Republican Senate Candidate A Socialist

Meet Bob Kelleher, the Republican nominee against Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) this year.

He is an 85-year-old attorney with some downright unconventional views. He believes the American system of representative government should be replaced by a parliamentary system. He calls for socialized medicine, advocates nationalizing the country's oil and gas industries and believes taxes should be raised significantly to eradicate poverty.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[VivaZapata]

this sure is one crazy election year! alright, mr. kelleher.

[S1m0n]

Who'd sign up to run for the party that's going to lose? This is going to be a year when the GOP finds it tough to recruit quality candidates.

[Graywolf48]

I really think my head is going to explode. Finally, a Republican that I could support. If I lived in Montana, he would get my vote. I certainly hope he wins and if I can I might even contribute to his campaign! Kelleher for Senate '08.

[UnbiasView]

So in other words he isn't a Republican, sounds like a socialist to me which is the same thing as a (D).

[personalpolitical]

Yeah, except the Democrats aren't even close to socialism, not even a little bit. I wish they were that far to the left, but if you had the slightest clue what the word "socialism" meant, you wouldn't be saying that Democrats are socialists. Or maybe you would, but you'd know you were being disingenuous, and it is pretty embarrassing for you that you would make the claim anyway.

[helonias]

Same thing as a christian you mean

[randyjet]

Finally a Republican I can vote for! I hope he wins. He would be an improvement over the Democrat Baucus. If I lived in Montana, though I am a Democrat, I would be voting for and contributing to him.

[Marlyn]

"He believes the American system of representative government should be replaced by a parliamentary system. He calls for socialized medicine, advocates nationalizing the country"s oil and gas industries and believes taxes should be raised significantly to eradicate poverty."

He has got my vote!

[iswideopen]

Go away and take McBush with you. If Americans believe anything else a republican has to say after being lied to for 8 long years, shame on them.

[starboymikey]

Kelleher has no chance of winning, but the Republicans neeeded a name on the ballot and he sort of "volunteered" himself.

He has an interesting history, though, having run unsuccessfully as a Socialist and in at least one Democratic primary. Apparently he decided to run as a Republican only because he's tried everything else and figured that maybe running as a Republican would allow him to sneak in to the Senate. His chances against the highly popular Democrat Max Baucus are somewhat less than zero.

Personally, I wish him luck. Imagine the fits he'd give the Republican caucus if he actually won.

[starboymikey]

Update: Just read that Kelleher has actually lost in 15 Democratic primaries. This year he entered the Republican primary against three other candidates and beat them all.

People, this is one of the funniest political stories in years and speaks volumes about the pathetic state of the Republican party this election. Cenk Uygur is right. These guys are gonna get their clocks cleaned in November.

[Robert59]

Makes me wish I lived in Montana. He's my kind of Republican. Correction. He's my kind of Republican or Democrat.

Since his belief system is so progressive why isn't he the Democratic Party's nominee? I don't know much about Baucus so I don't want to smear him, but is he part of the problem or the solution? Did being inside the Beltway change him for the worse, make him beholden to special interests at the expense of the citizens of his state?

[BatedBreath]

Herein lies a lesson for the Democratic Party: stick to your core values and stop trying to triangulate your way to power. If this fellow can beat out his fellow repub opponents while he advocates what are essentially Democratic Party platform items, then why don't the Dems live up to their principles and follow suit? I'd vote for this guy in a NY minute. He could replace Lieberman in the Democratic caucus

[iamvalid]

I live in Montana and if this is one of those "you would have to be there to believe it." You could look at Mister Kelleher's competition on the ballot and have to "stop - drop - & laugh."

Yep, here at home, the republicans like to politic the old fashioned way and that would be to call your opponent every dirty, filthy name in the book. Tom Delay would be so proud.

[mamacat]

Sounds interesting.

[trinity]

I heard this guy on NPR (I think). He has been in every political party known to man...I think Republican was the last one.

[111]

I would vote for him in a heart beat - please come to New York and run against HC.
I would ask him to throw in repealing NAFTA, CAFTA and all the other trade agreements, eliminate the federal reserve and give the authority over our currency back to our government where it belongs.

[darthdarcy]

Nationalizing Oil and Gas is a no brainer it's the future anyway...our government exists to Serve the People providing energy at the lowest possible cost will not only strengthen our economy but create an economic boom and promote commerce..

Single Payer Health Care is also a no brainer and that will also not only better Serve Americans but save many ailing business and industries...

We must look to the future and think as futurists no longer following these out dated 19th century models..

[Pquilson]

"Any government big enough to give you all you want is strong enough to take it all away." - Gerald Ford