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Nate Silver warns the political class that it could still be a GOP wave year
Hotair ^ | 08/04/2014 | Noah Rothman

Posted on 08/04/2014 12:03:44 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Public opinion polls, as they say, are a snapshot in time. And a glance at the polls today suggests that the 2014 midterm elections are shaping up to be good for Republicans, but a landslide does not appear to be in the offing.

As of this writing, Real Clear Politics puts nine of this year’s 19 even competitive Senate races in the tossup column. Many of those races poll so tightly that it's impossible to make an accurate prediction about how they will shape up but, as RCP notes, the GOP is set today to pick up six net seats for a slim 51-49 majority in the 114th Congress.

The New York Times election modeling feature The Upshot comes to a similar conclusion. As of today, the Republican Party has a 53 percent chance of taking control of the upper chamber of Congress. “[T]hat doesn’t mean we’re predicting the Republicans to win the Senate,” The Upshot clarified, “the probability is essentially the same as a coin flip.”

Of those same nine tossup races, The Times only gives Republican candidates better than even odds of winning four of them. With two of those races, Kentucky and Georgia, representing holds for the Senate’s minority party, and with three pickup opportunities for the GOP in Montana, West Virginia, and South Dakota now appearing to be Republican locks, this would also leave the GOP with a one-seat majority.

The consensus opinion is clear: A good Republican year, but no tsunami.

But FiveThirtyEight statistics analyst Nate Silver has some advice for elections analysts that cuts against the grain. He noted on Monday that the polls do not show a Republican “wave” is forming, and it is clear that the GOP can still retake the Senate even in a “wave’s” absence.

(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2014; 2014midterms; elections; gop; midterm
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1 posted on 08/04/2014 12:03:44 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

If only the Republicans cared about their base, it COULD be tsunami.


2 posted on 08/04/2014 12:09:27 PM PDT by SoFloFreeper
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To: SoFloFreeper

I was going to ask, “Even with the GOP doing their best to kill the wave?”


3 posted on 08/04/2014 12:12:03 PM PDT by Ingtar (The NSA - "We're the only part of government who actually listens to the people.")
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To: SoFloFreeper

I don’t think so. The Dim base is also large and more highly motivated than usual. Quite frankly, I think we are only going to see some movement around the edges. What worries me is 2016.


4 posted on 08/04/2014 12:13:30 PM PDT by RIghtwardHo
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To: SeekAndFind
So a six-seat pickup and a flip of control will not be a landslide victory for the Republicans.

As the election gets closer, watch as they keep moving the goal posts for what would qualify as a Republican landslide.

"Republicans picked up 11 seats in the Senate yesterday, falling far short of the 16 they needed to pick up to qualify as a landslide."

5 posted on 08/04/2014 12:16:20 PM PDT by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: All

I honestly think that the Republican leadership is in sheer panic at the thought of winning both Chambers...That means that everything between 2014 and 2016 is on them no matter what Obama does before the end of his term...


6 posted on 08/04/2014 12:24:02 PM PDT by Maringa
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7 posted on 08/04/2014 12:24:36 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (The Fed Gov is not one ring to rule them all)
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To: SeekAndFind

They have left out Obama’s coming amnesty in the calculations. Add in someone slipping over the Southern border with Ebola and shazzam!


8 posted on 08/04/2014 12:24:45 PM PDT by DaxtonBrown (http://www.futurnamics.com/reid.php)
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To: dead

Selective reporting, methinks...


9 posted on 08/04/2014 12:25:02 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Rip it out by the roots.)
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To: SeekAndFind

In the FWIW department (and, with the exit of Scott, perhaps not much), this week’s generic Rasmussen is R+4, almost a complete reversal from a week ago.

Anyways, worth noting, as instead of making stuff up, this week touts data they don’t editorially agree with.


10 posted on 08/04/2014 12:26:52 PM PDT by C210N (When people fear government there is tyranny; when government fears people there is liberty)
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To: SeekAndFind

No wave. But GOP easily takes Senate.

GA and KY are holds despite media spin. No way a Dem wins in these red states where Obozo has a 20% approval.

GOP guaranteed MT, WV, and SD. That’s +3.

Then all the red state fraud Dems are goners - Landrieu, Pryor, Begich, Hagan. That’s 4 more. So +7.

50/50 shots in Iowa and Colorado. +8 or +9.

Wave would have placed Minn, NH, VA, MI, OR etc in play. But no dice.


11 posted on 08/04/2014 12:26:57 PM PDT by nhwingut (This tagline for lease)
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To: All
Dummycrats are still smarting over the whomping they got at Obamacare townhalls. Seems Dummycrats aren't interested in facing their constituents over immigration.

2014 August Recess Town Hall Map lists 139 Republicans holding town hall meetings and 47 Democrats.

LINK TO TOWNHALLS http://patriotaction.net/forum/topics/august-recess-congressional-town-hall-meetings-list

READY SET GO, PATRIOTS every townhall forum,
every blog, Facebook page, twitter, needs to focus on Immigration. ==============================================

Mmmmmmm......I can't wait to hear Dummycrats explain
to voters why they oppose the Republican border plan.


12 posted on 08/04/2014 12:30:52 PM PDT by Liz
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To: SeekAndFind

I’m gonna tell you one thing, kid...Ebola


13 posted on 08/04/2014 12:35:38 PM PDT by Yollopoliuhqui
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To: Yollopoliuhqui

"Ebola ?"

14 posted on 08/04/2014 12:38:15 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: SeekAndFind

IF the GOPe gets 51 seats, WHICH RINO will they get to flip to “independent” and caucus with the Dems to keep Harry Reid as Majority Leader?


15 posted on 08/04/2014 12:38:58 PM PDT by Buckeye Battle Cry (Hey Obama! Wake up and piss! The World's on FIRE!)
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To: SeekAndFind

In the 19 competitive states, Obama’s average approval rating is about 42%...nuff said..


16 posted on 08/04/2014 12:42:31 PM PDT by ken5050 ("One useless man is a shame, two are a law firm, three or more are a Congress".. John Adams)
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To: Buckeye Battle Cry

Murkowski, Collins, McCain...


17 posted on 08/04/2014 12:42:57 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: Buckeye Battle Cry
IF the GOPe gets 51 seats, WHICH RINO will they get to flip to “independent” and caucus with the Dems to keep Harry Reid as Majority Leader?

The Jumpin' Jim Jeffords contingency.

18 posted on 08/04/2014 12:47:43 PM PDT by VRW Conspirator (The next DNC convention will be spoken in Spanish; Press 1 for English)
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To: RIghtwardHo

This can be seen as the media hedging it’s bets. They know the GOP will gain seats, they think the GOP may get a majority, but they peg it as a slight one so they don’t lose face if either the GOP wins big, or the Dems win narrowly.

The real polls are being conducted by the WH’s and Dem’s in house pollsters. We’re seeing the reaction to those in the panicked cries about impeachment, etc. I’m guessing the GOP (unless they completely blow it) gets to 53 or 54 seats. 56 (net gain of 11) is actually a decent, if stretch, prospect.


19 posted on 08/04/2014 12:57:45 PM PDT by tanknetter
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To: VRW Conspirator; All
IF the GOPe gets 51 seats, WHICH RINO will they get to flip to “independent”
and caucus with the Dems to keep Harry Reid as Majority Leader?
I WOULDN'T discount, Mitch "the *itch" McConnell (Wdc-GOP/E)...
btw; he's MY senator and he's slimy as they come..

20 posted on 08/04/2014 12:58:04 PM PDT by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a weapon...0'Mullah / "Rustler" 0'Reid? d8-)
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