Concord Monitor:
When Kelly Ayotte announced that she was stepping down to run for U.S. Senate, the burning question in New Hampshire politics became: What kind of Republican will she be? Will she be a right-winger, pro-life, anti-gay and partisan to the max? Or will she appeal to the center with provocative ideas about the economy, the war and foreign affairs?
Roll Call ($):
While national Republicans are quickly falling in line behind former New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, several local party activists said they are still unsure what kind of candidate she will be in the Granite State’s 2010 Senate race.
Although most Republicans only had kind words to say about the telegenic Ayotte, even her supporters had a hard time describing her political leanings.
--snip--
Ayotte supporter and former state Sen. Bob Clegg (R) worked regularly with her when they were in office, but he was at a loss when asked to pinpoint where he thought she would fall on the political spectrum.
"Would I call her a Republican or Democrat? I wouldn’t call her either," Clegg said. "I think she’s one of the most thoughtful people on the political spectrum."
But, Clegg added, people will find out quickly how she feels because of her straightforward personality and tendency to answer questions in a direct manner.
So she's straightforward and people will find out quickly how she feels, says the man who has worked with her for several years and doesn't know where she stands on the issues.
Also unknown are Ayotte's campaign skills (according to Roll Call, one GOP operative said that Ayotte did "all right" in a recent speaking appearance) and fundraising ability.
And this is the prize recruit of the Republican party.