By: Russell Dye
We all know by now that Congressman Paul Broun is running for Sen. Saxby Chambliss’s open seat in 2014. However, the real question is this: does he actually have a chance of winning the nomination or beating a Democratic challenger if nominated? GPR’s very own Chris Neill wrote on Broun’s “No-Holds-Barred” campaign, but will it work?
Former radio talk show host Neal Boortz is not so sure that Broun’s political beliefs and strategies will allow him to win. Earlier in the year, while not focusing in class and patrolling Twitter, I noticed a very interesting tweet by Boortz: “If Paul Broun is the GOP Senate candidate in Ga. the Democrats will destroy him. He’s a turbo joke.” I was shocked to see that Tweet from such a powerful person in the political world. The statement was especially surprising coming from Boortz who, as a Libertarian, tends to vote and lean conservative. However, Boortz and Broun have not always seen eye to eye.
In 2012 Boortz started the grassroots campaign to encourage people to vote for Charles Darwin as a write-in candidate in Broun’s uncontested U.S. House race. Initially, Boortz started his campaign for Darwin as a joke. But why did he pick Charles Darwin as the opposing candidate? Boortz chose Darwin, the father of evolution, because of Broun’s comments from a speech earlier in the year: “All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell.” Boortz could not believe what Broun had said. How could a man with his education actually believe such ideas? From that point on, Boortz knew Broun was unelectable.
It is easy to see why Boortz feels this way. America is becoming more open-minded. People are starting to open up to new ideas regarding evolution, abortion, and same-sex marriage. Yet some Republican elites, such as Rep. Broun, are failing to recognize this, and continue to make rather questionable statements. Some Republicans felt the effects of their statements last November. Just ask Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock. Boortz, along with other political commentators, worry about the effect of Broun’s statements regarding evolution. Will Broun face the same fate as his counterparts due to his questionable comments? Many moderate conservatives think so.
Why does this even matter? Who cares if Broun gets the nomination? Georgia is one of the reddest states in the union! Many think Broun’s statements could not possibly hamper him much, and that Georgia’s seat is safe for any Republican to grab. Still, Boortz would point to the fact that Chambliss’s Senate seat is very much open for the taking, and argue that Georgia may not be as red as some would like to think. Georgia may turn blue for the open Senate seat if Republicans run a man such as Broun, given his history of some very head-turning proclamations. In the 2012 presidential election, Gov. Romney only gained 53 percent of the electorate. Boortz believes that number is optimistic if a moderate Democrat runs in the 2014 senatorial election with Broun as the Republican candidate. Is Boortz right?
Yes, Paul Broun would be a very iffy candidate if Republicans nominated him. In the general election, Broun would be widely accountable for his comments about evolution and social policies, thus leaving the door open for a Democratic candidate to look more moderate and reasonable about these very important issues. Broun would have to face the fact that many Republicans simply do not like him. Some believe he has constantly annoyed the Republican Party with his almost elitist ideas regarding life and the federal budget. Many believe Broun will be the first target of Karl Rove’s Victory PAC, a Super PAC aiming to crush candidates that are “unelectable” in the Rove’s eyes, as to protect the party from further embarrassment, like the fallout of the unsuccessful campaigns of Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock. If Broun cannot rally his own party and gain their support or money, how can he expect to win a seat in the Senate in an election that many view as incontestable?
Broun has an uphill battle to climb. Is he a viable candidate? Maybe. Will he win the open senate seat? I do not believe so. However, Broun is still a very interesting candidate to watch out for in the 2014 election. He is an accomplished Congressman with a lot of experience and support, but will it be enough? Neil Boortz does not think so, and many Republicans agree – their skepticism will be tested in the coming months.
