G.O.P. Is Poised to Seize the House, if Not the Senate

[onehandle]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — A costly and polarizing Congressional campaign heads into its closing week with Republicans in a strong position to win the House but with Democrats maintaining a narrow edge in the battle for the Senate, according to a race-by-race review and lawmakers and strategists on both sides.

President Obama campaigned for a fourth consecutive day on Saturday as the Democratic Party threw its full weight into preventing a defeat of historic proportions in an election shaped by a sour economy, intense debate over the White House’s far-reaching domestic agenda and the rise of a highly energized grass-roots conservative movement.

But Republicans have placed enough seats into play that Democrats now seem likely to give up many of the gains they made in the last two election cycles, leaving Washington on the brink of a substantial shift in the balance of power.

The final nine days of the midterm election are unfolding across a wide landscape, with several dozen House races close enough to break either way, determining whether the election produces a Republican wave that reaches deep into the Democratic ranks. In the Senate, Democrats were bracing to lose seats, but the crucial contests remained highly fluid as Republicans struggled to pull away in several Democratic-leaning states.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/us/politics/24campaign.html

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[bemildred]

1. Did any of these weasels predict Obama's landslide win in 2008?

Why should we care what they think now?

[onehandle]

2. Yes they did. Google predict obama landslide.

It was everywhere in the last few weeks of the 2008 campaign.

Even Karl Rove predicted it: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2008/11/karl-rove-predicts-obama-blowo.html

[bemildred]

6. OK, So I'll listen to what they say the day before the election. nt

[Jefferson23]

9. LOL, very good.

:hi:

[bemildred]

17. Well, I mean, they lie and manipulate all Summer long.

Then, right before the election, they try to salvage their credibility by saying something close to the truth. My question is why, since polls are largely political propaganda, not scientific, not objective, not free of pecuniary influence, should one pay attention to them at all? What are they good for to the average Joe or Jill Voter? They are a positive bad influence, because they provide a fake illusion of knowledge where what is required is real news about the campaign statements and activities of the candidates, all of them.

[Jefferson23]

29. Oh I knew what you meant, especially in this case. I was laughing

with you, in the sense of the sarcasm I picked up from the earlier post you replied to. I meant no offense in my post in case
it came off that way to you.

Cheers to ya bemildred.

[PSPS]

3. They're really pulling out the stops, aren't they?

You know it's a propaganda piece when you see this:

the rise of a highly energized grass-roots conservative movement.

No matter how much they try to promote this canard, the 'baggers were always an astroturf "movement" created and heavily promoted by the media and funded by a few obscenely wealthy families like the Koch brothers.

[underpants]

8. Clearly and attempt to diminish voter turnout- IT'S ALREADY OVER!!!

No need to vote.

That is the message.

I think the Dems hold on to both houses. I could very well be wrong but every trend shows the Dems (and some specific Dems) gaining or pulling away.

[tblue37]

25. Mainly it's a narrative to justify the Republican "victory" when the electronic

vote-hacking steals it for them.

[BlueMTexpat]

12. It looks like the WaPo didn't get the memo ...

they've got a good article today about how the TP has received more publicity than a genuine so-called "highly energized grass-roots conservative movement" would warrant.

"...
Seventy percent of the grass-roots groups said they have not participated in any political campaigning this year. As a whole, they have no official candidate slates, have not rallied behind any particular national leader, have little money on hand, and remain ambivalent about their goals and the political process in general.

"We're not wanting to be a third party," said Matt Ney, 55, the owner of a Pilates studio and a founder of the Pearland Tea Party Patriots in Pearland, Tex. "We're not wanting to endorse individual candidates ever. What we're trying to do is be activists by pushing a conservative idea."
...

and

"...
The findings suggest that the breadth of the tea party may be inflated. The Atlanta-based Tea Party Patriots, for example, says it has a listing of more than 2,300 local groups, but The Post was unable to identify anywhere near that many, despite help from the organization and independent research.
..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/23/AR2010102304000.html?hpid=topnews

It looks like some at the WaPo may actually deserve to be called journalists. That is a heartening sign.

[LaurenG]

4. I am concerned but not convinced that the house may fall to republicans

My own district is set to fall back to Steve Chabot, who in the past was an unworthy and unproductive member of the house. The tea baggers are poised to replace one time Steve Driehaus with him. In fact the dems have pulled all funding from Driehaus. :( Yamachili on the other hand just may squeak out the win from mean Jean.

