Flipping the Senate: With Democrats on the defensive, the GOP has a chance to recapture the Senate

National Review ^ | 07/09/2013 | Michael Barone

[SeekAndFind]

One word of caution: Michael Barone also predicted a Romney victory in 2012.

[saganite]

Since the establishment blames the tea party for causing them to miss out regaining the Senate in 2010 and 2012 I’m sure we’ll get safe RINO candidates.

[Da Coyote]

Perhaps so.

Which is why the dim-bulb-crats so dearly want to pass the illegal alien future democrat voters and perpetual welfare act.

And some of our RINO-scum are willing to help.

[Lakeshark]

He has always been a good predictor about elections. The Romney pick was an outlier, but a combination of Christie, the hurricane relief panderer, and what we know now about the IRS doing in the TEA party and other conservatives threw him a curve.

A GOP run Senate would be far better than what we have now, but those RINO Senators are no great prize.

[OrangeHoof]

It would be nice to have a GOP Senate that would stop some of Obama’s extremism in its tracks and dethrone Harry Reid but most of the Republicans in the Senate probably won’t have the nads to stand up to Obama and the Democrats anyway. Where are they on immigration, on domestic spying, on controlling spending, on increasing jobs? Some of the GOP are as bad as the Democrats.

I don’t need a Senate run by John McCain. A Senate run by Ted Cruz or Rand Paul, however, would be a breathtaking site to see.

[lurk]

To do any effective good, the R’s would need nearly 60 seats, to compensate for the liberal R’s who would vote with the President.

[Zathras]

Decoded: Barone gives advice to Dems on seats they have to infiltrate or attack.

[DakotaGator]

What’s the outlook for the 2014 Senate elections? As in 2010 and 2012, the Republicans once again have a chance to overturn the Democrats’ majority.

I have great confidence that once again the Stupid Party will run the usual losers to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.

[RIghtwardHo]

Meh. They might. I do have “faith” that they’ll screw it up though.

But the scary thing is 2016. The Rats could flip up to 10 seats in that one.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

I have great confidence that once again the Stupid Party will run the usual losers to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.

No doubt.

Go Tea Party! Beat RINOs!

[DoughtyOne]

Imagine what a catastrophe a McCain presidency would be with a Mitch McConnel Senate, and a John Boehner House.

Any Leftist thing McCain sent over would get a rubber stamp.

Congressional majorities can be great, but without a solid Conservative president, they would unquestionably spell doom.

Think Medicare Part D to the X.

With a McCain, you’d have to pray there would be at least one body of Congress owned by the Democrats. That way you could at least hope for a political stalemate if something terrible was proposed.

[pallis]

Never underestimate the ability of the GOP to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.

[TomGuy]

Republicans seem sure to win ...

They seemed sure to win a couple more Senate seats in 2012. Instead, they lost those and a couple more.

Any time the Republicans seem headed for a 'sure thing', it seems to result in a loss.

The biggest problem the Republicans still have is getting a coherent message out. They don't seem to know what they stand for or are willing to fight for. They abdicated the position of 'loyal opposition' a long time ago. They seem more and more to be moving to become the Dem-lite party.

Old adage: If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.

Proof: Marco Rubio, for one.

==

Of course, Barone's credibility suffered a huge blow when he predicted a Romney landslide in 2012. Romney didn't even come close. Maybe Barone has some new tea leaves. Maybe his next call to Miss Cleo will result in better predictions.

==

Arkansas's Pryor does seem to be an easy target. The Republicans sent Blanche Lincoln packing. However, only a few have made noise about running against Pryor and they are not presently considered as 'strong' contenders.

[DakotaGator]

Go Tea Party! Beat RINOs!

Hear, hear!

[Lakeshark]

I didn't mean to express any good will towards our RINO Senators, they have been a disaster.

However, I do like the idea of Ted Cruz being a member of the majority and hassling our RINOs into embarrassed submission...........

[ScottinVA]

Republicans seem sure to win open seats in South Dakota (58 percent Romney) and West Virginia (62 percent Romney).

Really, Mike? We can appreciate West Virginia's propensity to vote R for President, but when was the last time it elected a GOPer for Senator?

[wbill]

Incumbent Hagan won the seat in 2008 largely because of slip-ups by Republican Elizabeth Dole

Dole changed her mind and decided at the last minute that she really didn't want to run, so she threw the election.

That, and anyone with a (D) next to their name got elected in 2008.

Hagan is going to have a tough time in 2014.

[DoughtyOne]

I wasn’t trying to pick you apart there, because we have wanted the trifecta for decades. I spent nearly my whole life looking forward to a time when we could right wrongs if only we had the presidency, the Senate, and the House.

And then we got George Bush, and I realized we would not only not fix things, we would spend ourselves into oblivion by passing things like Medicare Part D and set the nation up for another depression.

Just sayin’... that’s all.

[Lakeshark]

I remember the disappointment well.

Right now I'm focused on the killing of the bill. Little else matters at this point.....

[pepsi_junkie]

Go Tea Party! Beat RINOs!

The attacks lines used against tea party senate candidates proved pretty effective last go around. They go like this: If the candidate is a man he hates women and is a-okay with rape. If the candidate is a woman she is nuts.

Tea party doesn't field career politicians in general and they are not smooth at deflecting loaded questions. They ended up harming themselves by playing into this stuff by trying to split hairs and wax philosophically on things like if there was ever a silver lining to bad things like rape. I don't want career politicians or smooth talkers (I'm talking to you, Rubio) but at least some saavy is needed.