Bloodless Coup

Getting to Know John Raese (R-WV)

So this morning I was treated to an interview (sort of - think of it as a softball extravaganva) on the local NPR affiliate with John Raese, the likely Republican nominee against Sen. Robert C. Byrd this fall. When I saw his poorly designed signs I figured this was a guy who, despite having run statewide back in the 1980's and having lots of family money to spend and family interests to defend, seemed to have surprisingly poor political instincts (political signs should be clear and bold, not pretty and vague). It turns out that he seems to have also thought very little about developing an appealing message. In fact, everything he said seemed to turn on three words - free enterprise, deregulation. For example, that was his response to mine safety - no new government regulations, the businesses and the miners should work it out. Hmmmm. I thought that was the system that created the problems in the first place?

Moving on, the number one issue in West Virginia, according to him is the decline of the steel industry and Weirton Steel in particular. And he wanted to know why Sen. Rockefeller and Sen. Byrd weren't doing more to fix the decline of the state's steel industry. Uh, Mr. Raese, you just said the government is the problem, not the solution. That being the case, what non-governmental actions are you calling on our veteran senators to take?

And when it came to Iraq, I'd basically describe his views as pathetically simple-minded. When asked what he wanted to see happen there, what we should be doing, he responded with 4 words: "We win, they lose". Apparently taken aback at the brevity of the answer, the reporter then asked - ooookay - well what's winning? His response: "Defeating your opponent". Yes, on the dominant question in the political discourse right now, he had 7 words to say. Seven words he didn't explain anything (who is "they" exactly?), and seven words that seemed to point to him being totally out of his depth and disinterested in any topics that didn't involve removing what he sees as burdensome regulations on his businesses. Oh, excuse me - America's businesses. I'm not a Byrd fan (to put it extremely mildly), but after this interview I might just have to vote for the incumbent. Raese seems to be a self-interested, dim, weasel.