[jaxx]

5. This piece opens to a big fat pic of McConnell and Randy Paul.

One more piece saying don't go vote, the repubs already won.

Unrec'd for propagating the myth.

[wisteria]

20. I am with you on this. n/t

[louis-t]

7. How can they be "poised" when

Dems are trending upward and hold slim leads in most places?

[underpants]

10. Tax cuts will create jobs, WMD, Acorn, Climate-gate, etc.

repeat it for your corporate masters
then
repeat it again

Funny thing is that our horrific media has an incredible record of being flat out wrong recently...oh and no one listens to them-Fox has the best numbers but they are simply preaching to the choir.

[DCKit]

11. Only until they don't.

The MSM (along with the pollsters) is simply giving them the benefit of a doubt to cover the theft.

[RBInMaine]

14. Well, let's not be paranoid about vote fraud. But, they are trying to suppress Dem turnout with

all these doom and gloom predictions. They are trying to create a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is a mid-term, and turnout is EVERYTHING. So go canvass, phonebank, and VOTE.

[DCKit]

16. They don't engage in voter fraud. Their game is ELECTION fraud. n/t

[RBInMaine]

18. Their rhetoric is the real fraud. But just go phonebank, canvass, and vote. That's the focus.

[RBInMaine]

13. It is CLOSE in the House and could break either way. Piss on the corporate media. Go VOTE !

[Bigmack]

15. Frankly, I'm afraid...

they might be right. Never underestimate the stupidity of many Murikan voters.

This country has done this kind of stupid shit before, and things seem as fucked up as anything I've seen in the 50 years I've followed US politics.

Seldom in our entire history. And I taught US History.

I'm not a gloom-and-doomer about this, but I refuse to be a cheerleader, either.

Nothing would surprise me this year.

I only really get depressed when I remember that if we win...that is, stay the way we are... well, not much is going to change. With the control the Repubs and Dinos exert in the Congress even now, I don't see us getting out of Vietghanistan, Iraq, or the economic mess, or lowering the military budget, or....

[wisteria]

21. I don't agree that things would remain the same. Republicans would be sent a message that

they need to stop obstructing and begin to be a part of the solution. A loss to Repubs would also stun and confuse them because their tactics and tons of money did not net them what they were after. They would be forced to revisit how they can win elections.

[cliffordu]

27. Wrong.

The R's will get the message that what they have been doing has just been rewarded.

THey will impeach, they will obstruct, they will sell the rest of the country to the Kochs of the world.

Your prognostication on the matter is hopelessly naive.

[Fluffdaddy]

23. I'm afraid as well

That's why just 10 minutes ago I donated 50 bucks each to

http://www.dccc.org and Organizing for America

I really did not have an extra $100 to spend...............but I had to do something.

Hoping for the best outcome possible

[oswaldactedalone]

28. Agreed

Just gave $30 more to DCCC, $25 more to DSCC. DCCC has a triple matching program, DSCC will double your donation, according to their emails.

In our area, 92% of African-Americans are registered Democrat. The question is, how do you get the less affluent in that community to vote in a mid-term election? I've gone into the A-A areas to stand in front of convenience stores, or visit hair salons and barber shops to register voters, remind people to vote, give them info on where to early vote(or vote on election day,) and hand out voter guides. It's not the most comfortable thing in the world to do as a Caucasian. Sometimes, when you identify as a Democratic Party volunteer, that lessens the tension, but sometimes you get the feeling you're not welcome under any circumstances.

Person to person interaction works best, I just wish there was an easier way to connect with people who are very likely to be Democratic voters.

[dballance]

19. I Am Sick and Tired of these Predictions

The GOP still sucks and everyone knows they are the reason we're in deep shit now. All the pundits are doing is trying to discourage Dem voters from going to the polls or they're trying to lay the groundwork to cover up the GOP manipulating the electronic voting so it won't be a surprise when the Tea Bagger/GOP candidates "win."

[wisteria]

22. I just think they are trying to manipulate the outcome of the elections

it is good for business to be able to influence and manipulate the people enough to have them do what you want them to and the media owners have a stake in a Republican win-it will certainly benefit them money wise.

[JNelson6563]

24. Hope springs eternal, eh?

You keep on hopin'.

Julie

[Kablooie]

26. OMG! What a shock! So I guess there's no point in Democrats voting now.

Or might this encourage more Democrats to get out and vote while Republicans sit at home with smug smiles playing about their thin and brittle lips?

[spanone]

30. bwahahahahaaa