Republicans Try to Lower Expectations

[SecularMotion]

Source: NY Times

Even as surveys predicted a huge night for Republicans on Tuesday, leaders of the party on Sunday sought to play down expectations.

Senator John Cornyn, the Republican of Texas charged with running the Senate’s election efforts this year, said on ABC’s “This Week” that he doubted Republicans will take over the Senate.

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In a separate appearance, Michael Steele, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, said his party should be viewed as successful even if it fails to retake the House by winning more than 39 seats.

Mr. Steele, who had said in January that he did not think the Republicans could retake the House this year, said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that “if we get 37 seats that’s success.”

Read more: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/republicans-try-to-lower-expectations/?hp

[emulatorloo]

1. Steele - his party should be viewed as successful even if it fails to retake the House

Topsy Turvy Republican Land.

[Liberal Veteran]

2. I don't think it is possible for me to have lower expectations of repukes.

[nyy1998]

24. lol +1, that's what I though too when I first read the headline

[treestar]

3. Hilarious

:rofl:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

4. be thankful if you get 25 seats in the house...consider that a success.

[JackRiddler]

5. If they LOSE seats they will spin it into "success," with most of the media...

treating it as arguably true.

[jillan]

7. Of course - afterall they have the enthusiasm gap.

[saltpoint]

6. Lowering expectations has been their long suit for years.

We're talkin' absolute bottom of the gutter.

[NewJeffCT]

8. A month or two back, they were talking 100+ seats in the House

and said up to 130 were in play...

Personally, I think anything less than 100 seats should be viewed as utter failure by the Republics given their dominance in the media and with money for advertising.

[secondwind]

9. What I don't understand is -- could the polls all be THAT wrong? week after week? I mean

are the Republicans saying this to keep their base of nutjobs running to the polls on Tuesday?

I think we will lose the HOuse, not based on any research on my part, but just based on the incessant polling that has been done.

I hope I am SO wrong!!!

[JackRiddler]

10. sorry dupe

[JackRiddler]

11. I don't know what will happen but consider the effects of $2 billion in anonymous donor donations...

not just the noise it buys but that 80 to 90 percent of this money is received by the media outlets who now platform the claims of an imminent Republican landslide -- with 5 to 10 percent going to the polling companies themselves. This contributes to turnout suppression because it's all a natural irreversible force, a "wave," no need to resist.

The "likely voter" models are a manipulation by definition. They are forefronted over the "registered voter" results because it's more important to the pollsters to predict what the results of the election will be than to say what all of the people think according to their own surveys.

[AllyCat]

29. I keep telling people door to door that the negative ads are designed to make them not vote

It's on my FB page, and I tell all my coworkers and friends. DON'T LISTEN TO IT!! Vote!

[leftygolfer]

34. I knew it! Need a source though

Arguing with a co-worker who says that Democrats got more money from outside groups than republicans. I said no way. He's a Limbaugh guy so I knew his source was crap. I can't find the number, but I told him outside groups were spending billions against us and we made a bet. Any way you can help me out to win $20! (I actually could really use the $$)

[Blasphemer]

13. I agree but I also see a silver lining there

Given that historically a party would lose both chambers in a truly negative political climate, and given the billions of dollars spent by the GOP and their proxies, losing just the House tells me that it's voter frustration rather than any actual faith in the opposition. I think 2012 will be more telling. I don't think this will be a situation where the GOP takes over and remains in control for an extended period (a la 1994).

[customerserviceguy]

16. Everybody plays this game

when the polls are going their way, they don't want to lose a single vote due to apathy.

[matt819]

12. Great subject line

Republicans lower expectations - don't they always?

[Botany]

14. The early voting by dems has been very heavy in many places.

And the repugs know that .... I voted last friday in Columbus, OH an the turn out that day
was very good and according to a poll worker it has been steady for weeks.

[pattmarty]

15. Charlie Cook today on MTP said they won't take the Senate, but...........

..........the House will be "massive". They will take over the House and we will get two more years of "even LESS done".

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

19. "even LESS done?" Cook is a dishonest asshat!! The Democratic House passed over 400 pieces of

legislation!!

[pattmarty]

39. Cook and Nate Silver are right more often than not, there livelihoods.......

...........depend on it. Get back to me Nov 3 and we'll see who's right, you or Charlie Cook. I fucking swear that "some" Dems are just as bad at the propaganda game as the Republicans. They will lose seats, it is just a matter of how many.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

42. So, wait a minute. You're telling me that the House did nothing?

Why are you arguing with me? The facts are the facts, and the House DID pass over 400 pieces of legislation. Why argue with facts?

And of course, I know very well that the party in control typically lose seats, but that comment about getting "even LESS" done is what I take issue with. You simply don't know what you're talking about with that point, and neither does Cook.

[pattmarty]

46. Fine. Don't drink too much November 3rd. Reality affects some Dems also I see.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

47. LOL!! I'll be relaxing in Maui on vacation far away from this madhouse,

But thanks for the advice and happy thoughts!!

[Betty Karlson]

41. Meaning there is a backlog the senate can work on

Pass filibuster reform, and pronto: see what gets done.

