Today Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman David Bergstein released the following statement:
“When Republicans first considered Congressman Kevin Cramer’s candidacy, they cringed and worked to keep him out of the race. He hasn’t gotten any better in the last few months, but national Republicans have grown more desperate. The Congressman’s campaign would be crippled both by the attacks Republicans have already leveled against him and his record that has hurt North Dakotans.”
See for yourself:
Politico: “Republicans were trying to keep [Cramer] out of the race.” “He’s also a candidate Republicans were trying to keep out of the race last spring and summer because of his frequent gaffes, and whose comments on what Democratic women wore to last year’s State of the Union led Republicans to compare him to Todd Akin, the Missouri GOP Senate candidate who started a firestorm with his “legitimate rape” comment.” [Politico, 2/14/18]
ND Explains: “Last year, they wanted to go a different direction.” It seems interesting that the NRSC is now allegedly chasing Cramer. Last year, they wanted to go a different direction because of his “cringe-worthy” comments they knew would haunt his campaign in a challenging race. Whether it was defending Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s comments on Nazis, calling a woman commentator a “snob,” and defending President Trump’s response to Charlottesville, the NRSC reportedly had enough. Those comments haven’t changed, nor have they been erased from people’s memory. [ND Explains, 2/13/18]
Politico: “A Series Of Gaffes” “Convinced The GOP” To Look For Non-Cramer Candidates. “The decision ends month of waffling by Cramer. At the beginning of 2017, the GOP viewed Cramer as a top-flight candidate. But a series of gaffes in the spring and summer — including calling Democratic female lawmakers who wore white to a joint session of Congress ‘poorly dressed’ — convinced the GOP to look elsewhere. But after a number of candidates, including state Treasurer Kelly Schmidt and businesswoman Tammy Miller, decided against running, the GOP resumed its pursuit of the third-term congressman.” [Politico,1/11/18]
CNN: “Top Republicans in Washington are privately sending this message to a GOP congressman once viewed as a top recruit in North Dakota: Don’t run.” “Senior Senate GOP officials have grown concerned that Rep. Kevin Cramer’s penchant for controversial remarks could damage their chances at one of the party’s most prized opportunities to pickup the crucial seat occupied by Heitkamp, a rare Democratic statewide officeholder in the conservative state.” [CNN,4/14/17]
CNN: Republicans Were Fearful Cramer Gaffes Could Hurt Chances Of Taking Seat; GOP Campaign Veteran Said Cramer Had “Akin-Like Tendencies.”“The maneuvering comes as some influential Republicans now are fearful that Cramer could damage their chances if he commits gaffes like GOP candidate Todd Akin did in 2012 when he cost his party a chance to pickup the Missouri Senate seat. ‘On paper, it looks like he could win, but he also appears to have a few Akin-like tendencies that make a lot of people nervous,’ said one Senate GOP campaign veteran, who, like other top Republicans, asked for anonymity to assess the field candidly.” [CNN, 4/14/17]
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