We have the opportunity to investigate these potential candidates’ policies years before they even run in a primary. We have the opportunity to support those candidates with whom we agree and encourage them to run. It is better to have a set of candidates with whom you generally agree than to have two polar opposite candidates from which you are forced to choose.
This is a comprehensive list of women currently serving or recently elected Governor or to the United States Senate (individual state senates not included – which is exactly where Obama came from, so those names will be added soon).
They are all are either pro-choice, pro-green, pro-gay marriage, pro-middle class, pro-military, or some combination. These are the areas where, at this point, President-elect Obama appears to be the most vulnerable. (All of these areas are pretty black and white in so far as the groups supporting each idea can sense tacit support and are easily turned off. Other areas of policy can be largely built around the candidate as the campaign gets underway, which is why a lot of issues have been left out here.)
From this group the major challenger for 2012 will likely be chosen. Will it be a Republican? Will it be an Independent? Will it be a Democrat running as an Independent? Will it be an Independent running with a third party’s support? Will it be a Democrat running with a third party’s support?
Remember how Vice President Cheney scurried down to Hawaii right before the election? Govenor Linda Lingle, the most popularly supported Republican ever to be re-elected in Hawaii, could very well be one of those contenders in 2012. Afterall, Sarah Palin needs a running mate, right? It’s four years away, but it was only four years ago that none of us had heard of Barack Obama.
An exclamation point ( ! ) indicates that not only does that candidate support that idea, but they belong to a committee dedicated to supporting that idea (such as Republicans for Choice) or have been chosen by voting watchdog reports (such as the League of Conservation Voters’ National Enviornmental Scorecard). A “NO” indicates a bad score on a similar watchdog report and blank means no information at this time.
GOV GREGOIRE, Christine – WA
- gay marriage -
- green energy -
- middle class -
- military -
- pro-choice – YES
GOV LINGLE, Linda - HI
- gay marriage -
- green energy -
- middle class -
- military -
- pro-choice – YES
GOV PALIN, Sarah – AK
- gay marriage – NO
- green energy – NO
- middle class -
- military -
- pro-choice – NO
SEN BOXER, Barbara – CA
- gay marriage -
- green energy – YES!
- middle class – YES
- military -
- pro-choice -
SEN CANTWELL, Maria – WA
- gay marriage -
- green energy – YES!
- middle class – YES
- military -
- pro-choice -
SEN CLINTON, Hillary – NY
- gay marriage – YES
- green energy – YES!
- middle class – YES
- military -
- pro-choice – YES
SEN COLLINS, Susan – ME
- gay marriage – NO
- green energy -
- middle class – NO
- military -
- pro-choice – YES
SEN FEINSTEIN, Dianne – CA
- gay marriage -
- green energy -
- middle class – YES
- military -
- pro-choice -
SEN KLOBUCHAR, Amy – MN
- gay marriage -
- green energy -
- middle class – YES
- military -
- pro-choice -
SEN MURRAY, Patty – WA
- gay marriage -
- green energy – YES!
- middle class – YES
- military -
- pro-choice -
SEN RELL, Jodi – CT
- gay marriage – NO/YES civil union
- green energy -
- middle class -
- military -
- pro-choice -
SEN SHAHEEN, Jeanne – NH
- gay marriage -
- green energy -
- middle class -
- military -
- pro-choice – YES!
SEN SNOWE, Olympia – ME
- gay marriage – YES
- green energy – YES!
- middle class – NO
- military – YES
- pro-choice – YES!
SEN STABENOW, Debbie – MI
- gay marriage -
- green energy – YES!
- middle class – YES
- military -
- pro-choice -
WEAKEST AREAS OF DEMOCRATIC CONTROL
By Representative:
Barrow
Bean
Boren
Boswell
Boyd (FL)
Carney
Chandler
Cooper
Costa
Cramer
Cuellar
Davis (AL)
Davis, Lincoln
Donnelly
Edwards
Ellsworth
Etheridge Gordon
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hill
Lampson
Lipinski
Marshall
Matheson
McIntyre
Melancon
Mitchell Peterson (MN)
Pomeroy
Rodriguez
Ross
Salazar
Shuler
Snyder
Space
Tanner
Taylor
Walz (MN)
Wilson (OH)
