Democratic after-action reports on their Florida-13 special election loss are clear: they lost because they didn’t turn out the vote. While there is much parsing on the who, what, when and where of Obamacare, the facts are that Republicans showed up while Democrats didn’t. … The internals of the most […] Read more »
Are the Democrats doomed?
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. … Since the presidential election of 2012, the country’s mood has remained sour. The sluggish economic recovery […] Read more »
Obama Factor Adds to Fears of Democrats
Democrats are becoming increasingly alarmed about their midterm election fortunes amid President Obama’s sinking approval ratings, a loss in a special House election in Florida last week and millions of dollars spent by Republican-aligned groups attacking the new health law. … Mr. Obama’s approval rating of 41 percent in a Wall […] Read more »
Democrats: Beware the Ides of March
For Democrats, the Ides of March came early this year. On March 11, to be precise, in a special election in a swing congressional district in Florida. A mostly unknown Republican knocked off a much better known Democrat, just like Roman conspirators knocked off Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. Caesar’s […] Read more »
You Don’t Need a Weatherman
… It’s surprising how many people who avidly follow American politics don’t seem to appreciate that elections are both seasonal and cyclical in nature. The seasonal aspect is the more obvious one. Clearly in some years, or seasons, the wind is blowing in favor of one party. In other years, […] Read more »
McConnell Is Not as Vulnerable as He Seems
It has been a dreadful winter for Democrats as red state incumbents struggle to overcome President Obama’s sagging popularity. But there’s one person in particular Democrats still hope to beat: Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader. Polls say Mr. McConnell is locked in a dead heat for re-election in Kentucky. […] Read more »