Well, well, well, not even two weeks ago, I wondered if the GOP could flip the Senate this fall. While I thought it unlikely, I said Republicans could make major gains if we recruited good candidates in states like Indian, New York, Washington and Wisconsin.
And guess what? Larry Sabato is now saying the same thing:
A few months ago, even GOP leaders said that taking over the Senate was a pipe dream, and it is still not probable. But as some independents sour on the Democratic Party, the possibility for a GOP majority can no longer be dismissed out of hand. . . . .
Among the senators who could be endangered by a new wave of Republican entries are Evan Bayh (Indiana), Kirsten Gillibrand (New York), Patty Murray (Washington), and Russ Feingold (Wisconsin).
(H/t Jim Geraghty.)
UPDATE: From Politico (via Glenn):
Several Democratic incumbents said later that none of the 19 Democratic seats up this year are safe — and that fundamental parts of the agenda need to be re-examined to win over voters back home.
“Every state is now in play,” said Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who faces the toughest reelection battle of her career — most likely against wealthy Republican Carly Fiorina.
All 19? Chuckie, too?
Wonder why they described my gal Carly as “wealthy.” Does DiFi get the same adjective? And Carly earned her fortune, Feinstein married hers.
I still think it’s a longshot, but OK, if the GOP wants to take over the Senate, let me ask this…
What will you do in the Senate besides inconvenience Obamunism?
V #1 – Exactly. Where is the principled, firm commitment to taking on the public employee unions (thank you Rush, this AM) and DRASTICALLY SLASHING government? protecting America’s borders for real? etc.
LOL. No chance.
It will be fun to watch all you gopers squirm every month when economic data rolls in showing an improving economy. With every bit of good news comes the likelihood of the democrats holding serve. All y’all will be rooting for the recession to continue, eh?
The gop will win a few seats back, but the democrats will hold both houses of congress come January 2011.
It’s been a year. Millions are still unemployed. Millions are still losing their homes. What, is there going to be an October surprise of Obama hiring millions to mow the WH lawn?
BTW, Ohiospoogechugger, your prediction accuracy is sinking deeper and deeper into the shit. Time for some new material.
BNL have you no compassion. You and your candidates have taken the unemplyment figure from 6 to over 10.2%. Many economists are predicting now we may end 2010 with it above 10 percent!! Have you no shame? Instead of addressing the economy and jobs the liberals have done slush funds and kickbacks and sold their votes. You think this is a game? Obama promised unemployment wouldn’t get above 8%. Don’t you think people make note of those kind of promises? MA has taught you people nothing. No compassion, no humility, no accountability. Shame. Apparently you and your ilk need more examples.
BTW todays unemployment report was “surprisingly bad”. An uptick in the number filing for unempl benefits. Who the hell was surprised?
The four week rolling average also went higher with more souls unemployed. How sad. Say a prayer for those hit hardest by the Obama continuing ressession.
It will be fun to watch all you gopers squirm every month when economic data rolls in showing an improving economy.
Like this?
Gee, didn’t the screaming welfare addicts like buckeyenutlover point to increasing unemployment as proof that we were in a recession? Now, of course, that they need to support their incompetent Obama, whose only job qualification is skin color, they state that it’s proof of an “improving economy”.
Rasmussen is out today showing Blunt (R) +6 over Carnahan (D) for Bond’s Missouri senate seat. The margin of error was +-4.5%. It was conducted on the day of the heavily watched MA election, with many pre-election polls indicating Brown might win. I’m guessing that election may have influenced those polled.
This is the first poll I’m aware of showing Blunt ahead within the margin of error.
If Obamacare is indeed dead along with cap n tax, employers like me may now be able to turn our focus to hiring.
Until now we have been meeting to determine ways to stay in business as the liberals made business a target for new destructive legislation.
I for one will wait a while longer to make sure the liberals have gotten the message. If not, if Obama and the dems continue to target banks, corporations and small businesses, we ARE NOT GOING TO START HIRING!
I’m with you dreaming about this. However, with all respect (and hope), in order for the dream to become reality, the Republicans will have to come up with more classy candidates like Scott Brown, AND the Democrats will have to step on themselves at least somewhat like Marcia Coakley did. California is in a general meltdown and Boxer has already committed her share of gaffes, so change there — even there — is conceivable. Reid is toast; Dorgan is gone, Lincoln’s down the drain, Delaware should flip, Colorado seems doable, and Kirk is polling well enough to treat Illinois as a gain. Nevertheless, though flush with optimism, I’m still having trouble getting to ten seats shifting red. Patty Murray is a ditz and SHOULD lose unless the Seattle tombstones vote for her like they did for Chris Gregoire. Specter will lose in the primary, which will be bad for Toomey as I view Sestak as the tougher opponent. Those two, if challenges are successful, would get us to nine; still not ten seats. Where does #10 come from? New York??? Gillibrand is a novice compared to Schumer, but more attractive to the Scott Brown votes. And Schumer is a much more astute a politician than M. Coakley. Connecticut looked very good there for a while but now that Dodd is bowing out, this one doesn’t seem promising. Hawaii?? Inouye could have a stroke between now and election day; otherwise I don’t see Linda Lingle or any other Republican picking this up. In short, the irrepressible optimism that led me to contribute to Scott Brown when he was still the way-underdog can’t quite get itself to the finish line of that 51st Republican Senate seat, even assuming that we don’t lose any of the seats held by Republicans. Help me out here.
OK, answering my own question, and in light of the potential for Mike Pence to run, I have decided that Sen. Bayh may be vulnerable this time despite the magic of his name. And yet, if Teddy Kennedy had been alive to run under that name, wouldn’t we all agree that he would have won yet another term?
OK, answering my own question, and in light of the potential for Mike Pence to run, I have decided that Sen. Bayh may be vulnerable this time despite the magic of his name. And yet, if Teddy Kennedy had been alive to run under that name, and that for some reason the election for his seat came up this month, wouldn’t you agree that he would have beaten Scott Brown? That said, Indiana isn’t Taxachusetts, so it would not be incredible to see Bayh kicked out. I remember 1980 and the ten Democrat senatorial icons who were blown away in the Reagan tide.
I seriously doubt that the GOP can take back the Senate this year. The House, maybe, but the Senate? Naaah. I’ll be happy if they can just whittle down the control Dems have on the upper chamber, especially if they can get rid of some of the worst like Boxer and Reid. Giving Schumer the heave-ho would be fantastic, but probably not possible this year.
November is a long way off. Democrats now have a chance to “reset” public perception of them (or “overcharge” public perception if you work for Hillary in the Obama State Department.)
It is conceivable that Democrats could improve their chances between now and then, but the problem with that is that Democrats are radical leftist ideologues first and foremost, and their entire leadership utterly rejects the policies that are necessary to save their own butts.
Anything could happen, but history teaches us Democrats will make things worse before November, not better. And current events back that up with Democrats pushing to raise the debt ceiling by TWO TRILLION dollars, just a month after raising it the last time, and Obama is hell bent on destroying any chance of a recovery by his shenanigans with the banks.
I greatly fear they are going to keep right on keeping on and wreak even more devastation before the American people have a chance to throw them out.