November 7, 2012

"I'm not going to go away, but I'm not going to run again," says Tommy Thompson.

Who seems to have said that in 2010 when he opted not to challenge Russ Feingold for the Senate seat that Ron Johnson went on to win. But 2 years later, when Herb Kohl decided he'd sat in his seat long enough, Tommy decided to run or saunter over what was an empty seat. It should have been really easy, especially with the Democrats putting up the most left of the liberal Democrats in Congress. Well, it wasn't that easy.

ADDED: Here's Tammy Baldwin's victory speech. Congratulations. I remember her as a student in my class!

16 comments:

Sorun said...

Bob Kerrey (NE) also lost his attempt at an old geezer comeback. And I remember when Mondale lost his trying for Wellstone's seat. There's a pattern there. Old geezers take heed -- you're not that great.

Andy said...

Now that Thompson has lost he can apologize for his campaign gay-baiting Baldwin.

TosaGuy said...

Bye Tommy. Don't let the door hit ya where the Lord split ya.

I said a year ago that you were too lazy to run a modern campaign.

roesch/voltaire said...

Baldwin's acceptance speech showed what a class act she is as she thanked Tommy for his service to the state and promised to hold on to her progressive views while working for all of Wisconsin. Made me glad I contributed a small amount towards her campaign, and proud to be from Wisc.

Known Unknown said...

Just go away.

I hate career politicians from any party.

It's like they can't cut it in the real world, so they have to go suck on the teat in D.C. and do what? Regulate the shit out of our lives?

Voted against an R house incumbent in Ohio because he was seeking his seventh? term.

garage mahal said...

The first female senator from Wisconsin and the first openly gay senator in American history. Well done Tammy.

Known Unknown said...

The first female senator from Wisconsin and the first openly gay senator in American history. Well done Tammy.

That's great. Now, what about the Senatoring part?

MadisonMan said...

I see Tammy in the senate and just think of the word sinecure.

MadisonMan said...

At least with Tommy, it would only have been for 6 years.

SomeoneHasToSayIt said...

Thompson ran the type of campaign one would expect from the person I remember hearing about when I was a young lad in Juneau County - a shyster lawyer from Elroy.

How'd that work out for you, Tommy?

garage mahal said...

That's great. Now, what about the Senatoring part?

She'll provide a much needed progressive left flank to an old and crusty corporate old boys club. I couldn't be happier. Still hard to believe she pulled it off.

Bender said...

ANOTHER obvious disaster waiting to happen.

Not going to go away??

Why must you torment poor people so? GO AWAY NOW! Go and leave us poor wretches alone. Haven't you done enough? Just go and leave us in peace.

William said...

Tommy ran a vanity campaign because he thought Tammy was easily beatable. He begged off against Feingold because Russ would have presented a greater a challenge.

The tragedy is that there is a new crop of vibrant younger Republicans who either did not get into the race because of Tommy or succumbed to the divided field. (not Mark Neumann).

For the first 2/3's of the race, Tommy phoned it in. Attack ads were not enough in the end.

Tammy ran a fundamentally dishonest campaign distorting her competitor as well as her record and her true beliefs. But I guess that seems to be the Democrat model and it certainly worked this year.

TosaGuy said...

The only good thing about this race was that Tommy and Mark Neumann are gone from WI politics.

Big Mike said...

Nearly every political career ends with a lost election. Tommy had been lucky enough to be one of the few who ended his career on his terms instead of a lost election. He would have done well to leave it that way.

I give him Cromwell's speech to the Rump Parliament:

"You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately ... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!"

Dr Hubert Jackson said...

Did Ann Althouse ever say who she voted for between Tommy/Tammy?