A flurry of reports seem to indicate that Secretary of State Robin Carnahan is considering running for Governor in 2008, setting up a primary clash with Attorney General Jay Nixon for the party's nomination.It all started with reports surfacing on the conservative blog The Source. Then Jo Mannies of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch got political consultant Tony Wyche to dish that Carnahan has been making calls about her future, "not ruling anything out." Then Jason Rosenbaum of the Columbia Daily Tribune intensified the buzz.
It's a fantasy for political reporters, and apparently a nightmare for the Democratic party.
Let us join the fray.
A Greene County Democratic source tells the KY3 Political Blog that there are growing concerns within the party apparatus that the 2008 calendar could include a contentious Democratic primary battle between Nixon and Carnahan.
"It's not good. It was my understanding there was not going to be a primary, but there are concerns now," says the source. "The door is not closed and that's not something I'm comfortable with. As a person who wants to see success for the Democratic party, I'm conflicted myself," adds the source referring to the choice between Carnahan and Nixon.
The source says that Nixon has already put a good amount of time solidifying the support among Democrats in Greene County, but that the Carnahan name alone still holds a lot of weight in pure loyalty.
"He already has a lot of people on board in Southwest Missouri. There's a lot of good feeling what has been accomplished in the 7th (Congressional District), He's already brought some people on board," the source says, referring to Nixon's tapping of Craig Hosmer as his campaign treasurer.
Still, the source acknowledges that some are still mystified by that Carnahan name.
"It's a logical thing for Robin to be interested in. It would just be a potentially complicated situation. For the good of everybody, we should not have a primary."
So which candidate would be a tougher challenge to Gov. Matt Blunt, presuming he runs again?
May the buzz continue . . .
1 comment:
That's about par for the course for Missouri Democrats. The party hasn't been the same since Mel Carnahan died and if they didn't learn their lesson from 2004, they haven't learned a thing.
If Robin Carnahan is smart, she'll sit on the sidelines and let Jay Nixon fight the ugly battle with Gov. Blunt. A competitive primary is the last thing the party needs. Democrats should be more worried about losing the attorney general's office. There are several Republican senators (Michael Gibbons among them) who might have their eyes on the AG spot.
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