Richie Robb

Eyes on target (4.00 / 1)

Fault me if you want, I'm a realist.

When a man embarks upon a crime, he is morally guilty of any other crime which may spring from it. Sherlock Holmes.

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by: Carnacki @ Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 07:28:39 AM CST

Robb (4.00 / 1)

But he is better on the issues and hails from the better base in the District.  He will be a force in a primary.  I also believe anyone has the right to run.  If Unger is a better candidate, he will win the primary.

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by: eastpanhlib @ Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 22:29:37 PM CST

eastpanhlib (4.00 / 1)

Sure everyone has the right to run. But that doesn't mean it's the smart thing for him to run. I'm not sure how much you actually know about Robb on the issues.

Whether he comes from the better base in the district is debatable. The last three unsuccessful Democratic candidates, Humphrey, Wells and Callaghan came from the same end of the district as Robb. How'd that work out for the Dems? The key to defeating Capito is to undercut her main base of support in the Eastern Panhandle. Robb only pulled 21 percent here in the 2006 primary and one of them was me.

The key isn't winning a primary. The key is beating Capito. Robb is getting in too late to do that even if he could. And I don't think he could.

When a man embarks upon a crime, he is morally guilty of any other crime which may spring from it. Sherlock Holmes.

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by: Carnacki @ Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:00:02 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Unger (4.00 / 1)

I want to also add that I'm not the only one supporting Unger. Labor has endorsed him, the earliest endorsement yet for a candidate from the WV AFL-CIO. The DCCC has backed him much more than they have any of the other Capito challengers. So I don't concede that Robb would be better overall on the issues. I also suspect that our ideal candidate from the left probably wouldn't have a chance in hell of winning in this district which went for Bush twice. Unger is similar in many ways to Nick Rahall, who is far from a liberal on many issues. But would you rather have a Rahall or a Capito? I know I don't want any more of Capito, whose rubberstamped the worst of the rightwing's agenda and roadblocked the best efforts at progress from the left.

When a man embarks upon a crime, he is morally guilty of any other crime which may spring from it. Sherlock Holmes.

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by: Carnacki @ Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 01:08:02 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Unger vs. Robb (4.00 / 1)

Competiton can be a good thing.  Unger is not strong on many progressive issues.  He is way too conservative and willing to use gays as pawns to win elections like 2006.  That is not leadership by any standard.  I know Robb is stronger on the war in Iraq.  I don't disagree with much of what you say.  But Charleston is still the larger base of the District based on voters.

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by: eastpanhlib @ Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 14:16:32 PM CST

eastpanhlib (4.00 / 1)

I hope I've made it clear my main objection to Robb has more to do with his timing than to his entry. I would have much rather preferred he entered the same time as Unger if he was going to get in the race and then have a competition for the primary that allowed both of them to raise not just funds and name recognition for a primary but enough in the bank to have something left to take on Capito in a general election. Robb raised something like $80,000 in the last election, iirc, with $17,000 of that out of pocket. In a perfect world, money wouldn't matter. In this world it does. Now as much as some don't like Unger, and a lot of that is his own fault because he's not articulated his views on his site as he has in person and because of the 2006 flyer that he's apologized for, others have found him very likeable and electable. Congressman Charles Rangel, one of the people who met Unger in Washington, has maxed out on contributing to Unger. Now it's not unusual for Congressional representatives to contribute to elect other Democrats, but it's another thing to max out those contributions when the candidate isn't even from your own state.  

When a man embarks upon a crime, he is morally guilty of any other crime which may spring from it. Sherlock Holmes.

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by: Carnacki @ Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 15:51:23 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Humorous aside (4.00 / 1)

I spoke to Thornton Cooper today.  He told me he was walking around downtown South Charleston today when Richie Robb drove by and shouted "Cooper for Congress!"  Well, maybe it's not so funny in writing.  Oh well.

Cooper has already told me he's going to file, but I'm not sure about Robb.  However, if Robb in fact jumps in, I have a feeling Cooper is going to finish last.

My question (I know it's been posed many times before, though) is: can Unger really beat Capito?  I'm not a huge fan of him, but I'm less a fan of Capito's politics.

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by: WVComposer @ Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 20:13:16 PM CST

LOL (0.00 / 0)

WVComposer -- That's pretty funny.

I can only imagine the elation, befuddlement, and then disappointment as Cooper figured out who it was.

As to your question...

I don't know if Unger can beat Capito or not. I am convinced that 2008 is the very best chance at beating her we're going to get.

I am also convinced that a candidate with early institutional support (DCCC, labor; Rahall, Mollohan) has the very best chance -- it's way too late for anyone else to enter and be anything other than a spoiler.

Unger definitely has the potential to win. If he runs a solid campaign, if the national wind keeps blowing Democratic, and if he can keep growing a coalition he's got an excellent shot. If public opinion finally turns on Capito on any one of her many vulnerabilities (Iraq war support, ties to corrupt politicians, double-talking on so many issues) he's won the race.

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by: Clem Guttata @ Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 06:02:03 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Institutional support (4.00 / 1)

That's the other thing about Robb. If he had gotten in earlier, he could have taken steps to garner some institutional support along with Unger. If Robb does win a primary, I doubt if the DCCC or labor will back him like they're backing Unger for many reasons. The DCCC will probably see the race like you and I see it and figure that Robb's lack of funds and other factors wouldn't make him a viable candidate against Capito. I'd also not be surprised to see labor line up behind Capito to mend fences because they're realists too. Like it or not, and I know many on the left don't, Unger's the best chance we've got at beating Capito.


When a man embarks upon a crime, he is morally guilty of any other crime which may spring from it. Sherlock Holmes.

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by: Carnacki @ Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 15:42:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]

WVComposer (4.00 / 1)

If I didn't think Unger could beat Capito, I wouldn't spend so much time on this race. I'd be writing more about torture or another issue. I do believe Unger gives us the best shot of beating her. I also think the DCCC and the unions agree. Otherwise they wouldn't be backing him as strongly as they do. I'd love to have someone I agreed with 100 percent on every issue representing me in Congress. I don't think someone like that would beat Capito because like it or not - and I don't - this is a fairly conservative district. At heart it's a Democratic one and I want to turn it back to blue. My overall goal is to first make sure we have a Democratic controlled Congress with as large of a majority as possible. If we get Unger in and he disappoints us, I'll lead the parade to primary him. I think he'll be a Nick Rahall, one I don't agree with on social issues, but I'd be happy to call him my Congressman because of his overall stance.

When a man embarks upon a crime, he is morally guilty of any other crime which may spring from it. Sherlock Holmes.

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by: Carnacki @ Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 15:38:47 PM CST

[ Parent ]