Democrats Face Uphill Battle to Retake House

Washington Post ^ | April 13, 2006 | Jonathan Weisman

[FairOpinion]

An 18-month recruitment drive by the Democrats has produced nearly a dozen strong candidates with the potential for unseating House Republicans, but probably not enough to take back control of the House absent a massive anti-incumbent wave this fall, according to House political experts.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), said his party was able to avoid a primary fight in California and is emerging from Tuesday's balloting united and ready to go after independent voters. In contrast, he said, Republicans will have to unite a fractious party around a nominee who still has not been officially named.

Currently, there are 231 Republicans, 201 Democrats, one independent and two vacant seats in the House. It will be up to lesser Democratic lights -- running in Republican districts with less-than-glowing résumés -- to help provide the 15 net victories Democrats need to take back control of the House, which has been in GOP hands since the 1994 election.

In that context, Busby's performance -- respectable but not surprising -- is not encouraging to Democrats, said Stuart Rothenberg, a congressional analyst and editor of the Rothenberg Political Report.

[LibLieSlayer]

"I never voted for Perot, I wasn't old enough to vote in 1992."

That explains it. Not a put down at all, just that I voted against LBJ, and suffered through that debacle. I voted for Ford and received jimmuh. I really suffered through that man's administration. radical islamo fascist iran owes jimmuh bigtime. jimmuh was the Father of radical islam, and aided khomeini in taking over iran from the shah.

When you have lived through having your freedoms stolen, leftist courts rampaging attacks on our Constitution, and the moral fabric of our society shredded before your eyes, you get conditioned to go to battle stations when past mistakes are repeated.

MILLIONS died because nutless leftist dims cut and ran from South East Asia, allowing pol Pot to kill Millions. Our Military was gutted and blamed for all of society's ills, and good men were destroyed because they love this country and dared to cross paths with dims.

The MSM lied and deceived America (walter cronkite will burn in the hottest spot in hell!), and then we see ALL of history's past mistakes being repeated today... and Freepers come here and chant the same ignorant third party, pi$$ed off protest BS mantra that I heard decades ago... and I lose all patience.

Don't tell me about these things... as I have LIVED through the worst of times, and I did not get my battle scars by reading crap from a book!

LLS

[NormsRevenge]

My gut feel is that the House and Senate will stay GOP,, people respect those who take stances to actually do something versus stances that are only obstructionary and offer little advancement out of the abyss of spending and social decay we are confronting.

[jazusamo]

Sorry onyx, I was just going back over this and I missed your post. Did you check that Dubai thread?

[RHINO369]

"Man, I don't know about you but I'm getting too old to go thru another cycle of liberalism, I might not be here when the Conservatives get back in power. :-)"

Opposite for me I'm only 20, so when 30 years of big government republicanism finally reaches socialism I'll be too old to fight a revolution, and young enough to have to suffer under it for a long period of time. I don't know if having children is even humane, our republic is being attacked on all sides and most here keep their blinders when "our" party (I quote because they seem to act in the democrats and Mexico's interests) is supposed to be in power.

[onyx]

I missed your ping.
What Dubai thread?

[MaxFlint]

You clowns that supported the jug-eared hand grenade with a bad haircut are what got us Clinton.

The worst thing Perot did to Bush wasn't entering the race, it was focusing most of his attacks on Bush while giving Clinton a free pass. This freed up Clinton to focus on promoting his agenda while Perot softened up Bush. By election day Bush wasn't the candidate he would have been without Perot's attacks.

[Lancey Howard]

Is it my imagination or is it only Democrats who "retake" the House, while Republicans only temporarily commandeer it?

[MaxFlint]

Nothing done about gas prices.

I don't disagree with most of your points but I would take issue with this. The main reason for increasing gasoline prices is increasing world demand. There's nothing a president can do about that. I favor drilling in ANWR and almost any other place where we might find oil. I don't think it will bring gasoline prices back under $1 a gallon. I also favor making the regulations requiring so many formulas for gasoline simpler to ease regional shortages, and making it easier to build new refineries, new nuclear power plants (something Bush has been working on), and any other practical power source.

But don't kid yourself, Bush has very little power to influence the market price of gasoline in the short run, and only a minor influence in the long run.

[PGalt]

The Democratic Crime Syndicate is headed for extinction.

United WE stand. They go away, die off, or are incarcerated.

It's easy, doesn't cost a lot of money, and no blood is shed.

[MaxFlint]

Does anyone have a more recent poll on party preference than this?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/832859/posts

The Harris pollster claims that more Democrats vote Republican than vice versa. For the Democrats to win they need a higher margin in the preference polls. I've heard that the Democrats need a ten point lead in the party preference polls to have a shot at either the House or the Senate. If they do it's time to start worrying.

[The Foolkiller]

I can understand that. There are a few rinos I sure would like to see gone. I'll vote against them every time in a primary but in the general, I just can't do it. I hate libs too much.

I really believe that most here on FR will do the same as me.

---

Sorry. I won't. Rhinos ARE Liberals.

[Fresh Wind]

How does it feel, knowing that, without Perot, Bill Clinton would never have been president?

How does it feel, knowing that, without Nader, George W. Bush would never have been president?

[TXBSAFH]

I will only support conservative but sadly that does not mean always republican. Many republicans are as liberal as teh rats in many ways. I forsee me voing for the constitution party. Alot.

[TXBSAFH]

[Anyone who prefers a leftist Dem, is NO conservative.]

But why support a leftest respendican. I do not see any difference.

[The Foolkiller]

Good One.

[TXBSAFH]

Perot was able to rise because of the poor choice ofnpapa Bush. History shows when republicans stay true to conservative values the when, but many republican do not do that. I will not vote for a liberal just because he has an r by the name.

[MaxFlint]

How does it feel, knowing that, without Nader, George W. Bush would never have been president?

That's another reminder of the importance of party loyalty. Fight within the Republican party to make it conservative, but when election day rolls around support your party or end up like Gore supporters in 2000 or Bush senior supporters in 1992.

[MaxFlint]

But why support a leftest respendican. I do not see any difference.

Unless they're Lowell Weicker, a democratic socialist as bad as Hillary, a RINO can help push marginally conservative legislation through, and, thanks to our winner takes all system, his presence assures Republican control of the agenda.

[TXBSAFH]

We have a najority but republicans are not controlling the agenda and the rinos in many cases are not helping.