The writing was probably on the wall for Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, who just announced that he will not be running for reelection in two years. He was one of the first Republicans to suggest the perhaps the well being of the American economy was worth more than an oath of allegiance to Grover Norquist, and was one of the Senators who voted to accept tax increases to avert the fiscal cliff. This is the South, stronghold of conservative Republicans.
Which is why the Democrats have a surprising chance to pick up a Senate seat in 2014.
In one of my fabled Lost Posts, I suggested that there was a good chance that the Republicans’ enthusiastic attempts to devour their own young were bringing out possible primary challengers for Senator Chambliss. Well, they’re no longer challengers, and the fun is about to start. Sure, Georgia went to Mitt Romney by ten points in the last election. Why, that almost matches the August 13th lead of the Republican Party’s Senate candidate in Missouri. What could go wrong?
Of course the current Republican front-runner, if you can call him that this early in the process, is Tom Price, a blandly reliable House conservative unlikely to commit any accidental acts of Akin-esque honesty that might inadvertently reveal the true face of the Republican party. If he pulls off the nomination, the Democrats’ chances are probably pretty slim. But the other contenders considering entering the race…oh, how I dream of the possibilities.
First, there’s Congressman Phil Gingrey, world’s worst gynecologist. In the aftermath of the Newtown shooting, Rep. Gingrey was nearly able to construct the illusion of rational thought, suggesting that closing the gun show loophole and restricting magazine size might be acceptable gun control options. Just when all seemed safe, he decided to defend his friend–can you guess? No? Todd Akin! He suggested that being raped is awfully stressful, and stressed out people have a hard time making babies, so rape babies are probably awfully rare. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a statement politely pointing out that he was, in fact, utterly full of shit, noting that “while chronic stress, for example from extreme exposure to famine or war, may decrease a woman’s ability to conceive, there is no scientific evidence that adrenaline, experienced in an acute stress situation, has an impact on ovulation.”
Then there’s this guy:
Enough said. (Interesting coincidence: Rep. Gingrey and Rep. Broun went to the same medical school. Folks, you might want to check your doctor’s CV for the Medical College of Georgia. Just saying.)
Finally, it seems that Herman Cain might be thinking about entering the race. Yes! That Herman Cain! I can already see the Democrats’ campaign commercials: 45 seconds of random footage of Herman Cain talking, followed by, “Hi, I’m ——— ———–, I’m running for Senate here in Georgia, and I’m not Herman Cain. My opponent, however, IS Herman Cain. In fact, he’s been Herman Cain his whole life, and to this day continues to be Herman Cain. Moreover, not once has he suggested that he has any plans to stop being Herman Cain, even if elected to the United States Senate. ——— ———– for Senate: He’s Not Herman Cain.”