Jazz Shaw:
Earlier this week Ed looked at a rumor we’d been hearing for months now which seems to be verified. Former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown had put his Bay State home on the market and moved to New Hampshire in preparation for a bid to take the Senate seat currently held by Jeanne Shaheen. There’s little doubt that Shaheen is potentially in hot water over her unflagging support of Obamacare and the President, and Ed felt that might be enough to work that old Scott Brown magic again.
The primary will certainly prove interesting. Shaheen will have a tough time regardless of who her opponent turns out to be, thanks to the cratering support for Barack Obama. Brown can at least demonstrate his opposition to ObamaCare and his brief experience as a Senator as pluses for New Hampshire voters, and that may be all they require by the time the rest of the ObamaCare disaster has unfolded over the next year.
If it comes to a battle in the general election, that may certainly prove to be true. But in order to reach that point, Brown will need to make it through the “interesting” primary which Ed referenced. And during one of his first appearances on the early campaign trail, the candidate found out precisely how interesting things might get.
Scott Brown attracted more than 125 pro-gun conservatives to a GOP holiday party here Thursday night — but they came to protest his appearance, not to hear him speak.
The spectacle — protesters outnumbered activists who coughed up $50 to see Brown — was a stark illustration of the treacherous political terrain facing the 54-year-old New Hampshire transplant if he launches a Senate bid that’s looking more likely by the day…
“His coming here is calculated disrespect, just as if he went to Saudi Arabia with pork chops in his suitcase,” said Jay Simkin, a 60-something economic consultant who lives in Nashua. “If he wants gun control, he should stay in Massachusetts.”
Brown isn’t officially in the race yet, telling reporters outside of this event that he hasn’t even set a timeline for making a final decision as to whether or not he’ll run, but this was probably an eye opener for him. The Granite State’s somewhat unique blend of conservative and libertarian politics always makes it an interesting and challenging state for presidential candidates and pundits alike. But there’s one area where there is little to no question when it comes to the attitude of the voters. If you want to impress New Hampshire Republicans (not to mention independents and a fair share of the Democrats to boot) you had best be a rock solid supporter of Second Amendment rights.
Anyone seeking to challenge Brown in the primary will find plenty of fodder to attack him on that front. He’s on the record expressing support for a renewed federal “assault weapons” ban, opposing a national concealed carry law and once even received the endorsement of the Deplorable Nanny State Mayor and his anti-gun rights group. These sorts of things may have been what it took to remain competitive in Boston, but they add up to a rather toxic mix in New Hampshire.
