Can Bob Kerrey Do It

Perhaps one of the most interesting races for the United States Senate this year is going on in red state Nebraska. With the retirement of Ben Nelson it was and has been widely assumed that this would be an easy pickup for the Republicans in their efforts to increase their numbers in the Senate.

Into that void has appeared Bob Kerrey. Kerrey a former Governor and Senator from Nebraska, Presidential Candidate, member of the 9/11 commission, and recently President of Columbia University would seem to have a stellar resume.

Of course in Mid America the resume of any Democrat does not matter. In the early polls Kerrey was not making much progress against whatever nameless Republican is running, I truthfully do not know her name and do not care. Romney has some issues that concern Nebraskans. Namely despite fifty years ago Republican icon Dwight Eisenhower having held the same position being President of a New York City Ivy League College does not play well in Nebraska and their is also the much more legitimate question of is Bob Kerrey a carpetbagger.

While he served Nebraska well in the nineteen eighties it is not a falsehood to suggest he has not really lived there for twenty years.

With all this in mind it is surprising to see that as we approach the election that Kerrey's position in the polls has most recently fell within the margin of error. Today Republican stalwart, and independent minded man himself, Chuck Hagel will endorse the Democrat Kerrey in a move that some think might, and I fervently hope, will be enough of change the outcome of this now close election.

Bob Kerrey will be no immediate friend of a President Obama. Or a President Romney for that matter. Kerrey is independent and one has no doubt that he could join a group of centrists such as Angus King of Maine who have full visions of what is wrong with Washington, and yes. full and large ego's who will have no trouble making any administration bow and scrape to get them on board. Kerrey is not perfect but his experience in government and self assuredness to know that he is in running for this seat for the right reason, to make a difference, not to hew to some specific political agenda should give us hope. Kerrey, King, and a few others like them could become a starting point of sanity that could be the balance of power in a rigidly divided Senate.

This is a race that we all should watch carefully and hope for the former Senator's victory over, in this case, a hopelessly partisan Republican. For Republicans they should realize that a vote for Kerrey is not all bad. One can be assured that whoever the next President is he will not be laying his head down at night being thankful for his election.