Last week, State Senator Tracy Potter, North Dakota Dem-NPL candidate for the US Senate, and his opponent, the popular governor John Hoeven, met in their first debate. It took about a minute and a half for it to be clear who Hoeven's running against (hint: it ain't Tracy Potter) and by the end of the debate everyone was pretty sick of hearing it.
So, what if they gave an election and nobody came? That is, what if the Democrats simply let the seat go to an unchallenged Republican? If the candidate nominated to undertake the challenge can't get the voters' attention for lack of campaign resources, I can see this as a likely prospect for the future of this seat in the United States Senate.
At this point, it looks as if Hoeven is likely to win with one of the biggest margins in the history of the state. Potter is polling 30% at best, and without an infusion of money for television and radio advertising, he's not likely to gain a whole lot over that number -- and this for a seat that Byron Dorgan has held for the Democrats for almost two decades.
Tracy does very well when he can get on the airwaves and talk with the people of the state. The responses to the debate were strong and positive, but it was broadcast at 3 o'clock on a Thursday afternoon -- not exactly designed to reach a large number of voters.
People: There are only 100 seats in the US Senate and, as we learned from Dr. Dean, we oughtn't to give any Republican a free ride. So far, the lack of any kind of support from outside North Dakota is giving John Hoeven the election. Democrats can win in North Dakota -- Dorgan, Conrad and Pomeroy have proved that over and over again. Three dollars reaches core voters here on MSNBC. Yes, $3 is what it costs to purchase 30 seconds. That's bang for your buck if ever you've seen it. Let's all step up now and make this a race.
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