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Bye-Bye Bob Bennett? Why The GOP Senator Could Lose His Seat
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| Contributor | WesternDem |
| Last Edited | WesternDem May 03, 2010 12:33pm |
| Category | Blog Entry |
| News Date | May 03, 2010 12:00pm |
| Description | Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT) could very well become the first incumbent Senator to lose re-election in 2010, when his state party convention convenes next weekend. So how is that even though Bennett has voted against the Obama administration's key initiatives, he may become a casualty of the anti-spending Tea Party right and its fellow travelers?
Bennett himself has offered an explanation, which rings true in many ways. There is an anti-incumbent, anti-establishment mood among conservative activists, who want to throw the bums out in Washington. "But in this state, there is no Democrat to get really mad at in this fashion, so they get mad at me," Bennett has said.
A recent Mason-Dixon poll of convention delegates gave attorney Mike Lee 37%, followed by businessman Tim Bridgewater with 20%, the incumbent Bennett at only 16%, and businesswoman Cherilyn Eagar with 11%. In another bad sign for Bennett, a whopping 61% of delegates view Bennett unfavorably, with only 28% having a favorable view of him.
Under the rules of the Utah GOP, a candidate with 60% of the convention vote will be nominated outright, with no primary. Voting is conducted by secret ballot over three rounds, which will narrow the field of candidates down from eight names, to three, and then to two candidates for a final vote. If the 60% super-majority is not reached, then the final two contenders will meet in a primary -- meaning that a candidate must receive at least 40% of the convention vote in order to make it to the primary. With the incumbent Bennett at only 16% in the Mason-Dixon poll, it doesn't look too good for him going into the convention. |
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