Kathy Sullivan Defends Fergus Cullen

By Jim on November 11th, 2008

Makes sense to me. What do people expect Fergus to do? Walk on water or something?

As someone who went through a Very Bad Election in 2002, I need to defend Fergus Cullen. Candidates control their message, and candidates control their campaigns. In 2008, the New Hampshire Republicans did not have winning messages, and in a couple of cases hurt themselves with their campaigns. On the senate race, Jeanne Shaheen led in the polls from the time she announced she was running. The reason John E. Sununu never overcame that lead is that he just does not fit the ideological place that New Hampshire is in right now. In addition, he hurt himself when he called Obama’s economic policies socialist. That is not Cullen’s fault.

Joe Kenney never raised any money, and he had an inexperienced campaign manager who never figured out how to run a campaign. Jennifer Horn, like John E. Sununu, did not fit the second district ideologically. Neither loss is Cullen’s fault.

Jeb Bradley may have been more “moderate” than Sununu or Horn, but he alienated a lot of people with his attacks against Johnny Stephen in the primary. His attacks came back to haunt him. In Manchester’s Ward One, for example, Congresswoman Shea Porter received 2,751 votes, while Jeanne Shaheen only received 2,623. Sununu won the ward with 2,671 votes, while Bradley lost with 2,459. The same thing happened in other wards and towns. Bradley’s September attacks created a number of Sununu/Shea Porter voters (and he again underestimated Congresswoman Shea Porter). Bradley’s tactics are not Cullen’s fault.

After the 2002 election, there was at least one person who tried to find someone else to run against me for NHDP chair. They didn’t find anyone, perhaps because things looked so bad that no one else wanted the job! And look where the Democrats are today! So, before some Republicans start throwing Fergus under the bus, they should think again.

It’s a miracle that the Republican party actually managed to pick up 17 seats in the House this time around. Seriously, given the tide they were swimming against. The shit storm being directed at Fergus Cullen is more than a little silly.

I think Republicans need to drop the blame game and focus in on 2010 and how to regain majorities in the legislature. Running around like chickens with their heads cut off and trying to blame Fergus Cullen for everything is counter-productive and a waste of everybody’s time.