# Ben Nelson retiring. Good (I hope) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 27, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-nelson-retiring-good-i-hope/607572 "2011-12-27T22:57:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-nelson-retiring-good-i-hope/607572/41 "2012-02-28T20:02:12Z")
> [@Linden\_Arden](#): > > There are far more conserva-Dems than there are moderate Republicans in the Senate. There are only three of the latter - Scott Brown and the Maine ladies. > > With Nelson gone the Senate is probably lost. After conceding Nelson and Conrad’s seats it will be 51-49 with five more Dems set to retire. Tester and McCaskill will be tough holds and probably underdogs. Bill Nelson in Florida will have a rough fight. > > By my count the real pickup opportunities are eleven to one in favor of the GOP. Get the scales off you eyes. Ben Nelson has been a fucking Republican. Nothing’s gonna change politically if an actual Republican takes office. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-nelson-retiring-good-i-hope/607572/42 "2012-02-28T21:44:35Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Get the scales off you eyes. Ben Nelson has been a fucking Republican. Nothing’s gonna change politically if an actual Republican takes office. What if Bob Kerrey does? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-nelson-retiring-good-i-hope/607572/43 "2012-02-28T23:47:39Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What if Bob Kerrey does? I have not looked at his record in any detail, but to be honest, he does not sound like much of an improvement over Ben Nelson. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-nelson-retiring-good-i-hope/607572/44 "2012-02-29T00:19:43Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > He still went with the Republicans on most of the important stuff, or held them up until they’d watered down the legislation until it was acceptable to him, and to be honest, most Republicans. Piece of shit. I’d sooner have an honest Republican in office than someone like him. So you’d rather have somebody who’d go with the Republicans on all the important stuff than just some of it? That’s the better option for you? Face it, Ben Nelson is the Democratic best case option in Nebraska, and attitudes like yours hurt the party. Doctor: “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to amputate the leg.” Patient: “You know what, might as well take both off.” ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-nelson-retiring-good-i-hope/607572/45 "2012-02-29T21:43:37Z")
Bob Kerrey is going to try for it. No idea if he can win. Plus he pissed off some other Dem who quit is job to run for th seat after Kerrey initially declined to run. > **[HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News](https://www.huffpost.com/?err_code=404&err_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2F2012%2F02%2F29%2Fbob-kerrey-nebraska-senate-seat_n_1311028.html)** > > Read the latest headlines, news stories, and opinion from Politics, Entertainment, Life, Perspectives, and more. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-nelson-retiring-good-i-hope/607572/46 "2012-03-09T18:41:59Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > I have not looked at his record in any detail, but to be honest, he does not sound like much of an improvement over Ben Nelson. Seeing as Bob Kerry ran for President in 1992 on a National Health Care platform…no, you haven’t looked at his record in any detail. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-nelson-retiring-good-i-hope/607572/47 "2012-03-10T04:51:33Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Seeing as Bob Kerry ran for President in 1992 on a National Health Care platform…no, you haven’t looked at his record in any detail. It’s what I said … ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-nelson-retiring-good-i-hope/607572/48 "2012-03-12T15:29:49Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > It’s what I said … Your main objection to Nelson was that he voted with the Republicans and Wall Street most of the time. Bob Kerry ran for President on a NHC platform. That doesn’t sound like a DINO to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-nelson-retiring-good-i-hope/607572/49 "2012-03-12T15:50:35Z")
Looks like Kerrey is starting off at a very serious disadvantage. [Polls](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/senate/nebraska_senate_race.html) have him down by 20 points against the likely Republicans. Real Clear Politics and the New York Times has Nebraska as a “Lean Republican,” and Charlie Cook has it as a “Likely Republican.” It looks like health care is going to be a very difficult issue for Kerrey, especially with the Supreme Court scheduled to issue a decision on Obamacare in June. Whatever the ruling may be, I think it will be pretty easy for the Republican nominee to bash Kerrey with being to the left of Obamacare in a conservative state. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-nelson-retiring-good-i-hope/607572.md?page=2)