Washington Post ‘Awards’ Worst Candidate Of 2014
[su_right_ad]First, the nominees:
* Bruce Braley (Iowa Senate)
* Anthony Brown (Maryland governor)
* Martha Coakley (Massachusetts governor)
* Wendy Davis (Texas governor)
* Sean Eldridge (New York House)
* Ed FitzGerald (Ohio governor)
* Chris McDaniel (Mississippi Senate)
* Pat Roberts (Kansas Senate)
* Mark Udall (Colorado Senate)
* Monica Wehby (Oregon Senate)
The winner: Bruce Braley.
Because Braley’s personality became the focus of the race, the fact that he was probably closer to the average Iowan than Ernst on the issues didn’t matter. People liked Ernst. They didn’t like Braley. On election day, the race wasn’t close; Ernst won by eight points.
Braley’s loss was so horrible for two reasons: (1) it was a seat that Democrats badly needed if they had any hope of holding the majority (they didn’t) and (2) it was so avoidable. Braley deserved what he got because he simply didn’t perform close to expectations as a candidate in a race with massive national import. And for that, he was the worst candidate of the 2014 election.[su_csky_ad]
tiredoftea November 11th, 2014 at 4:20 pm
My vote would have been for Coakley, although I understand why Braley won. Despite being a Dem in a blue state, she lost two elections to lesser candidates, starting with Scott Brown.
BillTheCat45 November 11th, 2014 at 4:41 pm
I agree. How awful a Democrat do you have to be to lose in Massachusetts – TWICE?
I think Grimes deserved to be on the list too, and frankly, despite the need to kick McConnell out, I did not shed any tears for her loss.
Khary A November 11th, 2014 at 4:48 pm
as MA resident I can say that she isn’t a bad official, she’s just got the personality of drywall. Good at the mechanics of the position but no flair whatsoever and that is what killed her chances this time.
tiredoftea November 11th, 2014 at 6:01 pm
The prototypical Dem!
JimmyPete November 11th, 2014 at 6:58 pm
wow, being competent but no flash , how terrible
tiredoftea November 11th, 2014 at 7:18 pm
It is when she, or any other Dem, loses to an incompetent with nothing but flash!
JimmyPete November 11th, 2014 at 9:20 pm
Hey you calling Sam Brownbeck incompetent, just because he is destroying Kansas with the support of the Kansas voters.
tiredoftea November 11th, 2014 at 9:30 pm
Well, he does have a “mandate” from the lowest of the low information voters to drive out the scourge of taxes from his constituents.
mmaynard119 November 13th, 2014 at 9:50 pm
And the injunction of the State Federal Court judge demanding the cuts to education be restored. Brownback is another Koch Brothers ALEC Stepford candidate.
mmaynard119 November 13th, 2014 at 9:49 pm
OK, I’m being upfront. I went to high school with Martha Coakley. I did vote for her, but I wasn’t convinced that she has the communication skills to be a successful governor. She is brilliant and passionate, which is perfect for being an Attorney General. I voted for her in the primary, but was a Juliette Kayyam supporter in the nominating convention and thought that Steve Grossman would have been a better candidate.
She was much better as a candidate this time. One thing that hurt her was Baker’s endorsement by the Boston Globe, which conveniently forgot about Baker’s pay for play contract with Chris Christie, his ethical lapses in private industry and his wanting to cut $400M from education when Bill Weld’s budget director.
The person to watch is Maura Healey, Coaklet’s former #2 and now the Attorney General. She has the personality and charisma Coakley lacks.
Tommy6860 November 11th, 2014 at 6:26 pm
I’m surprised Grimes didn’t make the list. Although Coakley’s loss was an eye opener because well, Massachusetts. Grimes loss was beyond being an abject failure. Mitch won all of his previous elections by the skin of his teeth. He simply ran being anti-Obama and didn’t really have to add much more, and she paved his huge win for him.
OldLefty November 11th, 2014 at 7:13 pm
I agree that Grimes should not run from the president.
But I think, (I don’t know), that even if Allison Lundergan Grimes had shouted from the rooftops and PROVED that ‘You Kentuckians who LOVE your Kynect, have the DEMOCRATIC House, and the DEMOCRATIC Senate and the DEMOCRATIC President and your DEMOCRATIC governor to thank. You have the REPUBLICAN House reps and REPUBLICAN senators and REPUBLICAN Mitch McConnell for getting in the way and trying to nix it.’, they would only have resented more her for confronting them with an uncomfortable truth.
But she WOULD have had her self respect and could have run again.
Tommy6860 November 11th, 2014 at 7:25 pm
I disagree. Steve Beshear, the dem KY Gov, won both of his elections by blow-outs and his second was running on ACA and expanding it while giving Obama kudos for passing the law. His win margins were both more than what McConnell won against Grimes.
OldLefty November 11th, 2014 at 7:32 pm
Yes, but they don’t know that KyNect IS Obamacare.
If you are right, it is more tragic, especially when McConnell said he will repeal Obamacare but not KyNect.
tracey marie November 11th, 2014 at 8:21 pm
she was in a virtual tie until she decided to be smarmy and not answer the Obama question
OldLefty November 11th, 2014 at 8:27 pm
Yep.
tracey marie November 11th, 2014 at 8:22 pm
Wendy does not belong on that list. She and Letticia worked hard, answered all questions, refused to be marginalized. They opened the door that has been shut for 20 years
fancypants November 11th, 2014 at 9:52 pm
I.O.W.A. they never disappoint ( depending on where your values are )
Snick1946 November 12th, 2014 at 11:18 am
I live just over the river in NE- there is an old joke about the ‘IOWA’ on their license plates- it stands for ‘idiots out wandering around.’ Most of them voted, I guess.