After rout, Dems stick to script

The Hill ^ | November 8, 2014 | Mike Lillis

[maggief]

Democrats aren’t planning a shakeup despite the thumping they took at the polls on Tuesday.

Leaders in both the House and the Senate — including Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — are expected to retain their spots atop the party in the next Congress, while the White House, in similar fashion, says it will keep its top staff largely intact.

"The president is somebody who doesn’t make personnel changes just for cosmetic reasons," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday.

The decision to stick with the status quo sends a clear message that Democrats believe Tuesday's disastrous outcome was caused by factors beyond their control, and that they see themselves as best suited to steer a comeback.

But it's also sparked concern among some party operatives and rank-and-file members that the Democrats' rebound strategy lacks fresh voices, novel ideas and a new public image.

Most of the grumbling is happening behind closed doors, but some are going public with calls for soul-searching in the party.

“Washington always wants you to throw out bodies after a bad election, so you'll hear that hew and cry," former White House advisor David Axelrod told MSNBC on Election Day. “People will leave on their own because six years is a long time, but [Obama] also has to say, 'What went wrong; what went right; what do I need to do to make these next two years successful?' “

“I think that would be a wise thing to do," he added.

A Democratic strategist said the unrest is not quite boiling over, but predicted it will gain steam throughout the next Congress before erupting after the 2016 elections.

"My sense is that there is a growing appetite within the [House Democratic] Caucus for, basically, generational change," the strategist said. "At what point do we say, 'OK, we've exhausted this approach to leadership,' or, 'This current leadership has taken us about as far as we can go, we need some new ideas and fresh voices?' ”

"There will be a growing chorus of voices over the next couple of years," the strategist said.

Democrats went into Tuesday's elections knowing they faced a tough climate, but even GOP strategists didn't anticipate the lopsidedness of the results.

In the Senate, the Democrats lost at least seven seats, shifting control of the chamber to the Republicans for the first time in eight years. In the House, the Republicans picked up at least 14 seats and, when all the votes are tallied, could boast their largest majority since the Hoover administration.

Party leaders were quick to note that, historically speaking, they always faced tough odds in the 2014 cycle. They lamented the slew of unsettling international headlines that undermined their economic message — topics as diverse as terrorist beheadings in Syria, Russian incursions into Ukraine and an Ebola epidemic in Africa — and emphasized that Obama's low approval ratings were beyond their realm of influence.

"Since we have no control over what's not in our control we don't wring our hands over that," Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), said on election night.

Israel announced Wednesday that he won't be returning as head of the DCCC next year.

But among party leaders, he's the only one bowing out.

Aside from Pelosi, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md), Assistant Leader Jim Clyburn (D-S.C), Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) and Caucus Vice Chairman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) have already launched bids to keep those spots next year.

A similar trend has occurred in the Senate, where Reid and his top three deputies — Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) — are all vying to remain in place.

That means that, of the eight top Democrats that steered the party into Tuesday's thresher, all eight will likely be in charge of steering the party out. None of them, so far, is facing a challenger.

Meanwhile, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.) will remain atop the Democratic National Committee through 2016.

Republican strategists are gleeful about the prospect of facing the same leaders in the 2016 cycle.

"What’s that they say again about the definition of insanity?" Daniel Scarpinato, spokesman for the GOP's campaign arm, said in an email blast after Pelosi announced her leadership bid.

Earnest, the White House spokesman, tacitly acknowledged that the optics of keeping the same team in place could be bad — but only in the short term.

"Maybe that would generate a day or two of positive headlines if the president were to satisfy the need to publicly fire a couple of people, but that’s not the way the president operates," he said.

Thomas Mann, political expert at the Washington-based Brookings Institution, said it would be "silly" to replace leaders based on election results that were never going to go the Democrats' way.

"There's no gain. It's too symbolic, too much like everything else in Washington, where the so-called appearance seems to be what's key, and there's no evidence that that had anything to do with the results," Mann said. "This is Politics 101: Midterm elections in tough times and unfavorable geography in the Senate and the president's party gets creamed. That's pretty much it.

"Reid and Pelosi are both skillful leaders," he added. "I think it'd be silly to change leadership now."

Still, some Democrats contend that, after the election thrashing the party just took, it would be equally silly to rubber-stamp a leadership team just because it's currently in place.

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), for one, is calling for a delay in the Democrats' leadership elections, slated for Nov. 18, for "at least a month" to allow members to "take inventory" of the party's future.

"I have no person to take anyone's place, but I would hope my recommendation would be more acceptable this time than it was in 2010, when I said, 'Hold on, let's take inventory,'" Pascrell said. "I think it's wrong if we jump into this decision now, because I think that there's much more at stake this time."

[NELSON111]

>>>The Dems are appearing to be insane at this point.

Yep...and too many on the right want to give them a big helping of Lithium and Thorazine.

It's frustrating to hear people talk bad about you....especially when you know its not true. But when the audience knows their crazy...let 'em be. Sympathy goes a long way in this country.

[rdcbn]

Reid and Pelosi are skillful leaders???

---

You got to vote for those leaders to find out what's in them

[mellow velo]

>> "but [Obama] also has to say, 'What went wrong; what went right; what do I need to do to make these next two years successful?" <<

This is Management 101. It's what any top leader or executive would do. Heck, it's what any entry-level manager would do. But Obama has never run so much as a lemonade stand. The only thing he's run is his mouth!

Also, expecting Obama to be self-critical is not in this narcissist's DNA, and it's already apparent following the election that he doesn't think any of the fault lies with him.

[FlipWilson]

Just part of democrat 101- the only elections that count are the one’s they win. All others are to be de-legitimitized and ignored.

