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Bye Bye Bayh
Could NH's Independents Buy Bayh's Third Party Candidacy?

Evan Bayh (D-IN) has decided to retire from the US Senate. Bayh is a very astute political leader, with a lifetime of political experience.

While conservative Democrat Bayh was riding very high in Indiana polls, he understands that polls today are meaningless as they relate to the poll that will count on November's election day.

While he has claimed that he still supports ultra-liberal President, Barrack Obama, Bayh doesn't support him enough to put his political career and reputation on the line in November to create the greatest odds of Obma holding control of the US Senate.

Independents should keep in mind that Evan Bayh considers the potential for a third party President in 2012 a real, viable, possibility.

Bayh has the experience to understand that even his very high standing in the polls, his huge political bank account, and his moderate record may not be enough to neutralize the tidal wave that is likely to take place in November.

Bayh's Senate retirement makes him a very attractive candidate, should he consider a third party Presidential bid.

Governor Lynch should take note of Bayh's decision and evaluation of the prognosis for Democrats' success in 2010 as he calculates his potential re-election plans.

Independents might want to ponder a Bayh/Gregg third party Presidential candidacy.

Watching Judd Gregg's passion lately for a balanced budget - a real balanced budget - might just make a prospect like that really enticing.

One thing is for sure. NH's Independents could buy Bayh's third party candidacy, should he decide to pursue that. Yup. If there was ever a place that Bayh could test his theory, it would be in NH.

Run John Run...

John Lynch

Is Our New Hampshire Economy Going To The Johns

John Stephen

Governor John Lynch and former HHS Commissioner, John Stephen are likely to face off in the 2010 gubernatorial race - if each runs, that is. Both are likely. Both might not. Both have been political rivals for nearly a decade.

Stephen, a former Governor Craig Benson appointee to HHS, has been a roll up your sleeve hands on budget cutter. He has never flinched at pissing off anyone; any interest group, any governmental agency or body, any union, or an political figure, including Governor Lynch.

Stephen refused to resign when Lynch was first elected and made it clear that was his preference. He, instead, trudged forward with little regard to Lynch's preferences.

Stephen further crafted innovative, outside the box, budget cuts in the mega millions that Lynch at the time found unacceptable, and it was especially unacceptable to Lynch's social services and union bases.

That was then. This is now.

Lynch's revenues have dipped much lower in the current economy than most imagined they would. He is now faced with huge budget deficits while facing election if he placates his union and social service political bases.

Earlier in the current budget cycle his union bases refused to make allowances for the economy and by almost all accounts screwed Lynch in public, refusing to sign any contract that realistically accommodated for the revenue base decline from the economic downturn.

Lynch is now poised for a new round of budget cuts in the hundreds of millions, pulling no punches to his union base that he told them so while indicating large layoffs.

While Lynch has remained popular, by all accounts this is not going to be a good year for Democrats. The notion that his current 60 percent approval rating in the polls would be sustained during Republican assaults, almost guaranteed to be very high level during an open Senate seat fight, especially with political scrapping master, former Governor John Sununu at the helm, should be considered sophomoric, at best. After Scott Brown's stunning victory in the race for Ted Kennedy's seat this is likely to make Lynch think twice before running for an unprecedented fourth consecutive gubernatorial term.

Stephen isn't without significant risk as well. He has lost two consecutive tries to win his Party's nomination for Congress. If he were to lose a third consecutive major race it certainly could put his future political prospects on life support. Stephen's willingness to accumulate political enemies, no matter how good the policy was to make those enemies, doesn't make him a certain win. With Governor Lynch making business enemies with his LLC tax, his layoff policies that have angered unions and social service interests, Stephen's risks have been greatly reduced.

Both Johns have some very careful thinking to do about 2010.

All we can say at NHPolitics.com is, Run John Run!!!!