A Democrat poses this question about Kay Hagan’s run for U.S. Senate:

“It is going to be interesting to see how voters respond to Hagan’s candidacy and whether she can dance around the question (or put it to bed) of whether she is running b/c Neal is gay. If you think back to the Sanders/Gantt race, voters were really offended by the argument that Sanders had a better chance of beating Helms. I wonder if the same dynamic will play out in this race?”

In effect, is Hagan running because Neal is gay? And could that perception hurt her?

It shouldn’t. Hagan wanted to run before Neal was in – and before she knew Neal was out (so to speak).

She got out of the race because Senator Chuck Schumer, the hard-driving chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, was clearing the field for Grier Martin. Schumer loved Martin’s military profile. Then Martin bailed out.

But Neal is not Harvey Gantt. He hasn’t lived in North Carolina for years. He has little political experience. He apparently doesn’t have the money that made a new face like John Edwards viable. And he has not given any compelling rationale for his candidacy.

Nevertheless, the timing of it all could cause Hagan headaches. She’s already catching flak from some party liberals. And she’ll face suspicions that she’s the big shots’ hand-picked candidate, especially since she’s a power in a Senate that some Democrats always think is too conservative.

Hagan had the right answer when asked if Neal being gay played any part in her decision: No. And, she could add, it should not be a factor in anybody’s vote.

If Hagan proves to be a good candidate, she will overcome the problem. And she can give Liddy Dole fits next year.

Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles.