After Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, politicos began re-evaluating and updating their playbooks. One plan they should consider permanently abandoning is drafting retired senators for competitive races.
Blinded by past potential, Democrats hurt their chances at a Senate upset by calling back Evan Bayh in Indiana and Russ Feingold in Wisconsin. In the end, the old senators flopped because they couldn’t carry their baggage. They were unable to compete.
These defeats represent more than an anomaly during a populist year. They illustrate a historical trend, namely that old senators are often too rusty for new races. Democrat Sen. Bob Kerrey tried in Nebraska and failed in 2012. More recently, Republican Scott Brown tried in New Hampshire and also lost.
Some have made it work, like repeat Republican Senator Dan Coates in Indiana. But those comebacks are anomalies, not the standard.
Democrats scouted out Bayh to flip Indiana, and on paper he was the perfect candidate. Also a former governor, the former senator is a household name in the Hoosier state. His reintroduction to politics went smoothly at first and Bayh bounced to an early 20-point lead.
But negative press about his cozy relationships with lobbyists and questionable use of taxpayer funds eventually took their toll. By election night, Bayh collapsed under the weight of his own record. His opponent, Rep. Todd Young, defeated him 52-42.
Farther North in Wisconsin, Feingold’s story wasn’t much different. Capitalizing on old popularity, he cruised to an early 12-point lead. But the Democrat over-emphasized his record, allowing the incumbent, Republican Senator Ron Johnson, to run as an outsider. In the end, Johnson held on by four points.
Electorates enjoy throwback candidates at first, but after a while re-election seems like a gimmick. If a senator retired or lost, party operators should remember why they retired or lost and not set them up for upsets. Bayh and Feingold found that out the hard way. Nostalgia just isn’t a winning strategy.