Reid will simply transition from shutting down the Senate in the majority to shutting it down in the minority. Take the Keystone pipeline. The exact bill that had more than enough votes to pass the last time and survive a filibuster will be filibustered this time. As will every bill for that matter. The only action Reid will lead on is denouncing the Koch brothers every day.

I read that Sessions was planning a war room to deal with Obama. He better just have it to deal with Reid and figure out how to finally tell the story as to who really has been obstructing everything. His name is Harry Reid.

[FlipWilson]

Mr he dems truism is that turnout will rescue them in 2016. What they fail to accept is that without Mr. Cult of Personality at the top of the ticket turnout models probably return to the norm.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Curious, the Germans are revisiting the old Communist regime of East Berlin and East Germany this week.

[bert]

The actual clear message is that the Democrat leadership structure maintains the power, the raw political power, to prevail.

One wonders what will happen if there is dissention, a split now and then, from the party line. One wonders if there is enough power now for the center to continue to hold.

[SharpRightTurn]

They hit the iceberg, and they’re too stupid to rearrange the deck chairs.

[C. Edmund Wright]

My wife and I have seriously thought about ex-patriating - on the basis that the country was damaged beyond repair. But I gotta tell you, if you can’t even enjoy this election for a week or so, you really should get the hell out. Now.

Not for our sake. For yours.

[C. Edmund Wright]

This shows the difference between a party of government bureaucrats and a party that at least has some non governmental influence. When Republicans get creamed, they admit failure the way people in the free market do, and step aside and try something different.

When Democrats fail spectacularly, they double down on job security for the very people who fked everything up - just like govt smarmy bureaucrats at every level. Very telling.

[outofsalt]

""I have no ideas to take (into) place..."

There, I fixed it. They are going "forward" with the same song and dance of socialism from every failed state and time.

[Diogenesis]

The object is to fix the problem, Mr. Rove.

[TexasFreeper2009]

Pelosi and Reid took the democrats from a super majority to the smallest number of democrats in congress since the 1920’s !!

And it’s only going to get worse, and here’s why:

People that have been in the majority don’t like being in the minority. Expect a LOT of announcements of retiring Democrats over the next year! By the time all the announcements are made the seats up for grabs in 2016 wont be nearly as favorable to the democrats as they are thinking now.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Well played!!!

[C. Edmund Wright]

The object is to fix the problem, Mr. Rove.

One of my flaws is that I actually do enjoy it when the old bitter unhappy jackasses step in a steaming pile of their own poo - demonstrating abject ignorance instead of having an adult conversation - making idiotic accusations because they are out of intellectual ammunition. Like you just did. I mean, you could accuse me of any number of things, but to call me Mr. Rove is a statement that is literally dumber than anything I am capable of ever saying. Makes me smile. Sorry, I admit it - it does. Can I autograph a copy for you????/ HAHAHA

[Diogenesis]

"Magua's heart is twisted. He would make himself into what has twisted him."

[C. Edmund Wright]

Nice try. Actually, not really. Not relevant. Epic fail as an analogy. Let me help you out here.

What has just happened is you retreated from an intellectually honest discussion on tactics and made the jack ass ASSumption about someone that is demonstrably idiotic and one that could not be more wrong. Then you were called on on forum with an image that clearly and beyond a shadow of a doubt labels you as the run away loser in our little exchange. You were publicly more wrong than almost any internet poster has ever been. Congratulations. How is the view from down there?

And all because you were too much of an asshole to acknowledge some common ground and act like someone over 9, which considering your age, is pretty pathetic.

[Grampa Dave]

Most of us have felt that the rats in control of their part of Congress and of course, EbolaObama are certified lunatics. This is proof of that. 'Insanity is doing the same things that failed and expecting different results.'

"Democrats aren’t planning a shakeup despite the thumping they took at the polls on Tuesday.

Leaders in both the House and the Senate — including Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — are expected to retain their spots atop the party in the next Congress, while the White House, in similar fashion, says it will keep its top staff largely intact.

"The president is somebody who doesn’t make personnel changes just for cosmetic reasons," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday.

The decision to stick with the status quo sends a clear message that Democrats believe Tuesday's disastrous outcome was caused by factors beyond their control, and that they see themselves as best suited to steer a comeback."

Last but not least, it appears the leaders/role models of the rats elderly old fools caught in a time warp of the 1960/70's where hating America and buying votes of their feral voter populations was all they needed to do.

"But it's also sparked concern among some party operatives and rank-and-file members that the Democrats' rebound strategy lacks fresh voices, novel ideas and a new public image.

"Democrats aren’t planning a shakeup despite the thumping they took at the polls on Tuesday.

Leaders in both the House and the Senate — including Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — are expected to retain their spots atop the party in the next Congress, while the White House, in similar fashion, says it will keep its top staff largely intact.

"The president is somebody who doesn’t make personnel changes just for cosmetic reasons," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday.

The decision to stick with the status quo sends a clear message that Democrats believe Tuesday's disastrous outcome was caused by factors beyond their control, and that they see themselves as best suited to steer a comeback.

But it's also sparked concern among some party operatives and rank-and-file members that the Democrats' rebound strategy lacks fresh voices, novel ideas and a new public image.

So they will stick with their old f*rts, Reid, Pelosi, the Clintoons, the ancient Califonia Senators, Boxer/Finestein, Madam Secretary Kerry, and Moonbeam Brown can be their poster boy.

[RipSawyer]

At what other point in history has such a pathetic little man occupied such a large office with such petty pretension and arrogance?

[Grampa Dave]

“My wife and I have seriously thought about ex-patriating - on the basis that the country was damaged beyond repair. But I gotta tell you, if you can’t even enjoy this election for a week or so, you really should get the hell out. Now.”

Sounds like a plan for our irrelevant poor souls.