Charlie Bass Makes It Official

In Charlie Bass’s view this race should be about competence. Bass says NH would benefit from his experience on Capitol Hill, and his experience observing with alarm what’s gone on since he left.

“This is about electing someone who can go down there and have an impact immediately with respect to straightening out this mess that we’re in Washington.”

And to Bass the mess is vast. In his call with reporters he accused the Obama administration of coddling terrorists, failing to create jobs, and most of all, leading the democratically-controlled Congress on a destructive spending binge.

“I just don’t believe that as the father of two children who are now in their teen that this county can survive much longer with this kind of leadership. We need a check on Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. It’s certainly legitimate to work in a bipartisan manner on consensus issues that are important, but it’s been one party rule for the past two years and the majority of American are very angry about this.”

Bass clearly hopes this anger works to his advantage. He’s not seen as an ideologue in his party. He sits on the board of the republican main street partnership, a centrist GOP group whose website calls its message “one of quiet diplomacy.” Not words one associates with populist anti-tax tea partiers, but Bass isn’t letting that get in the way.

“As far as the tea party movement is concerned I love em. God bless every single one of them. Because you know what their agenda is exactly the same is mine. They want a new environment in Washington.”

Ha, ha, ha-ha, hah, I’m sorry. I surprised at that.”

Jennifer Horn, was the GOP’s second district nominee in 2008, and she’s expected to be Bass’s stiffest competition in this year.

“The tea party movement is about making a broken Washington work again, and unfortunately Charlie was part of what brought us to where we are today.”

Horn’s criticism is pretty similar to that of state Democrats. They point out that Bass supported the economic policies of President Bush. And they say that’s a major reason why voters rejected Bass in 2006. But for now, Democrats aren’t Bass’s top concern, GOP primary voters are. And while Bass enjoys a huge edge in name recognition, Jennifer Horn and the other candidate in this primary, former State Rep. Bob Guida, Bass took thousands of votes as a member of Congress.

“Conservatives in NH know who Charlie Bass is, and they know what his record is. In my situation, he’s done a lot of good for my district, so you won’t catch me saying anything bad about Charlie.”

That’s Salem State Rep. DJ Bettencourt. But Bettencourt adds that some of GOP primary voters will expect Bass to express contrition for his role in what went wrong during the Bush years.

“He will have to decide if he is going to recognize that republicans made mistakes in the past, particularly with spending, but I don’t think you can say what we did was good because what they are doing is worse.”

But if Bass’s kickoff call was any is indication, mea culpas are not at the top of the candidate’s agenda.

"We cast some pretty tough votes during that period on spending, and frankly since the Democrats took over make the Republicans look like pikers."

Political scientist Dean Spiliotes says how Bass chooses to navigate the political terrain ahead will be interesting. 2006 notwithstanding, Bass’s record reflects a knack for connecting with the district’s voters. The first midterm election of any presidency tends to be a referendum on the party in power, and Spiliotes says if GOP criticisms of Democrats gain traction among independents Bass could be tough to beat.

“Then, he’s back to a position where his knowledge and experience in positioning himself ideologically to appeal to a majority of voters in the district, particularly in key areas like down around Concord but then also up in the Upper Valley should not be underestimated.”

And the GOP nominee will need to appeal to those outside the party fold because Democrats outnumber Republicans in Congressional District 2.