Jay Buckey

by JoeTrippi, Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:06:06 PM EST

Bumped from the diaries -- Jonathan... I still tend to think that it would be best for the Democrats if Jean Shaheen jumped in because polling overwhelmingly shows she could win this race by a Bob Casey-like margin without costing the DSCC a cent (and New Hampshire isn't cheap given the necessity of advertising in the Boston media market), but the polling also shows that some of the other candidates, including Buckey, have a chance to hold Sununu's feet to the fire. Interesting post either way.

There is something refreshing about candidates with different backgrounds. After all, our representatives should be, well, representative. That is one reason I was pulling so hard for Senators Tester and Webb in the last cycle - the Senate needs different resumes.

Before Tester, we did not have a family farmer in the Senate. Before Webb, we did not have an Assistant Secretary of Defense or a Secretary of the Navy. The Democratic Party succeeds by bringing new biographies to the upper chamber.

One candidate I have my eye on this cycle is Jay Buckey, running for Senate in New Hampshire. Jay is a medical doctor, a professor at Dartmouth, a former Major in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, and an astronaut - he completed 256 orbits of the Earth aboard the space shuttle Columbia.

When you look at the immense problems we face -- energy security, global warming, health care, Iraq, etc. -- we need these different backgrounds leading us towards solutions. Jim Webb has been a leading voice on finding a way out of Iraq. John Tester understands the struggles of family farmers. Jay Buckey, as a doctor and an astronaut, could be our strongest voice on healthcare and innovation. Since Senator Frist left office, there is not a single Senator with a medical background, nevertheless a Doctor-Professor-Astronaut.

I'm going to follow this race closely. I hope Jay Buckey shows up at YearlyKos so the netroots can meet him, get to know him, and see what he is made of. I am really intrigued with Jay and what he has accomplished - and how he might represent real change.  While I admire the other Democratic candidates, I wonder if Jay may be more adept at helping to solve our problems than those that have spent their years running for political office.

I urge the entire netroots to take a close look at Jay: www.buckey08.com.

Update [2007-7-30 20:22:36 by Jonathan Singer]: When a diary gets bumped to the front page the diarist can lose the ability to update their own post. So I have been asked to pass on the following updates from Mr. Trippi...

UPDATE: As some have pointed out, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is a doctor and Senator John Warner (R-VA) was the Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974. My mistake.

UPDATE: While I am a Senior Adviser for the John Edwards campaign, this post just reflects my personal thoughts. There are many good candidates in this Senate race -- I just think it is important that people take a close look at Jay. He has a very impressive background that could serve the Senate well.




Tags: Jay Buckey, New Hampshire, NH-Sen (all tags)

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Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

Buckey is definitely an intriguing challenger to Sununu.  Since John Glenn left, the Senate needs an astronaut!  Another NH Dem primary challenger, Steve Marchand, has said he will drop out of the race if former Gov. Jeane Shaheen jumps in.  It appears more and more likely each week that she will do so.  Has Buckey made any statements about whether he'll continue if Shaheen decides to run?


by NathanielB on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:20:46 PM EST

Bill Nelson was an astronaut... (3.00 / 1)

Obviously not my favorite Senator though.


by Ramo on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:23:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

Joe, thanks for posting this!

Nathaniel - Jay plans to stay in the race.

(I'm working for the Buckey campaign.  Check out our blog at blogforbuckey.com)


by GavinBrown on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:34:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Marchand said this? (none / 0)

Well then I hope I get a refund from his campaign.  I support him BECAUSE he's NOT establishment, super-cautious, ultra-milquetoast Jeanne Shaheen.  Wasn't she a Kerry person in the 2004 primary?  That's a shock.  She is a female clone of him and his pussy boy, losing 2004 campaign.

Damn.


