Two political handicappers say the Electoral College map now leans toward Democrats

[William769]

(CNN)In the past five days, two of the most prominent non-partisan political analysts in the country have released new projections that show presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden with a clear edge over President Donald Trump in the Electoral College map.

"The President is an underdog now in his bid for a second term," wrote Stu Rothenberg, founder of the Rothenberg Political Report, in a column published late last week. "That doesn't mean he can't win. It simply means that he is in a more difficult place than he was before, in part because Democrats have united behind a consensus candidate who has potentially broad appeal."

"Biden starts with a slight lead in the Electoral College math. Right now, 232 electoral votes sit in Lean/Likely or Solid Democrat. On the GOP side, 204 electoral votes are in the Lean/Likely/Solid Republican column. There are six states (and one congressional district) in Toss-Up: Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska's 2nd district. Those add up to 102 Electoral votes."

Before we dig too deeply into those numbers, let's remember where we left things in 2016. Trump won 306 electoral votes to Hillary Clinton's 232 -- even as he was losing the popular vote by almost 3 million. (You need to win 270 electoral to be elected president.)

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/23/politics/electoral-college-2020-donald-trump-joe-biden/index.html

[George II]

1. Too bad we have to wait until November. As Chris Cuomo would say, "Let's get after it!"

[SWBTATTReg]

2. Every time this idiot speaks on national TV, his numbers and respect goes down. Pathetic.

[William769]

9. I'm ok with that.

[RandySF]

3. If Trump doesn't kill us first.

[William769]

7. I just watched his press briefing

He's about to make this pandemic worse for us.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

4. It's good news, but it's also an eternity to November

This year is going to get crazier before it gets saner, and the longer this crisis continues, the more structural damage will be done to the economy.

[William769]

8. Of course it's an eternity. without hope, what do we have?

[Funtatlaguy]

5. Add these states to concentrate on for Senate seats:

Maine, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Georgia (2).

[Cha]

6. Steady as you GO Joe!

Thank you, William!

[NCProgressive]

10. It all depends upon what happens to the candidates losing the primary

If they overtly or covertly support third party, it will be a struggle. I doubt any real Democrats would do so however.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

12. If you are implying Sanders would run 3rd party - I doubt it, seriously

He wants Trump defeated.

The bigger danger would be someone - an independent just right-of-center (i.e. to the left of Trump but to the right of Biden) running independently as "a candidate to unify both sides." Bloomberg would have been a good fit for that role, but he has signaled he will support Dems. Larry Hogan doesn't want to leave the Republican Party, and refused to primary Trump. Mark Cuban has all the qualifications - rich, Trump's equal in front of the camera, and young (younger, anyway), but he does not seem interested in the job.

[Tarheel_Dem]

11. K&R