The Specter Of Bass - Granite Grok

The Specter Of Bass

There is speculation that part of the problem with some incumbants and candidates who are seeking higher office (like an Arlen Specter or Charlie Crist) is that they want it too much.  They want the office more than anything.  In Specter’s case he switched parties to keep his senate seat.  Crist crooned about his devotion to the GOP until the people who make up the GOP made it clear they were not going to choose him, and he declared himself an independent.  His reward will probably be a third place finish.  Specter has been handed his walking papers.  They both wanted it too much.

While there is nothing new about the self-interest required to achieve an elected office, blatant displays are considered gauche and Crist and Specter will not be the only ones to suffer for it.  In New Hampshire I can think of at least two example that fit this criterion.  Sean Mahoney and Charlie Bass.

Off the top, I don’t know either.  I’m sure they are great guys who have done great things at one time or another.  But in the midst of a surge in which we are looking to replace politicians more interested in politics than the people, candidates that appear to "want it too much" are a poor investment.

Mahoney is only on my short list for the reality television drama-queen departure he executed in the face of a minor scandal/non-scandal which he then used as an excuse to run for office.  Magnify that into the realm of all possibility and tell me if candidate or congressman Mahoney can ever carry that one-time back-ally victory with his so-called conscience to DC?  It’s for show so the answer has to be no.  So Sean looks to me to be little more than an opportunist with money and connections.  Although one might hint that the connections are all to that corrupt misguided GOP he could have better fixed as a committeman than a candidate, which makes him something of a political pied piper.  I think he wants to be elected to something more than he wants to serve as my congressman.

I have a greater concern for the candidacy of Charlie Bass.  It’s a small-government party and while he was good on taxes and defense he’s not so good on spending, the environment, heck you know the list.  He has conections to the evil GOP empire of GWB which will never run well.   He ran for office on term limits then dumped that promise.  He has been unable to win an election at any point in recent memory.  Now he is running again–and I don’t think he is running on term limits.

Does he want it too much?  I think he does.

So how does it play out?  I happen to think Bass and Mahoney are wasting money, but they are more than welcome to do so.  Perhaps we will see something that catapaults them beyond the ‘specter’ of opportunism, but that remains to be seen.  For now, they just look like they want an invitation to the ball so they can say they were there, and in Charlie’s case there again.

 

Cross Posted at NH Insider

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