Discussion for article #231395
Pro-tip Repugs: If you’re letting Ron Johnson, who is in the running for the Stupidest Man in Congress award, be your spokesperson for your “really good opportunity,” you’re already conceding that you know you’re going to get pulverized.
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Democrats are concerned mainly about defending seats in Colorado and Nevada
Harry Reid was able to hold onto his seat during that 2010 Tea Potty wave, I highly doubt he’s going to have much to worry about in 2016, particularly when there’ll most likely be a Democrat running partly on keeping Obama’s executive action on immigration in place and a Republican promising to undo them. Colorado may be a cause for some concern, but I’m betting Gardner is going to be such an ass over the next two years that Coloradans won’t even consider sending another Republican to the Senate.
Republicans have strong incumbents in Democrat-friendly states, such as Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire, Rob Portman in Ohio, and Marco Rubio in Florida, if he runs for re-election rather than the presidency.
I agree that Portman will be a strong incumbent, but last I checked both Rubio and Ayotte’s approval ratings are in the toilet. With Rubio’s concern trolling over Cuba and Ayotte’s constant saber rattling and attachment to Grampy McCain, I wouldn’t think either of them would be especially strong candidates in 2016.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who will lead the National Republican Senatorial Committee through 2016
I find it especially telling/strange that Republicans have chosen a Senator from the reddest of states to head up the NRSC. That’s not the sign of a party that’s looking to appeal to the broader electorate. That’s a sign they’re looking to gin up their base. Interesting.
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AP is finally looking at the map? Most of us knew that 2014 was stacked in the Republicans’ favor and that 2016 is stacked in the Democrats’ favor.
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The Senate map for the GOP is unfavorable for a mid-term election, but for a Presidential election that will likely feature our first chance to elect a woman to the White House, it is downright terrible. The turnout will be huge and the GOP has no real contender as of now. I am very optimistic the Dems can retake the Senate and hold the White House. The bonus will be if the Tea Party/GOP splinters further, which could lead to an actual Tea Party third-party, which would be huge for the liberal cause.
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The fight Rs will have in 24 seats had been predicted or at least first discussed some months back, but it’s heartening to know it’s picking up momentum as early as it is. I’ll be good not have to the see The Turtle on this homepage but instead perhaps Warren or someone else equally enlightened from the D side as Majority Leader.
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Word or prediction, take your choice, is that Russ Feingold will run against Johnson.
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That would be awesome.
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In the meantime Obama has his veto pen for next two years.
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Even if Ron Johnson is stupid, he was backed by tons of outside money in 2010 and will be again in 2016. Whoever challenges him will need to be able to attract similar levels of money. Since Russ Feingold refuses to do that out of principal, he shouldn’t run against Johnson.
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Especially when the 36% who voted Republican see what the Republican’s have in store for Social Security and Medicare. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/12/usa-congress-budget-price-idUSL1N0TW1KQ20141212
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Reid will be nearly 77 in 2016 and could decide to retire. Even if he wants to run for another term, he could be challenged by Brian Sandoval, Nevada’s popular governor (and a much better candidate than Sharron Angle).
Big advantage for Dems in NH is their bench. Lynch would be a favorite against Sen. Ayotte even if he is too centrist for me. Hassan is a “better” Democrat but I think it would be a toss up against Ayotte.
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From what I’ve seen in the past, republicans typically ignore democrats when the republicans are
in the majority. Get ready for two whole years of them trying to bring their caveman style of mis-government
to the country. This ain’t your republican politicians from even ten years ago. I hope it doesn’t come
to armed insurrection.
I’m surprised that American news outlets continue to describe the 2014 Democratic losses as attributable to pressing issues of the year (ebola, ISIS, VA, etc.) when it was clear that democrats just didn’t head to the polls. If someone actually examined the numbers, this seems far worse than news outlets have been predicting for Republicans in 2016. 2014 elections were mostly close elections, despite most Democratic voters staying home. The Republican margins of victory should’ve been greater. This means that even in a Republican year, they almost loss. It also means that the Democratic base is pretty fired up and seemingly ready to hold their party a bit more accountable for not standing firm against some of the Republican agenda. This all equals a very bad 2016 for Republicans and more left-leaning democratic base which could be bad for Clinton.
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Udall would have won Colorado if the President’s immigration executive action had been announced before the election, as that would have brought out more Latino support here. (And we probably would have a Democratic governor in Florida, too, for the same reason.) I voted for Udall, but was disappointed that he never found a way to say: I disagree with the President on X and Y, but believe he has done many good things, specifically a, b, c, d, … The economy here is in great shape, with low unemployment, but only Governor Hickenlooper even brought that up (and he won). And Udall never once defended Obamacare against Gardner’s relentless attacks. If I were an African-American voter here, I have to wonder why I should bother to vote for a senator who never once defended my President.
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No matter the environment surrounding this election the bigger issue is SCOTUS. The next POTUS will certainly be nominating at least two if not three or four justices and will set the makeup of SCOTUS for the next 15 years or more. The monied powers that be will have their bank accounts open and flowing during the 2016 elections.
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" We will reach out to the other side. I think Americans, Wisconsonites, will find out that we’re not the party of 'no."
Does anybody really think this is going to happen? Not a snowball’s chance. The GOP will try to ram through all the things their extreme wing wants…more tax cuts for the wealthy, fewer benefits for working folks, more loopholes and neat tricks for corporations, more limits on voting rights, no health care, and the like.
They’ll continually attached riders to must-pass bills, hoping they can get past the Presidential veto.
On the other hand, they’re going to implode. The few moderates that are left will understand that those actions will only ensure they cannot possibly win the White House, and although it’s possible somebody reasonable will show up, their list of potential presidential candidates is just the same old clown car circling back for another show…with most of the same old clowns inside. They do, however, have room for a few new ones, so we’ll likely see Christie and Jeb and Marco and Ted joining the circus. Rand will likely replace Paul as the designated outsider.
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Obama is going to make Mitch McConnell a one term Senate Majority Leader.
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“…It’s too soon to say …how strong the economy will be…”
Not at all!
Republicans have no more love for the middle class than they do fish in a barrel. Their intent is to cripple the economy every way they can – especially by funneling more pork military projects to their business buddies, which we don’t need – and blame the poor national economic performance on President Obama.
Despite the fact that Republican’s last fiscal policy cost each American homeowner at least $50-grand in value, and double for those who bought and sold houses, losing on both ends.
Banks didn’t mind though, because in addition to fat mortgages on the front, they were selling the bad ones back to the public and ultimately every taxpayer.
Conservatives claim it was a great example of Republican economic policy in action, second only to the Reagan plan to explode the nation’s debt.