AS OF TODAY, THE GOP TAKING OVER THE SENATE IS NOT A “SLAM DUNK”

 

…The man referred to as “Dubya Bush’s Brain,” Karl Rove.

When Karl Rove is worried, Democrats are pleased.

 

A Lame duck American president’s mid-term elections have always tended to lean toward the party that is not in power in the White House.  This year however, where six months ago, the GOP was talking about a “slam-dunk in taking over the US Senate”, even the ultimate Republican cheerleader of the Republican fund-raisers; American Crossroads & Crossroads GPS’, Mr. Karl Rove is saying, “…each passing day provides evidence as to why a GOP Senate majority is still in doubt.”

Even the usually accurate, Nate Silver’s, 538 Forecasting & Polling Operation, today it isn’t as sure as it was a few months ago that the Senate is going to go over to the Republicans.  So, just why is it that the Democrats are looking a bit better than they were some months ago?

Well, let’s look at what’s going on for both sides:

·       First, since both the Republicans in the House and the president have said that neither are going to do anything about immigration, the nation’s minority communities are today going all-out to get their people registered, especially in the Southern states.  They want their people in the US Congress.

·       The GOP is finding that even though many of their conservatives would usually vote against any supporters of big government, when the Republicans have no alternatives other than just saying “no”, those anti-government individuals do many times often still support the concrete positive things that government can do.

·       Since the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare” has now been declared a success, the Republicans can no longer run successfully against it, especially in those states where the Medicaid provisions were expanded.

·       In fact, the Democrats in those states where the GOP Governors and Senators voted against their state’s Medicaid expansion, those individuals are having some problems in fighting for their own re-elections.

·       For once, in the important and close senate seat elections, the Democrats are out-spending the Republicans in the early campaigns.  That spending lead will shrink as November gets closer, but at least for the time being, the Dems are putting their investments in the right places.

·       In Kentucky, the Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, is almost running neck & neck with the current Senate Minority Leader.  She has started criticizing Sen. Mitch McConnell for filibustering against Senator Elizabeth Warren’s bill to bring down interest rates on student debt. Per Ms. Grimes: “We want our students getting degrees, not debt.” There are now very successful ads with students echoing the “degrees not debt” theme against the minority leader.

·       Inherent with all the negatives and the lack of action by the Republicans in the House, (not to mention their single-digit approval rating), it is becoming clear that a Republican-led Senate will be not be a walk-in-the-park event for the American public in general.  The conservatives are not offering any practical help to those voters that are still in trouble from the economic downturn.  These individuals are beginning to understand that the GOP just might make things worse for them and all Americans.

 

…The 2014 mid-term hopes of the Democratic Party

The reality of the up-coming election is that “slam-dunk” the GOP was counting on, the election is today a real “toss-up” as to whether the GOP will take the Senate.  In fact, it is looking like the Democrats, even with the president’s current unpopularity, may actually increase their number of seats in the House.  This is mainly because of all the noise about the Republican House members not doing their jobs and for taking so many days off during the last Congress.

Historically, it has been that when Mr. Karl Rove gets worried, it’s not going to be good day for the conservatives.

We can only hope and be sure to vote.

Copyright  G.Ater  2014