Posted on 10/19/2010 4:56:02 AM PDT by Second Amendment First
With two weeks remaining until Election Day, the political map has expanded to put Democrats on the run across the country – with 99 Democratic-held House seats now in play, according to a POLITICO analysis, and Republicans well in reach of retaking the House.
It’s a dramatic departure from the outlook one year ago – and a broader landscape than even just prior to the summer congressional recess. As recently as early September, many Republicans were hesitant to talk about winning a majority for fear of overreaching.
Today, however, the non-partisan Cook Political Report predicts a GOP net gain of at least 40 House seats, with 90 Democratic seats in total rated as competitive or likely Republican.
"When Chairman [Pete] Sessions and Leader [John] Boehner said that 100 House seats were in play, Democrats scoffed,” said Ken Spain, the National Republican Congressional Committee’s communications director. “Today, they aren't laughing anymore."
The number of Democrats in danger is more than double the 39 seats Republicans need to seize control of the House. It reflects an elastic electoral environment that favors the GOP by every measure: money, momentum and mood of the country — in this case, sour on Democratic incumbents.
For Democrats, a deteriorating political environment – unemployment high, President Barack Obama’s approval ratings low — has been exacerbated by the presence of cash-flush, independent conservative groups that have poured huge sums of money into races.
The groups, including American Crossroads, have combined with the National Republican Congressional Committee to stretch the boundaries of the 2010 map into races where there’s even a scent of Democratic vulnerability.
“This year is shaping up to be something of a repeat of the 52-seat House and eight-seat Senate rout of Democrats in 1994,” handicapper Charlie Cook wrote last week. “Sure, the circumstances and dynamics are different from then, but the outcome seems to be shaping up along the same lines.”
At one time, there was serious doubt the GOP would have the financial resources to compete effectively for the House majority. The thinking was that scores of potential opportunities could go unexplored due to the cash disparity between the NRCC and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
While the NRCC still trails in cash on hand, its fundraising has picked up—the September total was the committee’s largest one-month take since 2006—and independent groups have helped fill the void. And with anti-incumbent, anti-Obama and anti-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sentiment running so high in many districts, even a relative pittance has been enough to push a few Democrats onto thin ice.
The assessment by POLITICO is based on a review of TV media-buy information from those independent groups and the party committees in more than 80 districts; internal and public polling in individual races; Federal Election Commission fundraising data for incumbents and challengers; and reporting on the districts.
While the level of competitiveness among the 99 seats varies widely, they share a common denominator: all of them show some serious sign of vulnerability to takeover by the GOP. Factors included a Democratic incumbent’s unpopular legislative votes, the quality of opposition, the partisan breakdown of the districts or the huge sums of money dedicated to Democratic defeat—or some combination of all those factors—to place them “in play” ahead of Nov. 2.
The subjectivity of those factors have led to varying interpretations of just how many seats are actually at risk for Democrats. The Rothenberg Report, another political handicapper, lists 91 Democratic-held seats as in play, and predicts the “extremely large field of competitive races” will produce a “likely Republican gain of 40-50 seats, with 60 seats possible.”
POLITICO’s list of 99 seats—some of which have only recently emerged—places GOP pickup opportunities across the political map, stretching from regions of Republican strength such as the South to Democratic states such as California, where three incumbent Democrats face competitive challengers.
In deep-blue New York, Republicans have a shot at as many as nine Democrats. “It’s thermonuclear,” said two-term Rep. Michael Arcuri, in describing the campaign against him to the New York Times
. The list doesn’t include several Republican-oriented seats that Democrats have all but ceded to Republicans, including districts in southeastern Louisiana, Upstate New York and Middle Tennessee. Some Democrats are clearly facing more difficult challenges than others. The DCCC, which is charged with protecting the party’s 39-seat majority, has already pulled TV ad reservations in at least six contests — a sign that Democratic hopes of retaining those seats are diminishing.
There are dramatic differences in the competitiveness of races even within states. In California, Reps. Jim Costa and Loretta Sanchez appear to have easier paths to reelection than fellow Democratic Rep. Jerry McNerney. In New York, Upstate Rep. Bill Owens has a higher degree of reelection difficulty than Long Island-based Rep. Carolyn McCarthy. In Texas, Rep. Solomon Ortiz—who typically wins by wide margins--is far likelier to win than Rep. Chet Edwards, who is regularly faces stiff opposition in his solidly Republican district.
What does an endangered Democrat look like? Take your pick.
Freshman Democrats make up a large share — more than a quarter — of those facing competitive races. Of the 38 Democrats serving their first full terms in the House, POLITICO rates 29 as at-risk. Some — such as Reps. Bobby Bright of Alabama, Betsy Markey of Colorado, Alan Grayson of Florida and Frank Kratovil Jr. of Maryland — hail from GOP-friendly districts, where they have been in the cross hairs almost since the moment they were elected.
But legislative vets are under fire too. Nine-term New York Rep. Maurice Hinchey and four-term Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva until recently were considered near-locks to win, before their campaigns hit unexpected turbulence. Hinchey attracted unflattering attention this weekend after a videotaped confrontation with a reporter at the same time American Crossroads and other GOP groups are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into ads in his district.
Grijalva, who called for an economic boycott of his own state amid a housing crisis and record unemployment, has also been hit by outside spending right after an automated poll unexpectedly showed him in a dead heat with his GOP opponent.
The list also includes a handful of veteran Democrats who typically enjoy the benefits of seniority on Capitol Hill and cruise to reelection but this year find themselves locked in competitive races. Among those Democrats are Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton of Missouri and Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt of South Carolina.
Getting outhustled in fundraising is another way for candidates to find themselves on the bubble.
In a sign of GOP momentum — and of the breadth of the competitive landscape — at least 40 Democratic incumbents were outraised by their GOP challengers in the most recent quarter, according to FEC data. Reps. Ron Klein of Florida and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota, both stellar fundraisers, were among those outraised in the latest reporting period.
Not all Democratic districts in play are held by incumbents: The party is trying to retain open seats in states including Pennsylvania, Indiana and Washington.
If there is a particular trouble spot for Democrats, it is the Midwest, where 31 seats are at risk. Democrats are trying to defend incumbents including Reps. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin, Bill Foster of Illinois and Leonard Boswell of Iowa, as well as several open seats.
In the South, where many Democrats occupy conservative-oriented districts, Republicans are making a play for 24 seats.
POLITICO’s tally does not include a handful of seats in which Democrats are waging competitive campaigns to capture GOP-held seats. Democrats increasingly appear poised to win Delaware’s open at-large seat and Republican Rep. Joseph Cao’s New Orleans-based 2nd District, and are running aggressively against Republican Reps. Dan Lungren of California and Dave Reichert of Washington, and in south Florida’s open 25th District, held by Mario Diaz-Balart.
In the homestretch, the DCCC will have a $60 million program, including at least $40 million of independent-expenditure television ads planned, as well as a $20 million voter contact program.
“The more voters have gotten to know House Republicans’ fatally flawed candidates, including those with ties to organized crime, a Nazi enthusiast, and another being sued for attempted rape and sexual assault, the less there is to like,” said Ryan Rudominer, a DCCC spokesman. “So for all the Republicans’ popping the champagne and the countless millions spent in secret funds from shady right wing groups, they haven’t been able to close the deal in their targeted races, and that’s why Democrats will win.”
8 am...NOW...WDEL.com radio...
Christine vs bearded marxist!!!!!
Just saw that nbc is saying 100 seats, just more msm bs and afterwards they can all claim that the theiving scumbag dims actually won by avoiding a total bloodbath.
Not if this holds true:
Some GOP House Leaders Push Compromise
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/19/gop-house-leaders-push-compromise/
They aren’t there to compromise.
Spineless bastards.
