There are several races the country will be watching next year for House and Senate seats. Today I want to talk about one in particular: Connecticut. Most of you are aware that Chris Dodd currently holds the Senate seat opposite of Joe Lieberman. Well Linda McMahon wants to change that. In case you were wondering, yes she is THAT Linda McMahon. Linda is the wife of WWE CEO Vince McMahon. But before you begin to dismiss her campaign, let's take a look at some things.
First of all, Linda has been a very successful business woman. Whether you're a fan of the product or not, you must admit that from a business perspective, the WWE has grown from a small "rasslin" company, to a large multi-billion dollar operation that provides hundreds of jobs and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
Second, Linda can win. Recent polls show her beating incumbent Chris Dodd by a decent margin and she's only been in the race for 2 months. Certainly, Linda McMahon has some momentum right now. She must win the nomination first and that may be harder than winning the general election. Her main opponent for the nod, Rob Simmons, I feel is a poor choice. First of all, he doesn't have the resources that Linda does. Second, his voting record leaves something to be desired. Linda, on the other hand, does not have a voting record to attack.
Also promising is the fact that Linda McMahon is willing to spend $30-$50 million of her own money on this race and while money cannot buy victories, it certainly can help you get your message out, especially against someone like Dodd, who is regularly in the spotlight. Linda has promised not to take any money from special interest groups, another positive piece of her campaign puzzle.
So what else has she done you ask? Linda is active in the Connecticut community. She serves on the board of Sacred Heart University and is involved with The Make-A-Wish Foundation, the USO, and other charitable organizations. She was appointed by Governor Rell to serve on the Connecticut Board of Education.
I think Linda McMahon is the perfect candidate to take on Chris Dodd. She is already well known by millions of people around the country. She's respected by many in Connecticut and is admired in the business community. She has the resources and the ability to go toe-to-toe with Dodd. I think all Republicans can agree that Chris Dodd needs to go and I'm sure many Independents feel that way as well. And it's my personal belief that Linda McMahon is the best candidate to make that a reality. In the era of Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton, another strong woman has emerged in the political world, and her name is Linda McMahon.
Comments
Good work Lee. Love your stuff so far.
From the "Stop the ACLU" blog, Sept. 29 (links not allowed):
From open contribution records it has been discovered that the McMahon’s have given thousands in donations to Democratic candidates, organizations and causes right up until recently.
According to records, McMahon donated $15,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, $13,000 to Democratic Gov. Mark Warner’s campaign and the campaign of Senator Joe Lieberman (a Democrat until the 2006 election when he became an Independent). The most alarming Democrat donation, though, was to Obama’s bulldog, Rahm Emanuel. The McMahon’s donated $7,800 to Emanuel’s leadership PAC. ...
It is difficult to get past the shallow party past with many of these candidates who are self-funded. The suspicion is that they are buying their seat with their wealth and only picked the GOP side because they felt that was the side that could hand them a win.
Well said, Eric! You might be interested to know that McMahon, by her own admission, did not even bother to vote in the 2006 Senate election. It's a little difficult to take her seriously in a run against Senator Dodd when she didn't even bother to vote for him or against him three years ago.
Given some of the publicity stunts this woman has pulled on her WWE shows, I don't know how anyone could take this woman seriously as a political voice. As Eric said, just another shallow self-funded candidate attempting to buy a Senate seat.... and obiviously the writer is buying right into it. How I wish the GOP could have some sane, experienced, and CREDIBLE voices!
Whether one likes them or hates them, both Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton are proven political figures. As a woman voter, I find it insulting that the inexperienced writer of this article compares the publicity-seeking Linda McMahon to such proven political female voices as Palin and Clinton.
Margaret, first of all...you're way off. Linda McMahon has done quite a bit. In fact, she's done more for the American economy than Palin and Hillary combined. She's created jobs. She's grown a business. Has Palin? The only thing Palin seems to be selling these days is books. Hillary? Don't get me started.
And your attack on the writer is absolutely unfounded and unnecessary. Inexperienced? Not hardly. I've been reading articles from this writer for several years now. What experience do you have? As an informed political mind, I find YOUR comments insulting.
As a conservative Republican mother of four, the idea of having a sensationalist like Linda McMahon help set national policy is about as appealing as having Evel Knievel park my car, or Pee Wee Herman babysit my kids, or Michael Vick care for my family pet. Surely the Republicans of Connecticut can find a candidate that, by comparison, won't make Chris Dodd look good. And I have to agree with Margaret... Sarah Palin is not my choice for president, but she is a respected political figure. I certainly disagree with Hillary Clinton, but I acknowledge the fact that she is an accomplished woman in politics. Something about comparing Palin and Clinto with Linda McMahon is offensive. Sure, McMahon has created jobs with the WWE. Even the freak show at the circus creates jobs, but I wouldn't want them setting national policy which affects my job, my taxes, or my family.
Maybe before some of you sink your fangs into Linda McMahon...you should listen to this, from Linda herself:
"A report posted earlier this week in a Washington political publication pointed out that, during my tenure as CEO of WWE, I made political contributions to both Republicans and Democrats over the years. Although I’ve given more to Republican candidates than to Democrats, as the CEO and the public face of WWE, my contributions were consistent with the fact that WWE, like most businesses, is nonpartisan. Make no mistake: I’m a Republican. And I believe I’m the one fiscally conservative Republican who can win the Republican primary, and more importantly, win a general election against Chris Dodd. It is my hope that this campaign will stay focused on the critical issues. Connecticut families want to know that the next Senator from our state has both the experience and the strength to end business as usual in Washington"
Well said Thomas! Some people can be so narrow minded when it comes to politicians. And to the one that said Palin is a "respected" figure in America. Really? Do you watch TV? Anyways, chew on these facts:
Linda's Contributions
Federal Contributions (By Party):
$70,700 to Republicans (66.19 percent)
$2,000 to Independents (1.87 percent)
$34,100 to Democrats (31.93 percent)
TOTAL: $106,800
State Contributions (By Party):
$19,000 to Republicans (76.00 percent)
$6,000 to Democrats (24.00 percent)
TOTAL: $25,000
Here's another take on McMahon... Edward Banas, Former National Commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars, made the following statement today reacting to the McMahon campaign's new position on the 9/11 terror trials:
"Linda McMahon's ambivalence about inviting terrorists into the United States and affording them Constitutional protections meant only for American citizens reveals either a stunning awareness deficit or a serious lack of judgment. Most troubling is McMahon's cynical reliance on political consultants to answer even the most straightforward questions dealing with matters of national security. In any case, McMahon's response should raise considerable doubts in the minds of voters as they measure her 'credentials' versus those of Rob Simmons, a 37-year veteran of the U.S. Army and a former intelligence official."
Rob Simmons is claiming to be a staunch conservative, but his record shows he’s not. He supported card check, cap-and-trade, and twice voted against the ban on partial birth abortion. He got a "D" grade from NTU during his last year in Congress. I’d like to see a Red State blog post titled “Rob Simmons: The Next Scozzafava.
My husband and I have been big fans of the WWE for many years. We have also been very conservative Republicans for even longer. And I have to say that I agree with the person who said... "The idea of having a sensationalist like Linda McMahon help set national policy is about as appealing as having Evel Knievel park my car, or Pee Wee Herman babysit my kids, or Michael Vick care for my family pet."
I'm sure people thought the same thing about Arnold Schwarzenegger....
People like her should stay away from politics,they just want more power ,for what ? To play your own rules ! It is scary and had become an issue on the reality of our democracy.
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