There’s a lot of debate about how exactly the J.R. Damron campaign crumbled and John Dendahl stepped into the race.
Political blogger Joe Monahan says Sen. Pete Domenici led the charge. An article in the Santa Fe New Mexican seems to confirm some of Monahan’s claims.
But a Domenici staffer disputes the claims in an article today in the Albuquerque Journal. And the Wednesday Morning Quarterback, a Republican blog, accuses Monahan of being a Democrat with a political agenda.
How do we sort through all this?
A few thoughts:
• Certainly, as the daddy of the state’s Republican Party, Domenici knew what was going to happen before it happened. That doesn’t necessarily mean he approved Damron’s departure, but it’s unlikely the party would have OK’d placing the controversial Dendahl on the ballot without Domenici’s (at least tacit) approval.
• It seems likely that many of the state party’s leaders were pushing Damron to step up or step down. His campaign had gone nowhere despite the fact that
• Damron wasn’t likely thinking about dropping out of the race for very long before it happened. He recently quit his practice and became slightly more active in the campaign.
• Local party leaders around the state did not know this was going to happen, so there was no widespread conspiracy to force out Damron.
• Damron is gone. That’s the end. Dendahl is the candidate now. The real question is what’s going to happen in November, and I’ve heard from several prominent Republicans in recent days that they don’t like his extreme views and aggressiveness. He has a tough road ahead, and getting a late start doesn’t help.
• This incident reveals the disarray of the state Republican Party. The party has now put up two candidates for governor, and neither had much chance of capturing consideration beyond the core of the Republican Party. Aren’t there better Republicans out there willing to take on