Posted on 09/14/2004 11:59:27 AM PDT by The Old Hoosier
Only a few months ago, 2004 looked like it might be a surprisingly good year for the Democratic Party. How quickly things change.
Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) was raising tons of cash. President Bush was sliding in the polls. Democrats were talking optimistically about winning control of the Senate. And House Democrats had reason to be upbeat about their promising recruiting class, even if electing a Speaker looked like a long shot.
No, a wave hadn't yet developed for Democrats, but growing voter dissatisfaction with the direction of the country and the public's disapproval of the president's performance were reason enough for Democrats to believe that they had the momentum.
Understandably, party strategists and spinners talked up these brighter prospects, offering more optimistic scenarios for November and creating higher expectations.
But August has been a cruel month for the Democratic Party, both for its presidential nominee and its two federal campaign committees. The news has not been good. Will the downdrafts be forgotten once voters begin focusing on the campaign in earnest? Or do the recent problems bode ill for November?
Kerry's problems are apparent in the early post-convention polls, and I'm not even referring to the bounce that the president received in his ballot test against Kerry. Voters' concerns about terrorism and increased confidence in Bush have improved the president's prospects, forcing the Kerry campaign to change its tactics and to shuffle its organization.
But at least Kerry still has a realistic chance of winning the White House in November. As long as voters haven't decided to rehire the president for another term and continue to believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction, the presidential contest remains competitive.
Over at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, things have turned from bad to worse. Let me count the ways.
One: Rep. Rodney Alexander (La.) defects and joins the GOP, even though he would have been a heavy favorite for re-election as a Democrat. Then Democratic efforts to throw him off the ballot or reopen filing come up empty.
Two: Jim Stork, the party's much ballyhooed recruit against Rep. Clay Shaw in Florida's 22nd district announces suddenly that he is putting his campaign on hold for health reasons.
Three: Highly prized recruit Christine Jennings is upset in the Aug. 29 Democratic primary in Florida's 13th district, all but ending the national party's interest in the race to oust Rep. Katherine Harris (R).
Four: If the committee didn't have enough problems, Kori Bernards, the widely respected and widely liked communications director of the DCCC, leaves the committee and joins the staff of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.). That can't be good news for the DCCC, and many insiders will take it as a sign of the committee's problems.
To have any chance of retaking the House, Democrats still need a wave to develop, and in this regard they remain better positioned than the Republicans to net seats in November. But a wave seems less likely today than it did four weeks ago, and honest Democrats are no longer able to talk seriously about 218 seats.
Recent news has also worked to the disadvantage of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
After succeeding in selling their argument that they had a chance of getting to 50 or even 51 seats in November, the roof has fallen in on the DSCC.
First, former Rep. Jim DeMint wins the Republican Senate nomination in South Carolina and blows past Inez Tenenbaum (D) in polling. Then former Rep. Tom Coburn wins the GOP Senate nomination in Oklahoma without a runoff and blows past Rep. Brad Carson (D) in state polls.
Then former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez makes a late rush and wins the Republican Senate nomination in Florida. For weeks, Democrats had been saying privately that they would have a hard time defeating Martinez in a general election. But, they figured, they wouldn't have to, since he couldn't beat former Congressman Bill McCollum for the Republican nomination.
By winning, Martinez has fundamentally altered Florida's Senate race, undercutting Democrat Betty Castor's prospects in the contest.
Elsewhere, things haven't been much better. Businessman Pete Coors, the stronger candidate in the Republican primary, won the Republican Senate nomination in Colorado, and in Pennsylvania, Sen. Arlen Specter won the AFL-CIO's endorsement, making the odds that Democratic Senate challenger, Rep. Joe Hoeffel, will upset Specter that much longer.
But while Democratic prospects have dipped over the past month, the general election is still seven weeks away. Kerry is very much in the race, and events could turn sentiment quickly.
The Democratic Party still has time to reverse current trends and put together a good election night. Not very much time, though.
Stuart Rothenberg is editor of the Rothenberg Political Report (www.rothenbergpoliticalreport.com ).
It's only going to get worse for the Dems.
For one thing, now that the AWB has expired, the massive NRA will be endorsing President Bush sometime in mid-October. The Dems have nothing to counter that endorsement. They've already got all the support from their groups that they are going to get.
The AWB Has Expired - Gun Owners Have Won Again For All Americans!
Perfect Storm as an analogy? Nah. Better to use TITANIC. If the Kerry Campaign was the HMS TITANIC right now. We would be at the scene where the RATS are running down the hallway.
Probably not but if so do you REALLY think that anything will change? There would be a couple of defections to ensure that TRUE conservative issues don't get passed. Let's say there were 65 pubbies. I doubt if much would change. Remember who's the puppetiers for these pols.
If you need to know now, the Rs will finish with 54 Senate seats.
It's Barabara Mikulski from MD.
You left off McCain.
Oooooooooooh...cool...when do you think that Kerry calling Clinton was the rockets being fired?
Spectur must go but only after we have a solid R majority. This will make the Rinos like specture expendable. Then can then "retire" next cycle in favor of a real conservative.
Only a few months ago, 2004 looked like it might be a surprisingly good year for the Democratic Party.Where, exactly, did it look anything like that?DemocratWetDreamVille? PartisanBurg? RectalCraniumCoverLand? Democratic Underground?
I don't see that the outlook was ever sunny for the Dems.
Bill Jones is up against Boxer and is getting creamed in the polls.
Reminds one of the 40 seats Gephardt said they might pick up in 2002, doesn't it.
or lezzie babs as her friends call her
Try FreeRepublic, it's very informative. Want to know about Nick Smith's district? Check out Dan from Michigan's posts! Etc.
FreeRepublic? Never heard of it. Unfortunately, FR is spotty since it is dependent on the diligence of the Freepers to post what they find. Its also hard to find good info on House races in the MSM. For example, if you rely on the Kansas City Star for your information on Kansas City area races, you are going to be sadly misinformed, or dare I say, misled.
No chance of Boxer getting tossed?
Are you lazy or what? Most of those senators are not up for election this year.
No mentions of NV, WI, and WA. I wish we had recruited better candidates for these seats? It is too bad that Gibbons, Thompson, and Dunn didn't run for these.
In was in the MSM prayers to the gods of ratings. They make sacrifices of many virgins and made offerings to perform various acts of perversion in exchange for a race which would get them "face time" and adulation from the public.
(/s)
NONE! Its California after all.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.