Do the Republicans have cause for optimism? Maybe...we should listen...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

By Doyle McManus

Full story at link:

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary/la-oe-mcmanus-column-midterm-elections-20140316,0,6376422.column#axzz2w9gkelKM



March 16, 2014

This year was always going to be a difficult one for Democrats, as they battle to keep their five-seat majority in the Senate. But in recent months, the political landscape has grown bleaker.

Let's start with the basics: Democrats have more seats at risk this year than Republicans do. Of the 36 Senate seats up for election (including three midterm vacancies), 21 are held by Democrats. And seven of those Democratic seats are in Republican-leaning "red states" that Mitt Romney won in 2012: Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia.

The stakes are enormous. If Republicans take control of the Senate and keep the House of Representatives, they'll be able to pass parts of their conservative agenda that have been blocked until now. President Obama will still have veto power, but he'll have to spend his last two years in office stuck on defense.

Since the presidential election of 2012, the country's mood has remained sour. The sluggish economic recovery has convinced most Americans that we're still stuck in a recession, no matter what the economists say. Obama's job approval has slumped to record lows, thanks largely to the disastrous launch of his healthcare plan. That makes 2014 a bad year to be an incumbent — especially a Democratic incumbent.

Compounding Democrats' worries, Republicans are having a good year recruiting top-tier Senate candidates in both blue and red states. In Colorado, GOP Rep. Cory Gardner has turned Democratic Sen. Mark Udall's once-expected reelection into a race to watch. In New Hampshire, former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) moved north last week and announced his desire to become Sen. Scott Brown (R-N.H.).

Charlie Cook, dean of Washington's congressional election forecasters, pronounced the Democrats' challenges "grisly."

[LongTomH]

1. Just plan to work......Get Out The Vote!

'nuff said!

[MFM008]

2. Obama has been on defense

since day one in office. They have blocked most of his agenda. He will resort to vetos and signing statements and thats all that can be done until voters get their shit together in 2016.

[Vincardog]

3. No Obama could lead the Democratic party in a populist campaign promoting Pro growth pro people

policies NOW.
Vote Democratic and get a $15/hr min wage,
All of Aug off nation wide,
Free public education for everyone for life,
Eliminate the SS cap, enact a .0125% financial transaction tax and use the proceeds to make teaching at public schools a $50,000/yr entry level proposition,
Eliminate Fracking in this country,
Require the courts and the Legislature to abide by ethical and legal conflict of interest and insider trading laws,
and give me my pony

[YarnAddict]

4. . . . and lose in an unprecendented landslide.

[Vincardog]

5. Which exactly policy do you see a problem with? Americans wouldn't support which?

[YarnAddict]

6. You know that Cadillac commercial

Most Americans don't want this country to be Europe. It's a snob thing.

[Vincardog]

7. I would rather have England's health care or most of Europe's social welfare. What exact POLICY

didn't you care for?

[YarnAddict]

9. This isn't about me

But there is one of your points I would vehemently disagree with: raising the minimum wage to $15/hour.

I am on the board of a small non-profit. We have two full time managers, neither of whom makes $15/hour, and usually 7 or 8 part-time employees who currently make $7.40/hour. Doubling their wages would put us out of business. Then they would be making nothing, and all the animals currently in our shelter (95 cats, and probably about 30 or 35 dogs) would be euthanized.

Maybe it's a selfish reason, but I don't think any of our employees would want to see the shelter close its doors.

[Vincardog]

11. If the Min wage was $15/hr think how much more your donors would have to contribute.

[YarnAddict]

12. Most of our donors don't make minimum wage

A lot of them are elderly, and I wouldn't expect their donations to increase. Thinking that minimum wage people, most of who have financial oblibations that preclude charitable donations, would start donating to our shelter--as well as every other non-profit in town--is sheer fantasy.

[Vincardog]

13. It is also a fantasy to dream of Obama embracing any7thing like a populist campaing

[YarnAddict]

14. You are probably right

Just telling you why he won't propose it and neither will anyone else.

[Vincardog]

17. That is why we need real Democratic candidates not corporate enablers.

[Zorra]

8. Don't blame me, I was screaming at them to end the filibuster back in Jan 2009.

I knew what to do back then, when we were in control. Since Dems pissed it all our leverage away in a game that was rigged from the beginning, all I can do is send a few bucks to progressive Dems, vote Democratic, and hope for the best.

[YarnAddict]

10. How did you feel about it in 2005?

Don't forget, the R's will have the majority again someday--maybe as soon as November, and anything we do to them, we will get back double, because they are twice as ruthless.

[Zorra]

16. I believe that if Dems had ended the filibuster in 2009 and pushed progressive Democratic

legislation/programs, the republican party would be close to extinct by now.

Nothing succeeds like success.

[mountain grammy]

15. We'll take the House and the Senate.

any other outcome is unacceptable.