A new poll by The Trafalgar Group regarding Missouri’s Senate Race highlights this issue along with the race’s purported frontrunner.
As we’ve reported previously, Republican Roy Blunt’s announcement that he would not be seeking re-election…
…set off a mad scramble amongst Missouri politicos — who would be vying to take Blunt’s place and join Josh Hawley (who’ll then become the “senior” Senator from Missouri) in D.C.?
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The first to declare his candidacy was former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, who made his intentions clear a mere two weeks after Blunt’s retirement announcement. Greitens was riding the same red wave that Trump rode in 2016, and he won his first elected office, the governorship. However, Greitens resigned in May of 2018 following scandal/controversy involving an affair with his hairdresser and allegations that he photographed her in a state of undress and threatened to publish the photo(s) if she revealed the affair, as well as allegations regarding the improper use of a campaign donor list. His likely impeachment was supported by most of the Missouri Republicans. (Greitens, a Democrat until roughly a nanosecond before declaring his candidacy for governor, had not cultivated longstanding relationships nor made many friends among the Missouri GOP.) Following his announcement for the Senate, Greitens moved swiftly to align himself with Trump, securing Kimberly Guilfoyle as national chair of his campaign. However, Trump reportedly was less-than-pleased with this move.
(Speaking of naked photos and blackmail…but I digress.)
Robert Cahaly from Trafalgar Group posted about their recent poll that assessed the odds of top Republican candidate for nomination, in head-tohead matches-ups against top Democrat candidates.
The new @trafalgar_group #MOSen general election #poll shows #GOP @VickyHartzlerMOOr @Eric_SchmittWith comfortable margins #Dems @LucasKunceMOOr @ScottSiftonWhile #GOP @EricGreitens in a virtual tie vs either #Dem
See Report: “https://t.co/ouXUQb45rj“ pic.twitter.com/8BHxctwEtk
— Robert C. Cahaly (@RobertCahaly) March 16, 2022
It is not surprising, however, that Greitens ends up tied with Vicky Hartzler and Eric Schmitt (Missouri Attorney General) in spite of their comfortable margins over potential Democrat competitors. Greitens has some significant baggage. As political as St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s prosecution of him may have been (and it was), the baggage remains.
Which goes a long way toward explaining why St. Louis Post Dispatch editorial board member Kevin McDermott recently penned a column endorsing Greitens. McDermott explains:
Eric Greitens has the reputation of being the worst. He earns the title just by virtue of the credible sexual-assault allegations that drove him out of the Missouri governor’s office in 2018.
But wait, there’s more! Do you want hypocrisy chameleon like? The former Democrat, humanitarian activist and politician who became a right-wing firebreathing right-winger when it was necessary to achieve his political goals. Do you want campaign finance shenanigans Greitens was initially criminally charged with this, but his resignation as governor made the matter go away. Want testosterone-infused stunt-politics, then? Go to YouTube and check out his infamous “machine gun” campaign ad from 2016.
Eric Greitens seems to be the most unfit candidate for public office.
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Which is why, after some soul-searching, I’m planning to vote for Greitens in the primary, and will encourage it for others who understand how important it is to prevent the GOP from retaking the Senate. It will be a well-cast ballot if Republicans can nominate an unelected Senate candidate.
Democrats want him — because they believe they can beat him.
Important to note regarding the Trafalgar poll: It was conducted between March 9 and March 13, 2022, included 1075 respondents who were “likely general election voters,” 53.8 percent of whom were Republican, 27.9 percent Democrat, and 18.3 percent “No Party/Other.”
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