Have we been down this Sununu road before? - Granite Grok

Have we been down this Sununu road before?

I took a LOT of crap for writing this post about then US Senator John E. Sununu’s lack of campaigning – and Jeanne Shaheen cleaned his campaign clock and took his seat away. So I ask once again – how much campaigning has one seen from latest / youngest scion of the Super Sununu family lately?  Not a heck of a lot from what I’ve seen or heard – and he seems rather proud of it as I’m now just watching him on WMUR’s News. In a piece contrasting Molly Kelly (upping her Primary hastings efforts now towards the General election a few scant weeks from now), there’s Chris:

Adam: But the Governor is planning to run on his own record: from full day kindergarten to cutting taxes. And he’s highlighting that he’s spending more time on working than campaigning

Yeah, heard that tactic before.  How’d that work out for the family business?

The General Election is [sic] kicked off, but, there is a State to run. So, we’re really focused on doing  the job. We’re going to hold a cabinet meeting this afternoon. I was with my staff doing our Day of Caring with Granite United Way this morning; we’re building a playground…The Democrats will do anything they can to link this race to “something else” that doesn’t pertain to NH, right? Because we’ve been so successful here. It is hard to argue our record of success. So, we just focus on the 603.

Ayup.  Yeah.  We do know how that worked out for then US Senator John E. Sununu.  From my 2008 post on older brother’s lack of campaigning:

I’m the political one in the house…my wife mostly tolerates it but does, at times, come out with some gems.

She heard what transpired....

We had to go run a short errand and during the trip, she asked “so what IS the big deal?”. My answer was another question

“Do you know who is running against him”?

“Shaheen”

“how do you know that?”

“I hear about her all the time on TV and in the paper”

“And Sununu?”

“What’s he saying?” She had no answer. 
(Update: she later said that unless you were a Republican that notices, you’d have no idea that Sununu’s seat was up for grabs and he was running for it….just Shaheen).

You know, I really want to help the Rs here in NH. But you can’t even tell these folks that there’s a trough….

So what the heck am I talking about?  I’ve offered both Senators’ office/communication staff time on Meet The New Press and offered the courtesy to do guest posts.  What do we hear?

cricket…cricket…cricket…. 

And I took a few shots at his Communications staff and Republican messaging efforts (non-existent?).  The result? He lost.  Doug commented on it at the time as well:

With an energized Granite State Democratic Party on the march flush with cash and willing volunteers behind the challenger Jeanne Shaheen, those of us that care about who represents New Hampshire in the US Senate have good reason to worry. To allow Jeanne Shaheen and the Democratic operation to define Senator Sununu with unanswered charge after charge has been cause for concern as the clock ticks and the days bring the election ever closer.

And will we have to listen to this drivel again as well?

Not to worry, the insiders are saying

“The campaign has a time line and a strategy in place and is following that plan.”

Sound familiar??? Instead of Jeanne Shaheen and the US Senate, it’s now Molly Kelly and the NH Governorship. The same thing is that “energized Granite State Democratic Party on the march flush with cash and willing volunteers behind the challenger“.  Sure, he’s got sky high poll numbers but for him to rely on just that is like the old 4 corner basketball tactic to run out the clock – lots of movement but no real advancing the ball on offense.  Sure, he’s got Constitutional Carry, work on DCYF, and tax cuts but if anything is true, you just can’t sit on your laurels here in NH.  Where’s the ground game?  Where’s the media blitz?

cricket…cricket…cricket…. 

Again, from the Meeting That No One Attended, he said the only thing that mattered was winning.  I’m not seeing current emotions behind those words.  And while he has some positives, he also has the Trans bill (creating yet another Democrat Special Identity Protected Group at the expense of vulnerable pre- and teenaged boys and girls that simply want their privacy in the locker and bathrooms) and canceling Free Speech on the conversion therapy band which still doesn’t sit well with those that value our First Amendment Rights. Way to go to amp up those who would otherwise be aligned tightly with said (none?) campaign.

Decisions have consequences – what consequence will this decision have?  Will this be Number Two to kill off his political career?  And what kind of looks will Papa Smurf have at the end of the day?

 

 

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