Icidentally, one of the last persons to believe we will lose 70 seats in the House is Chris Van Hollen. Can we please fire him?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

43. He's my congressman and I proudly cast my vote for him. He's done a great job.

The problem lies with the Senate. Not the House. We can expect some seat losses; there's only so much that we or Van Hollen can control.

I think he's done a superb job given all the challenges he faces.

Let's face it, we won in a lot of conservative districts in 2006 and 2008; there was never any real belief that those seats would not have changed hands, given the predicament we're in.

[Betty Karlson]

44. That certainly is true. n/t

[RBInMaine]

30. "Massive" my aching ass ! Even a 20 seat margin is not "Massive." Just GOTV !

[pattmarty]

40. He's talking a pickup of as many as 70 seats, THAT IS MASSIVE...........

.......I understand what "margin" means too.

[and-justice-for-all]

17. I think they will get dust on tuesday...

Their glorious take over is a delusion.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

18. They're lowering expectations so that when it's stolen, they can step back and assert

that they had nothing to do with fraud, as they expected less success.

Blah, blah, blah...

It's all bullshit. They are deliberately lowering expectations to steal the elections in some cases where the races are close.

[butterfly77]

20. That"s because...

they know we are winning...And some of these Dems are going along with the storyline.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. They know something we don't

The house will not fall... That's how I read that statement.

[laughingliberal]

32. That was my thought when I saw Steele talking this morning. Hope that's true.

Would love to see their internal polling right about now.

[rasputin1952]

22. They realize they offer the people absolutley nothing...

add in the Teabaggers stripping away some GOP votes...I'd pee myself if Boehner lost...:rofl:

[brooklynite]

23. So, by extension, Steele will be successful if the Republicans lose both houses...

No wonder he thinks he'll be re-elected.

[Xipe Totec]

25. Nothing can lower my expectations regarding republicans nt

[txlibdem]

26. If you think government can do nothing right, elect a republican and they'll prove it

:patriot:

[moonbatmax]

37. YES!!! THIS!!! Right HERE!!!

I THINK I've said it before, but THIS is what says it all!

Why, WHY do people vote for politicians who don't believe in government? Way back in 1981, Ronald Reagan told us in his inauguration speech that government isn't the solution to our problems, it IS the problem. I've wondered if he would have won QUITE so easily, back then, if he'd said that during his campaign, instead of waiting until he'd been safely ensconced in the office. What he was REALLY saying was, "Goverment is the problem, and I'd like to thank you nimrods for making me a part of it!"

Seriously, people who don't believe in government DON'T BELONG in goverment!
If they don't think goverment can do good, do you really think they're going to try?
ENOUGH of these idiots! Give the job to someone who'll take it seriously!

[mstinamotorcity]

27. They are lowering expectations because

somebody on their side actually did the numbers.
You can't disenfranchise all of the minority vote and then expect to win. Oh I believe they have some tricks up their sleeve,like putting more effort in to the gubernatorial races. I know my state is saturated with the repug effort to take over the state with the Big 3.They have said things to alienate just about everyone except the Dick Army crew. There are actual members of the original Tea Party's that have left because of the corruption that all the money from the different organizations changing its original intent. The intent of the Tea Party was to draw attention to the Federal Budget so that it could be corrected. It really was a pet peeve with Dubya in the White House. Remember some people do it for money and some people do it for principle,and others do it for the principle of the money.

[RBInMaine]

31. MANY of these races are TOSSUPS. Can go either way. Dems are GOTV-ing pretty hard.

[Ikonoklast]

35. I'd rather close hard in the last minute, than be the one ahead for six months.

Being in first place only counts at the finish, you don't get anything for front-running.

GOTV seems to be snowballing for Dems.

[AllyCat]

28. I actually agree with these clowns for once. I don't think they'll take over either house

They might get some gains, but probably not what the media is trumpeting. I really don't think the polls are all that accurate due to the landline/cell phone disparity.

[savalez]

33. ah, IMO republipukes already have low expectations.

[AlbertCat]

36. The most annoying thing is...

If they take the House, it will be like by one or two.... and they will crow for the next two years how they whooped our ass. :eyes:

Just like Dubya's so called "wins". Not like the '06 takeover by Dems, or the landslide Obama got.

[jmowreader]

38. The worst thing that could possibly happen to the GOP...

is for them to actually get enough seats to take over either house.

Here's their real problem: If they gain the majority of either house, it will be put-up-or-shut-up time for them, and the only thing they actually want to do is to obstruct until November 2012. They don't know how to fix the economy. They don't know how to create jobs. They don't even know how to unfuck the mortgage debacle, especially since they created it in the first place. Mitch McConnell said it best: the primary goal of a Republican Congress is to make sure Obama is a one-term president. If they really take control of Congress, they will really have to produce and they really don't know how. (Not that the Democrats know how either--not with the electorate demanding shit like tax and spending cuts that don't work any better than Bullwinkle trying to pull a rabbit out of his hat. What we need is to appoint Bill Clinton Economy Czar, and that won't happen.)

Republican majority in 2010 = permanent Democratic majority starting in 2012, and they know it.

[lonestarnot]

45. ROFLMAO!