Nightmare builds for Senate GOP (if only they'd been more conservative)

thehill.com ^ | 2/23/16 | Alexander Bolton

[cotton1706]

It's a bad time to be a Senate Republican.

Justice Antonin Scalia's death has put Supreme Court politics at the top of the Senate agenda - to the detriment of vulnerable Republican senators running for reelection in blue states.

Donald Trump has coasted to big victories in the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries, strengthening his position as the pole-setter in the ­Republican presidential race.

It's a nightmare scenario for GOP senators clinging to their majority.

"I think they're very concerned if they're up for reelection," said former New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg (R).

"I imagine [Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is more than concerned because clearly Trump at this time is not going to carry swing states," Gregg added.

"I'm thinking of New Hampshire, for example."

New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte is one of five endangered Senate Republican incumbents running for reelection in states won in 2008 and 2012 by President Obama.

[cotton1706]

Amazing how they INTENTIONALLY don't remember that moderate Mitt pulled all their moderate nominees down with him, but Reagan's landslide pulled in 12 republicans senators and gained them the majority for the first time since 1954.

[cotton1706]

Look at this group! This is the 2010 class!! Mitch got his preferred minions. And now they’re worried about their reelection. If only they’d been more conservative!

Lee (UT) - 2016 - 99% (Average) - 100% (CReview) - 100% (Heritage) - 100% (Freedomworks) - 97% (CFG) - 100% (ACU)

Paul (KY) - 2016 - 95% (Average) - 94% (CReview) - 90% (Heritage) - 100% (Freedomworks) - 95% (CFG) - 96% (ACU)

Crapo (ID) - 2016 - 89% (Average) - 76% (CReview) - 92% (Heritage) - 100% (Freedomworks) - 85% (CFG) - 92% (ACU)

Scott (SC) - 2016 - 88% (Average) - 88% (CReview) - 81% (Heritage) - 87% (Freedomworks) - 90% (CFG) - 96% (ACU)

Lankford (OK) - 2016 - 85% (Average) - 67% (CReview) - 79% (Heritage) - 87% (Freedomworks) - 100% (CFG) - 94% (ACU)

Rubio (FL) - 2016 - 85% (Average) - 79% (CReview) - 94% (Heritage) - 64% (Freedomworks) - 92% (CFG) - 96% (ACU)

Shelby (AL) - 2016 - 85% (Average) - 70% (CReview) - 99% (Heritage) - 93% (Freedomworks) - 76% (CFG) - 88% (ACU)

Grassley (IA) - 2016 - 76% (Average) - 66% (CReview) - 57% (Heritage) - 73% (Freedomworks) - 91% (CFG) - 92% (ACU)

Vitter (LA) - 2016 - 76% (Average) - 69% (CReview) - 78% (Heritage) - 85% (Freedomworks) - 60% (CFG) - 86% (ACU)

Toomey (PA) - 2016 - 75% (Average) - 60% (CReview) - 62% (Heritage) - 79% (Freedomworks) - 86% (CFG) - 88% (ACU)

Johnson (WI) - 2016 - 74% (Average) - 60% (CReview) - 46% (Heritage) - 73% (Freedomworks) - 95% (CFG) - 96% (ACU)

Moran (KS) - 2016 - 73% (Average) - 68% (CReview) - 74% (Heritage) - 80% (Freedomworks) - 69% (CFG) - 75% (ACU)

Boozman (AR) - 2016 - 72% (Average) - 56% (Creview) - 75% (Heritage) - 87% (Freedomworks) - 65% (CFG) - 79% (ACU)

Barrasso (WY) - 2016 - 67% (Average) - 53% (Creview) - 58% (Heritage) - 67% (Freedomworks) - 71% (CFG) - 84% (ACU)

McCain (AZ) - 2016 - 65% (Average) - 36% (CReview) - 51% (Heritage) - 60% (Freedomworks) - 88% (CFG) - 91% (ACU)

Burr (NC) - 2016 - 61% (Average) - 45% (Creview) - 45% (Heritage) - 53% (Freedomworks) - 74% (CFG) - 88% (ACU)

Coats (IN) - 2016 - 60% (Average) - 44% (Creview) - 51% (Heritage) - 67% (Freedomworks) - 63% (CFG) - 76% (ACU)

Thune (SD) - 2016 - 60% (Average) - 48% (CReview) - 54% (Heritage) - 53% (Freedomworks) - 59% (CFG) - 84% (ACU)

Blunt (MO) - 2016 - 58% (Average) - 45% (Creview) - 63% (Heritage) - 60% (Freedomworks) - 47% (CFG) - 76% (ACU)

Isakson (GA) - 2016 - 57% (Average) - 38% (CReview) - 59% (Heritage) - 67% (Freedomworks) - 53% (CFG) - 68% (ACU)

Portman (OH) - 2016 - 56% (Average) - 50% (CReview) - 36% (Heritage) - 47% (Freedomworks) - 77% (CFG) - 68% (ACU)

Hoeven (ND) - 2016 - 52% (Average) - 29% (CReview) - 50% (Heritage) - 67% (Freedomworks) - 47% (CFG) - 68% (ACU)

Ayotte (NH) - 2016 - 41% (Average) - 33% (Creview) - 24% (Heritage) - 27% (Freedomworks) - 60% (CFG) - 63% (ACU)

Murkowski (AK) - 2016 - 33% (Average) - 20% (CReview) - 32% (Heritage) - 47% (Freedomworks) - 27% (CFG) - 41% (ACU)

Kirk (IL) - 2016 - 29% (Average) - 19% (CReview) - 12% (Heritage) - 13% (Freedomworks) - 36% (CFG) - 64% (ACU)

[Lurkinanloomin]

Most of the GOP Senators up for election deserve to be Cantorized.
It’s much more difficult to primary out a sitting Senator.
We did chuck the weasel Eric Cantor out and he was a sitting Majority Leader.