McCain is defining Obama, and Obama is neither defining himself, nor McCain. This is awful.
by jgarcia on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 06:03:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

Whoops! I forgot about Bill.


by NathanielB on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:24:43 PM EST

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

I agree with Jon.  I'd much rather have NH in the bag so the DSCC can spread some dough to expensive second tier races (like NC, KY, and TX).


by Ramo on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:28:24 PM EST

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

The "I'm not Inhoffe kinda crazy, but different kinda crazy" Senator from OK is an Ob-gyn. Sorry am totally blanking on his name.


by Dee Loralei on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:29:10 PM EST

Tom Coburn (none / 0)

There are lesbians breeding in our bathrooms!


by Ramo on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:30:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

Tom Coburn, remembered it!


by Dee Loralei on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:31:48 PM EST

I suspect Shaheen (none / 0)

is working for HRC in New Hampshire and is the reason Sen Clinton is running strong there;  Shaheen is likely angling for a cabinet post in the Clinton Administration.  If she runs for senator in her own right, she won't be able to support a presidential candidate without hurting her own chances.


by lobo charlie on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:49:17 PM EST

It shouldn't matter. (none / 0)

The field will be cleared for her.  Steve Marchand has said that he'll back out if she runs, for instance.


by Ramo on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:54:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Whether she runs or not, (none / 0)

I hope the DSCC will stay out of the contest until a primary winner is selected.  In the past, they have front-loaded primaries by favoring and funding a particular candidate.  They have also discouraged candidates from continuing their campaigns, "for the good of the party".  The local electorate are the ones who should decide what is right for the party, not entrenched power brokers in Washington.  Tester and Shea-Porter were not the Washington anointed candidates last time around; thank goodness the Democratic voters of Montana and New Hampshire set them straight.


by lobo charlie on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 05:15:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

That's not going to happen. (none / 0)

NH politicos are all pining for Shaheen, and the grassroots will fall in line.  The DSCC isn't going to lift a finger.  We're talking about PA '06, not MT '06.


by Ramo on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 05:30:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

UPDATE (none / 0)

As some have pointed out (thanks Dee Loralei and Ramo), Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is a doctor and Senator John Warner (R-VA) was the Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974. My mistake.


by JoeTrippi on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:51:28 PM EST

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

Right On!

I have the same feeling feelings about Jay Buckey as I had for Barack Obama, John Tester and Jim Webb. This guys the real deal and with the netroots behind him we could have a winner here.  


by pallewog on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 04:56:25 PM EST

If Shaheen announces........ (none / 0)

it will be the Debbie Downer of the 2008 campaign.  I'll hardly be able to stay awake.


McCain is defining Obama, and Obama is neither defining himself, nor McCain. This is awful.
by jgarcia on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 06:05:15 PM EST

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

I'm all for populist people-driven candidates.  However, the realization of the political landscape in New Hampshire is not driven around populism.  It is the most conservative state in the Northeast, and Bush won it in 2000, Kerry by only 2% in 2004, I believe.

Yes, Democrats made great gains in the state, ousting Bass, Bradley, and numerous Republicans from the General Court.

John Lynch is a very popular incumbent Governor and will be on the ballot in 2008.  He's a fairly moderate guy, and has 76% approval compared to 13% disapproval.  He did sign the civil unions bill, so he's not for the status quo.  His presence on the ballot in New Hampshire can drive Democratic turnout.

When you consider that the Lynch voter is likely to be a Shaheen voter, and Lynch can drive up to 70% of the vote or more, you want as little ticket-splitting as possible.  The nominee most similar to him will be very strong, and nearly impossible to beat.  This also helps Hodes and Shea-Porter who the NRCC will be targeting bigtime.

Shaheen won't be Lieberman either.  That I do know.  She won't be Russ Feingold, but she won't be an enemy to progressive causes either.


I'm proud to be a Hillary Clinton supporter!
by takingbackamerica on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 06:31:26 PM EST

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

are you a new hampshirite?  

NH, to my mind (and I have lived there and now live in Mass and have family there) has never been quintessentially "conservative."  Yes, the libertarianism has always been overrated, but it ain't conservative in the traditional sense.  And it never has been, IMO.

If there's one state where populism may sell, it's NH.  

Shea-Porter, Hodes, Buchanan in 1996, um, "Live Free Or Die"?


McCain is defining Obama, and Obama is neither defining himself, nor McCain. This is awful.
by jgarcia on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 06:45:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

I'm not from New Hampshire, although my understanding is that the state is really of the old right.  Sort of isolationist, libertarian, but not big into spending by any means.  it is the only state without an income or sales tax.  It is the only state not requiring its drivers to wear seatbelts.  They don't like regulation, they don't like spending money.

