Pundits on McLaughlin Group, Beltway Boys & Inside Washington Issue Predictions

Newsbusters.org ^ | November 5, 2006 | Brent Baker

[meg88]

On shows aired Friday and Saturday, the journalists and political pundits on the McLaughlin Group, FNC's Beltway Boys and Inside Washington, a local Washington, DC program, made predictions for what will occur in Tuesday's elections. All presumed that Democrats will win enough seats to takeover the House and most forecast that Democrats will win a majority of the most-contested Senate seats.

Below is a rundown of the specific predictions issued by columnist Pat Buchanan, Newsweek writer Eleanor Clift, Washington Times editorial page Editor Tony Blankley, Democratic political veteran and television producer Lawrence O'Donnell, John McLaughlin, Weekly Standard Executive Editor Fred Barnes, Roll Call Executive Editor Morton Kondracke, columnist Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post editorial writer Colby King, columnist and PBS analyst Mark Shields and NPR reporter Nina Totenberg.

Those who forecast that Democrats will take control of the Senate: Clift, O'Donnell, McLaughlin, Kondracke and Shields. Those who think Republicans will retain their Senate majority, if barely: Buchanan, Barnes, Blankley, Krauthammer, King and Totenberg.

Now, the rundown:

McLaughlin Group:

Maryland Senate:

Pat Buchanan: Cardin Eleanor Clift: Cardin Tony Blankley: abstained Lawrence O'Donnell: Cardin John McLaughlin: Cardin

New Jersey Senate:

Buchanan: Menendez Clift: Menendez Blankley: Menendez O'Donnell: Menendez McLaughlin: Menendez

Ohio Senate:

Buchanan: Brown Clift: Brown Blankley: Brown O'Donnell: Brown McLaughlin: Brown

Pennsylvania Senate:

Buchanan: Casey Clift: Casey Blankley: abstained O'Donnell: Casey McLaughlin: Casey

Rhode Island Senate:

Buchanan: Whitehouse Clift: Whitehouse Blankley: Whitehouse O'Donnell: Whitehouse McLaughlin: Whitehouse

Missouri Senate:

Buchanan: Talent Clift: McCaskill Blankley: abstained O'Donnell: McCaskill McLaughlin: McCaskill

Montana Senate:

Buchanan: Burns Clift: Tester Blankley: Burns O'Donnell: Tester McLaughlin: Tester

Tennessee Senate:

Buchanan: Corker Clift: Corker Blankley: Corker O'Donnell: Corker McLaughlin: Corker

Virginia Senate:

Buchanan: Allen Clift: Webb Blankley: Webb O'Donnell: Webb McLaughlin: Allen

FNC's Beltway Boys:

Virginia Senate:

Fred Barnes: Allen Morton Kondracke: Webb

New Jersey Senate:

Barnes: Menendez Kondracke: Menendez

Tennessee Senate:

Barnes: Corker Kondracke: Corker

Missouri Senate:

Barnes: Talent Kondracke: McCaskill

Montana Senate:

Barnes: Burns Kondracke: Tester

Maryland Senate:

Barnes: Cardin Kondracke: Cardin

Ohio Senate:

Barnes: Brown Kondracke: Brown

Rhode Island Senate:

Barnes: Whitehouse Kondracke: Whitehouse

Pennsylvania Senate:

Barnes: Casey Kondracke: Casey

Connecticut Senate:

Barnes: Lieberman Kondracke: Lieberman

Senate overall:

Barnes: Democrats pick up 4 seats, Republicans hold Senate by one Kondracke: Democrats pick up 6 seats, Democrats takeover by one

House overall:

Barnes: Democrats pick up 22 seats Kondracke: Democrats pick up 30 seats

Inside Washington, a weekly half hour produced by ABC's Washington, DC affiliate, WJLA-TV channel 7 which airs it on Sunday morning after it has aired Saturday night on the affiliate's all-news cable channel, NewsChannel 8, and Friday night on DC's PBS station, WETA-TV channel 26:

Charles Krauthammer:

House: Democrats win 21 seats Senate: Republicans hold by one

Colby King:

House: Democrats gain “at least” 20 seats Senate: Republicans hold by one

Nina Totenberg:

House: Democrats pick up 20 to 25 seats Senate: 50-50 or Republicans hold by one

Mark Shields:

House: Democrats will win more than 35 seats Senate: Democrats will win control

[dforest]

Didnt read it and don't want to

[Dane]

I could really care less what the DC bubble crowd thinks. They have been wrong so many time before and tomorrow will be no different.

[Darkwolf377]

Nina Totenberg reminds me of Lilly Tomlin's telephone operator character so much I've never been able to take her seriously.

[ClarenceThomasfan]

Bookmarked for Wednesday

[A Citizen Reporter]

Is this going to be their last "prediction"?

Because I'm ready to make up my scorecard for Tuesday night.

[ConservativeDude]

For what it's worth, Kondracke nailed 1994 in his final predictions, when no one else predicted the GOP tsunami.

I hope he's wrong this time.

[IndyTiger]

Never will forget watching Washington Week in Review the weekend before the 1980 election. Two of the four panelists picked Carter to defeat Reagan. Couldn't believe it at the time.

[Utah Binger]

Columns and rows with headers are your best friends.

[Last Laugh]

Fox News had Dan Blather on this Saturday talking about Saddam.

Since FNC put a traitor like that on and took him seriously, I no longer trust any of their talking heads to know anything about politics. They only know DNC talking points.

If FNC thinks we should still believe they are fair and balanced, they've got another thing coming.

Now, I no longer have any television news to watch. Guess I'll keep in touch through Free Republic.

[FreedomNeocon]

More predictions from the know-nothings that up and down (INCLUDING FOX) had written off '04 even all the way up to and on election night.

[moose2004]

"Charles Krauthammer:

House: Democrats win 21 seats Senate: Republicans hold by one

Colby King:

House: Democrats gain “at least” 20 seats Senate: Republicans hold by one

Nina Totenberg:

House: Democrats pick up 20 to 25 seats Senate: 50-50 or Republicans hold by one"

Hate to say it but I actually agree with these predictions, especially Charles Krauthammer's. GOTV!

[tobyhill]

I just don't see it happening for the Rats in either the House or Senate. Of all the races that are at least toss-ups held by House Republicans there are only about a dozen then 8-10 lean Rat or heavy Rat which would mean that the Rats would have to sweep every race but history shows the incumbent win over 50% of the time of those that are at least toss-ups. The most I see the Rats gaining in the House is 11 seats and more than likely only about 8 seats.

[meg88]

I think the Dems House gain may be less than 15 after Kerry's comments dominated the news cycle after last week,

[no dems]

C'mon Meg; we've got momentum and a little hope. Why are you posting this crap; to try and discourage us?

[sam_paine]

I thought it was a McLaughlin vs. Beltway Boys debate. That would've been good.

[OldFriend]

And why does Blankley prostitute himself sitting on a panel with O'Donnell and Clift? To say nothing of McLaughlin....uh. Not one worth the time.

[mdmathis6]

The the pundits are assuming that Dem's have no lossess and that all the seats lost are those of Republicans...

Just remember, if a Dem incumbent loses one seat, the Dems have to win one seat to maintain it and another to gain ground...so I'm having trouble with these wild 20 to 30 seat gains claims!

[steve-b]

For what it's worth, Kondracke nailed 1994 in his final predictions, when no one else predicted the GOP tsunami.

Hmmm... he's currently predicting Kondracke: Democrats pick up 6 seats in the Senate, 30 seats in the House

[steve-b]

The problem is that few, if any, Dem incumbents are in any danger of losing.