The Coats Challenge
While interviewing Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dan Coats on the radio yesterday, I had a flashback to the 2004 U.S. Senate race in my home state of Illinois. I was doing the same talk show/political commentator gig and covering Alan Keyes’ entrance into the race against then U.S. Senator Barack Obama.
During a news conference Keyes (who is from Maryland) was asked if he was going to campaign in every county in Illinois? He said definitely. The reporter asked, “even Lincoln County.” He said “especially Lincoln County!” There is no Lincoln County. Keyes looked like a bigger buffoon than he already was.
I bring this story up not to equate Dan Coats with Alan Keyes, because I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. But it does highlight the pitfalls of getting into a race in a place where either you’ve never been or haven’t been in for a while.
Already there’s a backlash growing against Coats’ candidacy from Hoosiers who are either supporting other candidates or question his motives and Democrats are having a field day pointing out statements Coats has made in regards to whether he had any intent to come back to the state, much less run for the U.S. Senate.
Yes, Coats can likely raise the money to mount a credible challenge against Bayh and his network of D.C. contacts doesn’t hurt either. His credentials as a Congressman, U.S. Senator and Ambassador to Germany are pretty impressive. However, Coats is going to have to work hard to dispel the growing belief that his campaign is based political expedience not conviction. And he doesn’t have a lot of time to do it. He has 82 days to convince Hoosiers that he is still one of them, that he’s not a typical Washington insider and that he didn’t run away from a fight back when the Backstreet Boys and N’Sync were the nation’s number one acts.