The multi-national politicians have to go if we are going to keep our country.

[DoodleDawg]

Kirk is history. Johnson is history. Ayotte, Portman, and Toomey are on the bubble. Reid might have been a GOP pickup but Sandoval decided not to run. Mitch had better be sweating it.

[RightOnTheBorder]

Alexander Bolton is either a liar or a moron. Not one of these “vulnerable” senators believes fighting Obama’s pick will hurt them. The reason these bums are sweating re-election is that they WANT to let Obama replace Scalia but think the voters will toss them out of their cushy little club if they do.

As for coat tails, say what you will about Trump but he clearly drives turn-out and has appeal outside of the traditional Republican voter.

[stars & stripes forever]

[Kirk is history.]

I give an AMEN to that!

[Tupelo]

The money quote from the article:

“I imagine [Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
(R-Ky.)] is more than concerned because clearly Trump at this time is not going to carry swing states,” Gregg added.”

It will be interesting to see if Senator Gregg is a prophet or if he has to eat his words.
But it looks like he is ceding the nomination to Trump.
Interesting. Very interesting.

[KansasGirl]

There will be no landslide for Republicans if Trump is the nominee. He may win the Presidency with Democrat crossovers, but they won’t vote for Republicans down ticket. All those base voters who sit it out with Trump as the nominee will result in lost races down ticket. That’s what we will get with a Trump nominee. And President Trump will be more than happy to work with a Rat Senate and House.

[DoughtyOne]

[G Larry]

Do we have a Conservative to Primary against this bottom group?

Blunt (MO) - 2016 - 58% (Average) - 45% (Creview) - 63% (Heritage) - 60% (Freedomworks) - 47% (CFG) - 76% (ACU)

Isakson (GA) - 2016 - 57% (Average) - 38% (CReview) - 59% (Heritage) - 67% (Freedomworks) - 53% (CFG) - 68% (ACU)

Portman (OH) - 2016 - 56% (Average) - 50% (CReview) - 36% (Heritage) - 47% (Freedomworks) - 77% (CFG) - 68% (ACU)

Hoeven (ND) - 2016 - 52% (Average) - 29% (CReview) - 50% (Heritage) - 67% (Freedomworks) - 47% (CFG) - 68% (ACU)

Ayotte (NH) - 2016 - 41% (Average) - 33% (Creview) - 24% (Heritage) - 27% (Freedomworks) - 60% (CFG) - 63% (ACU)

Murkowski (AK) - 2016 - 33% (Average) - 20% (CReview) - 32% (Heritage) - 47% (Freedomworks) - 27% (CFG) - 41% (ACU)

Kirk (IL) - 2016 - 29% (Average) - 19% (CReview) - 12% (Heritage) - 13% (Freedomworks) - 36% (CFG) - 64% (ACU)

[iontheball]

Quite frankly, if they have been playing RINO politics, they should be worried. Now they are acting as a bunch of quisling clowns running around like the comical fire brigade at a three ring circus. It is past time to understand who runs this government and it is not the lying, two-faced, backstabbing traitors in the Republican Party or Congress. The party is not going to bail your butts out this time. You either stand or fall on what you have accomplished for the American people who you are supposed to be representing.

[ckilmer]

There will be no landslide for Republicans if Trump is the nominee. He may win the Presidency with Democrat crossovers, but they won’t vote for Republicans down ticket. All those base voters who sit it out with Trump as the nominee will result in lost races down ticket. That’s what we will get with a Trump nominee. And President Trump will be more than happy to work with a Rat Senate and House.
...............
Cruz is my second choice after Trump. I’ll vote for Trump because I think he is not only electable but he’ll have coat tails. By the fall imho his lead will be so big —he’ll be stumping for the pubbie down ballot.

The dems are so weak this year that imho Cruz could win the white house if Trump were not in. But he wouldn’t have the coat tails.

[DoodleDawg]

I'll vote for Trump because I think he is not only electable but he'll have coat tails.

Depends on how quickly he drops the pretense of being a conservative and goes towards the middle.

[Techjock]

Losing the senate is not something to cheer for no matter how many rino skins we collect.

[DrPretorius]

You are simply wrong. The millions of new voters that will turn out for Trump are not going to put a bunch of Marxocrats in office to allow Trump’s initiatives to be stymied and bulldozed right off the bat. But one thing is certain; whether or not the RINOs that are running for re-election get the Trump voters to pull their lever will depend on their recent past voting record. If they enabled the Marxocrats during their terms, then the Trump voters will likely give them the finger and not vote for them at all, each one individually.

[itsahoot]

There will be no landslide for Republicans if Trump is the nominee.

Gee maybe we should ask Trump to step down.

[drypowder]

to hell with truth, they went for deception and now their corruption is causing their house to collapse on them

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

The 1980 Senate elections were six years after the GOP massacres in 1974. In 1980, there were 24 Democrat seats up for election, and only 10 Republican. Gains were inevitable. This year, it’s exactly the reverse.

[Obadiah]

Well said.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Oh no - I've read here many times that the primary goal of this election is to destroy the GOP-E. So the more of those elitist scum who get knocked out in November, the better! Right?

Right?