Because if you have to write "Washington DC" in the location, it's not really for you:
NRSC UPCOMING EVENTS MEMO:
...
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
KELLY AYOTTE - Candidate for Senate (NH)
Fundraising Reception at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Morton's 1050 Connecticut Ave NW
Hosted by: Jeff Walter & Clint Robinson
Cost: $1000 per PAC/$500 per Individual
RSVP: Please RSVP to Jon Graham at 202-XXX-XXXX or jon@XXXXXXXXX.com
Funny. Nothing in that NRSC email about Ovid Lamontagne, Bill Binnie, and that other self-funder.
On the other hand, those who aren't Village lobbyists, and who actually live in New Hampshire, might have something to say about the pre-coronation party:
Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 2/1-3. Likely voters. MoE (for primary) 5%.
Kelly Ayotte 36%
Ovide Lamontagne 27%
William Binnie 4%
That's right. Ovide Lamontagne, who has raised a fraction of the money that DC establishment candidate Kelly Ayotte has, is within the margin of error (see Laura's post for the rest of the dKos R2K details). And then there's Bill Binnie, who actually has the most to spend and is just getting started raising his profile.
Kelly Ayotte cannot ignore the primary challenge in front of her, though her campaign will pretend on the surface that she is the de facto nominee. No real ideological conservative in New Hampshire buys her march to the far right, while at the same time she has to deal with mild-mannered, well-funded Binnie to her left. In the middle she just stands out as the Washington candidate, with pre-approved talking points from McConnell and the boys.
GOPers in NH are increasingly worried that Ayotte's campaign is floundering. One of her opponents, businessman Bill Binnie (R), has already run TV ads and another, businessman Jim Bender (R), will go on the air next week. Ayotte raised less than Rep. Paul Hodes (D), the likely Dem nominee, and her team acknowledges they had a rough start as a campaign. A new poll in the state due out today will show her losing ground -- but still leading -- '96 Gov. nominee Ovide Lamontagne (R).
Currently the Senate Republican primary is struggling with the question of whether Ayotte is the inevitable nominee. This week we have an answer: she is clearly the front-runner, but not inevitable. Primary opponents Bill Binnie will outspend her and Ovide Lamontagne will out flank her.
