On Tuesday, the deadline to file for the Dem primary in South Dakota passes, and so far it looks like we've got no one.
We're just conceding to Republican John Thune?
Thune beat Tom Daschle by less than 5,000 votes in 2004.
Daschle of course lost some major mojo in early 2009 when he failed his confirmation hearings for HHS. However, wouldn't running Daschle be better than running no one?
Food for thought:
- Daschle is a millionaire and could potentially self-finance
- Healthcare's passage gives Dems a huge boost, and Daschle could wrap that success around his campaign
- Thune would definitely run against healthcare and Daschle is uniquely qualified to poke holes in him on the issue
- Daschle popped up on the Sunday news shows this month, so he hasn't gone completely into hiding
The only poll I can find for this race is a year old: Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 3/30/09-4/1/09. Registered voters. MoE 3.9%.
- John Thune (R) 53
- Tom Daschle (D) 40
- John Thune (R) 51
- Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) 39
However, that poll was taken just after Daschle failed his HHS confirmation for his tax flubs.
At this moment in time on the heels of a huge healthcare win, Daschle could reposition himself as a winner. Daschle was one of Obama's earliest supporters during the primaries. He was the primary pointman for Obama's superdelegates. He laid a lot of the groundwork for healthcare reform, and now it's passed.
Signatures are due on Tuesday. If that doesn't happen, Independents have until June 8 to file.