if you took out the crossover votes, according to the AJC, McKinney still would have lost narrowly to Majette by a few thousand votes.

[Classical_Liberal]

19. I think McKinney would win it back

even if Majette stayed. I think she is prepared for them this time.

[dolstein]

12. Only a DINO would acuse Majette of being a DINO

This is the same tactic that Ralph Nader and his "Democrat" supporters used in 2000. It was bogus then, and it's bogus now.

Majette has a left-of-center voting record. No real Democrat would ever confuse her with a Republican.

I'd bet the only thing G knows about Majette is that she beat McKinney. Apparently, that's enough to disqualify someone from being a Democrat, even though Majette almost certainly received more Democratic votes than McKinney did. So apparently that makes those voters DINOs too.

[ulysses]

17. remember who her biggest benefactor was last year, dolstein?

Wonder how her ties to dear old Zell will play in the 4th next time.

[Classical_Liberal]

20. Since you are republican leaning dem

I think this is like having your mother testify that your a good boy.

[jiacinto]

22. Don't call Dolstein a DINO

Just because he isn't a left wing extremist here doesn't mean that he is like Zell Miller.

[Classical_Liberal]

25. I didn't call him a Dino

I said he is republican leaning. He supports most republican leaners including Lieberman.

[Classical_Liberal]

21. I doubt she will

There are two republican vying for Zell's seat, so she won't get any repuke crossovers. She'll have to rely on true blue democrats rather than repukes and dixiecrats.

[jiacinto]

23. Uh Democrats voted for Majette

The AJC did research and came to the conclusion that even if you took out the crossover vote McKinney still would have narrowly lost to Majette.

[Classical_Liberal]

24. So what? The AJC spread all the other lies about McKinney too

http://www.blackcommentator.com/12_mckinney.html

[burr]

26. if nominated, she would naturally have my vote...

but IMHO she would do badly in the rural areas of the state, which are necessary for any Democrat to win statewide.