Yes, there's an influx into New Hampshire, making parts of it a Boston exurb.  However, the typical New Hampshire voter is a fiscal conservative, social liberal, and Shaheen fits well w/that.  I'm not saying Buckey, Swett or Marchand are out of touch, but she may be stronger in both ideology and name recognition.

Of course, look at Webb and Tester to see things can change.


I'm proud to be a Hillary Clinton supporter!
by takingbackamerica on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 06:50:54 PM EST

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

I'd like the DSCC to stay out of any primary. I would also like to see any other outsiders stay out of our primary, including Mr. Trippi.  It is a New Hampshire primary.  Jeanne Shaheen had a progressive record on gay rights and environmental issues. She is also 100% pro-chice.
By the way, it is a little ironic for Mr. Trippi to take a slap at people who have run for office, when one considers that he is working for frmer Senator Edwards, who has been running for president since 2004, and who served a term in the senate before that.

by nascardem on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 09:15:29 PM EST

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

I also should have said, I think John Edwards is great.  Trippi, not so much.  He left the Dean campaign in a shambles.


by nascardem on Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 09:50:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

The thing about people running for federal office is that they represent not only you, but every other American as well.  We're not talking about the local dog catcher, we're talking about a United States Senator.  I've sent contributions to and written positively about candidates in Maine, Maryland, North Carolina, California, and one candidate for President.  I live in Indiana.

I think Jeanne Shaheen would be a fine Senator.  I just think it's also ok for "outsiders" to get excited about and to support other candidates. :)


The sharpest criticism often goes hand in hand with the deepest idealism and love of country. ~RFK
by Vox Populi on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 08:31:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

I agree that the DSCC should stay out of this primary AND all primaries.  Let the grassroots activists and local voters decide who will be the face of the Democratic Party in their state.  I'm from just over the border in Massachusetts and I'd be impressed with Marchand, Buckey, or Shaheen on the ticket.  For some reason Katrina Swett does not appeal to me in the least bit - maybe it's the whole Lieberman thing.

I hope the DSCC stays out of the Senate fight in my state.  Gloucester lawyer Ed O'Reilly could gain a good deal of support with anti-war Democrats angry at John Kerry for his support of the war and his failed '04 run.  There's definitely some Kerry fatigue here.  


by NathanielB on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 12:26:35 AM EST

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

I do live in NH and am politically active here.  I think Jay is a great candidate, I heard him speak at the NHDP convention, before his campaign was official, and I like his scientific approach, his strength of character and his forthrightness.  I am not a fan of Jeanne, nor of the establishment of the NHDP, which seemed content to lose elections and was very, very top down, to my mind.  

I was a Carol Shea Porter campaigner, and would love to see more of these sort of independent-minded and strong candidates with fresh ideas running in NH.  I think people here are looking for a change.


www.carolforcongress.com
by bloomingpol on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 07:28:46 AM EST

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

Content to lose elections?  Lynch and Kerry in '04, swept the table in '06.  When Jeanne Shaheen was governor,she rebuilt the party, heloed get a Democratic majority elected to the state senate.  '02 was a disaster, but that had more to do with the Buch dynamic and Mark Fernald's pro-income tax stance.  


by nascardem on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 08:21:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Jay Buckey (none / 0)

The DSCC jumped in full tilt here in Colorado in 2004....
giving everything to one candidate and squashing his opponent who had graduated from West Point and Berkeley.
A man who was the only Dem to take on NightHorse Campbell.....after Campbell dropped The DSCC did get a Dem elected...Ken "freakin" Salazar... years gone and I'm still pissed...I still have my Mike Miles bumper sticker..

"If you want to end war and stuff, you gotta sing loud" ...Arlo Guthrie
by DenverD on Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 12:08:22 PM EST

Question (none / 0)

Why would Mr. Trippi, a "senior advisor" to Senator Edwards, get involved in a NH senate race?  This doesn't help Senator Edwards, as it is a contested primay. Why didn't he wait until after the presidential primary, so he wouldn't irk supporters of the other senate candidates who may not have made up their minds yet on the presidential?  


by nascardem on Wed Aug 01, 2007 at 08:58:51 PM EST


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