Ed Schultz probably won't run for the Senate. He enjoyed being asked (who wouldn't) but I doubt he will give up his popular radio/tv show for the possibility of battling and probably losing to Hoeven.
On the other hand, if he does choose to run, I think he would be a more-than-formidable candidate.
WHY?
Simply put, Ed Schultz is a classic populist in what is really a populist anti-government (NOT an anti-Democratic) election year.
(more below the fold).
When you're living through the worst economic slowdown in 75 years, when unemployment is over 10 percent (17% when you count the discouraged/part-time employed), when foreclosures are at all-time highs, people are ANGRY! VERY ANGRY! The Democrats bear the brunt of that anger, because they happen to be the party in power at the National level (and in many states). But it is much broader than an anti-Democratic mood. Recall how New York Mayor Michael Bloomburg barely survived despite spending over 100 million dollars.
The public is in a populist furor, and Ed Schultz is the perfect individual to harness that furor into a Democratic hold of a key Senate seat. Why? I have two principal reasons:
- He comes across as a down-home, working class, hunter/fisherman Democrat. Now this type of Dem may not be popular in progressive urban areas (like where I live), but he would be popular among Dems and swing voters in North Dakota and other rural states. He comes across as "beyond the beltway" (in a way that frankly Al Franken didn't) and could draw people with his strong pro-worker message.
- His being a former Republican is a STRENGTH and not a weakness. He can speak to independents and conservative Dems who are thinking about voting for Hoeven. He can explain how he learned the hard way that the Republican Party does not stand for the common person, only the corporate fat cats (banks, insurance companies, etc.) who got us into this mess. He can send a message to voters: "Don't make the same mistake I did! Don't trust Republicans to represent your interests."
Since Ed Pomeroy isn't running, Ed Schultz might be the best choice out there. It would undoubtedly be an uphill fight, but I think it's a fight Ed Schultz can win!