A TINGLE FOR LINGLE? – AT 8:36 A.M. ET:  Almost lost in all the political and foreign news recently is a political announcement in Hawaii that could, conceivably, change the face of the U.S. Senate.

Former Republican Governor Linda Lingle has announced her candidacy for the Senate, attempting to replace retiring Democrat Daniel Akaka.  Hawaii is a heavily Democratic state that went overwhelmingly for Obama in 2008.  But the right Republican can sometimes win, as Lingle demonstrated in two successful terms as governor.  She was reelected in 2006 by the largest margin in Hawaii history.

Republicans have a good shot at taking control of the U.S. Senate, and every Senate election counts.  Before Lingle entered the race, the Cook Political Report rated Hawaii as solidly Democratic.  Now it has the race as a toss-up.  Such is Lingle's popularity.

That popularity has come at a price.  Lingle is regularly called a RINO (Republican in name only) by the GOP thought police, who believe all Republican candidates must be exactly the same, no matter where they are running.   The Dems have their own police force as well.  Lingle deals with the charge, as The Hill reports:

LAS VEGAS — For most Republican politicians, there is no smear more loathed, more insulting or more politically perilous than to be called a RINO — a Republican in Name Only.

Not for Linda Lingle.

“I’ve been called a RINO before, which I don’t mind,” the former Hawaii governor told a crowd of diehard Republican activists huddled in a Las Vegas ballroom. “There are a lot of people who support these RINOs, whether it’s me or [former New York Mayor] Rudy Giuliani or [former New Jersey Gov.] Christine Todd Whitman.”

I'd add Chris Christie of New Jersey, who, although loved by conservatives, and correctly so, has taken many middle-of-the-road positions.

For Lingle, who announced her Senate bid on Oct. 11, her success in Hawaii is a sign that with the right candidate, Republicans can be successful in any state in the country. After all, she said, being a Republican in Hawaii isn’t the same as being a Republican in Alabama or Oklahoma.

And from Lingle’s point of view, moderate Republican candidates such as herself are the GOP’s silver bullet and its best hope for expanding the map and retaking control of the Senate.

Think of it as a tropical adaptation of the “big tent” approach.

“In Hawaii, we have an expression: E komo mai. It means, ‘Come inside, everybody is welcome,’ ” she said at the Western Republican Leadership Conference, part of a mainland tour to introduce Lingle on the national stage.

And....

So far, none of that has seemed to vex Republicans, who are overjoyed to have a viable candidate with a history of electoral success in a state whose open Senate seat they had long written off.

COMMENT:  Political parties are built on coalitions.  The Roosevelt coalition consisted heavily of northern liberals and Southern moderates and conservatives.  The Reagan coalition was led by movement conservatives, but included Reagan Democrats. 

Linda Lingle has star quality.  We'll be following her race.  We're out to win this.

October 25, 2011