Posted on 10/25/2012 7:58:03 AM PDT by Clint N. Suhks
RICHMOND, Va. -- Two former Virginia governors are in a fierce fight to represent the state in the U.S. Senate in one of the close races that could help decide which party controls the agenda for the next two years.
In a series of debates, caustic mailers and combative television commercials, Republican George Allen and Democrat Tim Kaine have been clashing over transportation funding, Medicare funding, health care overhaul and the future of Social Security.
"This is a very high-stakes election that will affect the country for decades," said Ted Brown, a professor of political science at Virginia State University, who attended a recent debate in Richmond.
Polls show the candidates are neck-and-neck, and Virginians aren't the only ones paying attention.
Nationally, the GOP needs only a net gain of four seats to wrench control of the upper chamber from Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and his fellow Democrats, who now control the Senate by 51 to 47 with two liberal independents.
Political scientists say they aren't expecting to see the Senate flip, but it's not out of the question. The possibility is enough to get GOP supporters to funnel millions of dollars to key races.
To GOP stalwarts, a win would mean the new Congress can send a backlog of GOP-backed bills to the president's desk. That's assuming the House remains in Republican hands, which is likely, but not a lock.
"So many bills passed the House, but Harry Reid won't release them for the Senate to vote," said Sallie Johnson, recording secretary of the Chesterfield County Republican Party, who held an "Allen for Congress" sign at the entrance to a recent Kaine-Allen debate in Richmond.
(Excerpt) Read more at old.post-gazette.com ...
We just need a net +1 for Ryan to act as the tie breaker.
We are danger of going -1 in Indiana; Mourdock has not run a good campaign, and despite having had a narrow lead over Donnelly, Mourdock handed the leftist media a gift that might cost him the election. He’s getting hammered for his abortion as a result of rape comment in his last debate.
If GOP senate candidates would have the discipline to refrain from mentioning abortion and rape in the same sentence, GOP control of the senate would easily be assured this November. No matter how true or heartfelt the sentiments expressed are, the Dems and the media will exploit them to the maximum level imaginable.
I wouldn’t wan’t to rely on 50 senate seats plus the VP to act as a tiebreaker - that means the Democrats only have to get a single Republican to defect on key issues.
It seems that every election a Republican candidate shoots himself in the mouth and the media plays it up into a major fiasco.
Our candidates are so easy to sandbag that it is amazing that we ever get anybody elected.
Paging Scott Brown if he wins. Big IF right now.
There are currently 47 Republicans. They’re going to lose Maine and may well lose Massachusetts as well. That means in order to take control of the Senate they need to pick up 6 seats from the Democrats. And I just don’t see where they can do that. Three seat or four seats, maybe. But that still leaves them in the minority.
My take as of today
Start at 47
Minus Maine (46)
Minus Mass (45)
Plus Nebraska (46)
Plus North Dakota (47)
Plus Montana (48)
Plus Wisconsin (49)
Plus Virginia (50)
Ends at 50/50
Liking your math!
I hope you’re right, without the Senate, we cannot overturn Obamacare.
Well, you are assuming Mourdock survives . .. and I would bet that he does, but I also think we may very well get a surprise win in CT, and don’t discount MO completely, either.
I went with my most likely scenarios but if we want to expand the list:
Seats that we should squeak out holds but scare me: AZ, IN, NV
Seats we could pick up if the we win big: OH, FL, PA, CT
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