Why the 2014 midterms could be unlike any other

news.yahoo.com ^ | 2/9/14 | Taegan Goddard

[cotton1706]

In a new episode of Political Wire's podcast, we spoke with Celinda Lake, the Democratic pollster for the George Washington University Battleground Poll. Lake shared her insights with us on the mood of the electorate and Democrats' turnout challenges as the 2014 midterms approach.

Here are four takeaways:

1. We're in unfamiliar territory when it comes to voters' frustrations with government and the economy: The last time Americans felt this sour about their government was during the Watergate scandal, Lake said. Americans are fed up with both parties, and their frustration with Congress has gotten to the point where voters are even souring to some extent on their own representatives in Congress. "They're not ready to fire their guy yet, but they've definitely put their guy on notice," Lake said. But unlike during the Watergate era, Lake said, right now voters are also strongly frustrated with the state of the economy. And this time voters' disgust with government stems not from corruption scandals but from a perception that government is highly polarized and can't get anything done: "It's really hard to imagine, 'Where does this end, where does this come out?'"

SEE ALSO: The scandals swirling around Chris Christie aren't going away anytime soon

2. Democrats need to talk more about jobs. Their focus on the minimum wage isn't a jobs platform: Yes, raising the minimum wage, which many Democrats have proposed as a way to tackle income inequality, polls well with voters. It even gets support from half of Republicans, Lake said. But she cautions: "I think the winning prescription is actually something that Democrats don't talk about right now, and that's jobs." Voters care even more about jobs, she suggested;

[jimmyray]

I dislike your political sagacity, because you are most likely correct. :(

[Amendment10]

Thank you for referencing that article cotton1706. Please bear in mind that the following critique is directed against the author of the article and not at you.

I'm surprised that the author of the article did not reference the constitutional clause indicated below which can possibly be a major turning point after the 2014 elections. If patriots can wake up and elect a 2/3 conservative majority to each House of Congress in the 2014 elections, then Congress will be positioned as follows.

Congress will have the power, under the Constitution's Clause 2 of Section 7 of Article I, to override presidential vetoes. This means that Congress will be able to repeal unconstitutional Obamacare Democratcare, for example, without Obama's signature.

The page at the following link has a table indicating the history of presidential vetoes, including Clause 2 veto overrides, Congress using that clause as recently as Bush 41 & 43, and also Clinton.

List of United States presidential vetoes

[CPT Clay]

Tsunami Alert

[CPT Clay]

Nuh uh, Katrina Pierson in TX32

[AppyPappy]

Nothing will ever top 1994. Elections are too controlled by money now. Democrats can basically buy state-wide elections like the Senate. Urban precincts just overwhelm everyone else.

[BillyBoy]

>> It could be the most important election of our lifetimes...no, wait - that was 2012. <<

Every election I've voted in since 2000 has been dubbed 'the most important election of our lifetime'

[gspurlock]

The upcoming election is always the most important one in our lives, because it is the one upon which we can have an effect. If you abandon the playing field, you cannot influence the game. It is as simple as that. Good, bad or indifferent, do not relinquish your civic duties and responsibilities.

[doorgunner69]

It could be the most important election of our lifetimes...no, wait - that was 2012.

Yes, and voter fraud negated most of our votes where it mattered.............

[Pollster1]

something that Democrats don't talk about right now, and that's jobs

It's better than that. The Democrats are actually talking about killing jobs as "freeing people from job lock" as if killing jobs is something to spin as a good thing.

[Theodore R.]

When all is said and done, a real likielihood is that nothing much will happen at all in 2014. 2013 was surely no precusor for conservatism in 2014.

[Theodore R.]

I’m afraid the Republican primary voters are either too cowardly or too uninformed to make the changes we endorse. After all, Texans hear on ads that Cornball is the “second most conservative in the Senate”. The ad doesn’t say who is the “first”.

[Theodore R.]

But isn’t Irving, TX, moving to the left?