I pray we get a new Congress with the stones to impeach Obama, try him for treason and bring him to justice.
Thanks, should be good.
If they do, they will risk getting dumped the next cycle. Ignore the will of the people and lose in the primaries like some of their current colleagues.
The “ IN Danger” terminology says it all.
Leftico considers a GOP victory to be dangerous !
Chuck Todd on MSNBC this morning said about 120 + up for grabs, lol. Of course then they went back to saying how Palin has lost her mojo. They were trying to get Pat to acknowledge, he wouldnt. What crap. Why do I watch it?????? grrrrr
I believe that if the GOP took that many seats, the Obama administration would skulk off into the west wing and proceed to implement as much as they could through executive orders and rule-making in the Federal Register. They’d largely bypass any legislative agenda.
As for 2012... the economy will still be an issue in 2012, and neither party has an executive-level plan for the economy at this time.
If Republicans and Conservatives win, it is hoped that they interact with Progressives in the same obnoxious and hateful manner in which they have interacted with them.
And, if Conservatives and Republicans attempt to “reach across the aisle”, by passing un-constitutional legislation, may their hands fall off.
IMHO
> They aren’t there to compromise.
I agree.
They STILL don’t get it.
The DemonRATs are POISON to the Constitution. They have not fostered one single piece of Constitutionally congruent legislation for generations.
They have beeen overrun and overtaken by communists, totalitarians, statists, envirowhackos and everyday busybodies.
NO COMPROMISE!
EVER!
NO DEMONRAT SPONSORED LEGISLATION should EVER get out of committe when the Republicans have control, and it should be fillibustered on principal EVERY TIME!
No Republican should EVER sign on to ANY DemonRAT statist legislation. NEVER EVER!
Same reason I do: See what the enemy is doing.
Who would have suggested that other than dirty harry, any of these congress critters, would even be in a race?
Whether win win them or not{and I'd love to win them all}, the fact that they are having to spend time and money in their own districts are keeping them off the road.
There is a black, retired Army Officer, Charles Lollar, running against steny hoyer and is giving him fits. Lollar could use a few bucks.
No, I'd state that as 99 'Rat seats look like they will be saved, as the Marxists that hold them get whooped
exacerbated by the presence of cash-flush, independent conservative groups that have poured huge sums of money
No, not exacerbated. Aided by conservative and tea partier patriot individuals that want our country back.
but the outcome seems to be shaping up along the same lines.
Again, No. The outcome this time will be, and MUST be to restore Constitutional government. There is no other choice.
“The more voters have gotten to know House Republicans’ fatally flawed candidates, including those with ties to organized crime, a Nazi enthusiast, and another being sued for attempted rape and sexual assault, the less there is to like,”
Nice way to end your article, you stupid drone clown marxist.
Everyone sing along!
98 Democrat seats in the House!
[....]
If you check out Campaing SPot at NROonline.com they have a lsit of 117 races with the polling data - 177 that are in play. Could have more seats change in one year than RATS had in two.
Ever wonder where this 99-seat figure keeps coming from? House minority leader John Boehner, National Review’s Election2010 blogger Jim Geraghty, Former chief presidential advisor Dick Morris and now Cook Political Report all cite it.
Me.
On Tuesday, August 19, two thousand and NINE.
With Cook now citing it, it’s come full circle. I based my report on Cook’s raw data.
The Democrat’s Horror: Almost ONE HUNDRED Dem seats in play in ‘10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2319247/posts
Dang, dangus, that’s pretty spectacular forecasting. Let me know what the Dangus Political Report is for 2012!
The last thing I want to hear election night when they are standing on a podium full of balloons and smiling supporters - is how they are going to reach across the aisle and compromise with the Democrats.
They better know they have less than two years to go in there and play full body contact smash-mouth footfall, and undue as much damage as they can, starting with Obamacare. If they fail - then talking about who we want to run in 2012 is a waist of time, because this house of cards we call conservative voter enthusiasm will fall.
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