CA Senate – Elder, We Need You

Rumor has it that the National Republican Senatorial Committee is exercising their normal “Stupid Is as Stupid Does” routine, as reported by RedState:

Here’s the story that is circulating at the [California Republican] convention: Back in the spring, Elder went to Washington to sit down with John Cornyn and the NRSC, and ask for their support for a bid for U.S. Senate against Barbara Boxer. Cornyn and the NRSC told him the following:

1. If Elder chose to run, they would not support him.
2. The NRSC was already committed to supporting Carly Fiorina
3. The NRSC expected Fiorina to lose against Boxer, but expected her to tie up Democrat resources in the meantime.

So Larry Elder came back to California and did not run.

A straw poll conducted by Chuck Devore’s campaign showed overwhelming support by convention delegates for Devore. Yeah, we expected that. But even Rasmussen shows Devore’s support a point higher statewide than Fiorina (although still trailing Boxer). My concern with Devore is that he’s a social conservative, and may be as unelectable as other social conservatives have been in this state.

Larry Elder is a libertarian Republican with a large enough dose of libertarianism to appeal to California moderates. He would be a spectacular candidate, able to infuse the campaign with more than the standard left-vs-right rhetoric. Sen. Boxer doesn’t have a box big enough to contain Elder, while Devore – who appears greatly superior to Fiorina in terms of experience – will nevertheless be cast as a narrow minded, anti-abortion, homophobic Christian by the left. (Chuck Devore is really a limited-government conservative with great skills, and deserves the nomination more than Fiorina, but the nagging suspicion for me is that he may be unelectable. I hope I’m wrong.)

The people to convince in California are not conservatives: they all hate Barbara Boxer. The people to convince are the very same people who have bought the left’s characterization of the religious right as people to be feared. They vote for liberals as the least threatening choice. A libertarian is the perfect foil for intrusive liberalism, and Larry Elder’s brand of libertarianism would appeal to the most Californians.

But it seems his campaign was derailed before it started. I can think of no greater reason to compel the Republicans to change leadership in Washington (its a scandal that the same group of pale white guys who lost control of Congress are still leading the party).