Races that Weren't

Every year, there are races which are supposed to be competitive, but which don't turn out that way. Here are my top 5 such races in this election cycle:

1.) Minnesota Senate - Amy Klobuchar (D) v. Mark Kennedy (R)
Mark Kennedy has been the presumptive Republican nominee in this race since before he won re-election to the House in 2004. At that time, it looked like he would be facing Senator Mark Dayton this November, but Dayton wisely realized that winning re-election would have been virtually impossible and chose not to run. That move opened the door for Klobuchar, who built a 10-15 point lead in virtually every poll. Kennedy has not caught fire the way that he was expected to, and is on his way to an ignominious defeat. This should have been a highly competitive race, the best chance for Republicans to pick up a Democrat-held Senate seat in 2006. Instead, it's an easy hold for the Donkey's.

2.) California Governor - Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) v. Phil Angelides (D)
There's a race for Governor in California? You wouldn't know it by looking at the polls. Schwarzenegger has maintained his popularity, and has been helped by the uninspiring Angelides, who has been unable to connect with voters. The biggest splash Angelides has made has been screeching at Jay Leno for equal time, since Arnie is being invited (yet again) to appear on The Tonight Show.

3.) Pennsylvania Governor - Ed Rendel (D) v. Lynn Swann (R)
Pennsylvania is a swing state, and Swann is a very popular former Pittsburgh Steeler, so this thing's going to be a barn-burner, right? Uhhhh, no. Rendel is popular enough that Swann has been unable to gain traction, and Rendel is leading by about 20 points. This thing isn't going to close, and Rendel will get a second term.

4.) Florida Senate - Bill Nelson (D) v. Katherine Harris (R)
This is a bit of a fudge; Harris was never going to be competitive against Nelson. The race for this seat, however, should have been very close. Nelson is a moderate, relatively weak Democrat. The Republican Party could not find a suitable candidate to challenge the woefully inept Harris, and the result is a complete non-race. Harris is going to be wiped out in November, and Republicans have to be left wondering what might have been.

5.) Connecticut Senate - Joe Lieberman (I) v. Ned Lamont (D)
How can I put this race on the "non-race" list? After all, Lamont just defeated Lieberman in the Democratic Primary back in August. Nevertheless, Lieberman has opened up a 10-12 point lead over Lamont, and this race has never developed into a truly competitive contest. Moderates and Republicans both support Lieberman, and that's going to be enough to secure victory. The folks over at Daily Kos were thrilled that Lamont won the primary, but this goes down as a "peaking early" situation that is much more likely to bite the Democrats in the rear thanks to frayed relationships with Lieberman than it is to result in a Senator Lamont.