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You think ’10 was tough? Check out ’12
The Hill ^ | 11/3/2010 | J Taylor Rushing

Posted on 11/04/2010 5:54:24 AM PDT by markomalley

For the first time in two cycles, Democrats will have more seats up for grabs than the Republicans, and the party could see its shrunken majority erased altogether.

Several of the senators up for reelection came in on the 2006 Democratic wave, when the party picked up six GOP seats and won control of the chamber.

Sens. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Jim Webb (D-Va.) defeated GOP incumbents that year but will have to win reelection in 2012.

And two senators who won special elections Tuesday, Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), will face voters again in two years.

Democrats lost at least six Senate seats Tuesday, with results in Washington and Alaska undetermined as of press time, but they retained control.

That could change in two years, when Democrats have 21 seats up for grabs, compared to only 10 for Republicans. Also up for reelection are Sens. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) and Bernie Sanders (Vt.), the two Independents who caucus with Democrats — meaning the party has a total of 23 seats to defend.

“The numbers are really working against them, no question about it,” said Jennifer Duffy, a senior Senate analyst at The Cook Political Report. “It will come down to what it always comes down to: retirements and recruiting.”

Many of those Democratic seats up next cycle are in purple or red states, including those of McCaskill, Manchin, Tester, Webb and Sens. Kent Conrad (N.D.), Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Bill Nelson (Fla.).

Webb saw several House Democrats in his state lose reelection Tuesday, and McCaskill saw her party lose a Senate pickup opportunity when Roy Blunt (R) won retiring Sen. Kit Bond’s (R-Mo.) seat.

Some senators could opt to retire in 2012. Among those observers will be watching are Ben Nelson and Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.).Nelson is expected to face a difficult race, and Kohl saw his home-state colleague, Sen. Russ Feingold (D), lose on Tuesday.

Casey and Conrad also saw Democratic colleagues lose in their home states on Tuesday. And Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who’s up in 2012, watched fellow California Democrat Barbara Boxer fend off a tough challenge from the GOP.

“It is certainly true that the landscape will be tilted in 2012 in terms of the seats at risk,” said Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher of The Rothenberg Political Report. “[Democrats] will be defending more seats, so they could have more losses. On the other hand, it depends on the mood of the public.”

The other Democratic incumbents up next cycle are Daniel Akaka (Hawaii), Tom Carper (Del.), Jeff Bingaman (N.M.), Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Ben Cardin (Md.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Robert Menendez (N.J.) and Debbie Stabenow (Mich.).

The 10 GOP senators facing reelection are John Barrasso (Wyo.), Scott Brown (Mass.), Bob Corker (Tenn.), John Ensign (Nev.), Orrin Hatch (Utah), Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas), Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Richard Lugar (Ind.), Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Roger Wicker (Miss.).

Of that list, the only senator who could be considered in a “dangerous” position is Brown, who represents Massachusetts, a blue state.

Hutchison could retire. She ran for Texas governor in 2010 but lost in the GOP primary. At the time, Hutchison hinted she could resign her seat; she never committed to running again in 2012.

Ensign could leave the Senate if he faces charges stemming from the fallout of an affair he had with a former staffer.

An unknown factor for the Republicans is the Tea Party. The grassroots movement took down several party favorites in GOP primaries this year and has threatened to do the same next cycle.

Already, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), a Tea Party favorite, has said he’d consider challenging Hatch in the 2012 GOP primary.

Additionally, Republicans could always be doomed on pocketbook issues. If the economy rebounds, President Obama could be credited in the eyes of some voters. If it stays sluggish, voters could blame the GOP.

The top three Senate Democrats launched a strategy on that front on Wednesday, putting Republicans on notice that they expected cooperation now that the minority party is more powerful.

“We have made the message very clear that we want to work with Republicans,” said Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). “If they’re unwilling to work with us, there’s not a thing we can do about that, but the American people can see that like a very slow curveball.”

Curtis Gans, director of the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University, notes that the Republican revolution of 1994, ushered in by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.), dealt a major blow to President Clinton — though Clinton won reelection in 1996.

“My thesis is, we’re going to have a miserable two years, but this time not all the blame will go to the president,” Gans said. “Nobody knows what the climate will be in 2012.”

Rothenberg agreed, saying much depends on the messaging and issues that will dominate the political landscape over the next two years.

“There’s probably not likely to be as stark of a choice in 2012 as this year — however, it’s also true that most people think the president’s party runs things. It’s not as easy for Democrats to just say, ‘They share responsibility, too.’ ”


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012; senate2012
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To: Alberta's Child

Corker has to go too. He personally crowed to me about bringing back the bacon after he stole my hog.


41 posted on 11/04/2010 7:30:36 AM PDT by DonnerT (Those in power no longer fear the caliber of the ballot.)
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To: nhwingut
There's always hope.

;) And change....

Michigan went surprisingly red this election.

I am holding off on commenting on the ostensible "R" we just elected as gov....

42 posted on 11/04/2010 7:39:00 AM PDT by MaggieCarta (What are we here for but to provide sport for our neighbors, and to laugh at them in our turn?Austen)
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To: petercooper
McKaskill should be easy pick ups.

It depends who we run against her here in Missouri.If "we" run a good canidate we will beat her.

43 posted on 11/04/2010 8:18:20 AM PDT by painter (No wonder democrats don't mind taxes.THEY DON'T PAY THEM !)
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To: painter
It depends who we run against her here in Missouri.If "we" run a good canidate we will beat her.

Sarah Steelman?

44 posted on 11/04/2010 8:20:50 AM PDT by Crichton
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To: markomalley

Electorate was dumb enough to give control of congress to the democrats in 2006—let them keep control and elect Obama in 2008

GOP took congress in 94 and Clinton won in 96

GOP never got the message out that the economic crisis was caused by the democrats and never fought back when Bush was accused of botching the Katrina fiasco again the democrat governor and mayors fault

And the GOP behind BUSH acted like liberal big spenders

Unless there are changes the boob public can just as easily lose their minds again in 2012


45 posted on 11/04/2010 8:56:17 AM PDT by uncbob
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To: Crichton

She would be a good canidate.She was going to run this last time,but bowed out for Blunt. I look for her to run next time.


46 posted on 11/04/2010 9:35:09 AM PDT by painter (No wonder democrats don't mind taxes.THEY DON'T PAY THEM !)
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To: markomalley
“We have made the message very clear that we want to work with Republicans,” said Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). “If they’re unwilling to work with us, there’s not a thing we can do about that, but the American people can see that like a very slow curveball.”

Reid is full of himself after his win. Sorry, Harry, you guys still control the WH and the Senate. As long as Republicans do a good job of taking their case to the American people - never a sure thing - it is the Dems that will be in trouble in 2012.

47 posted on 11/04/2010 9:43:17 AM PDT by Major Matt Mason (I know more about Christine O'Donnell than I do about Barack Obama.)
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To: IbJensen

Barney runs a very responsive office. People contact his office for help with bureaucratic stuff and get results. I think that kind of attention to his constituents overrides whatever votes he casts as a Congressman.

Tell you a quick story. Back in the early ‘80s (late ‘70s?) I called the office of my Congressman, the ultra-liberal Peter Kostmayer. I have no recollection of why I called his office. Anyway, he wasn’t there when I called but by the end of the day he personally called me back. He spent time on the phone with me. That impressed me and the next election I voted for him.

I happen to know that Barney runs his office the same way.


48 posted on 11/04/2010 9:52:15 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: sickoflibs

” Already Maddow Schultz and Olbermann and complaining about Obama and Reid saying they want to work with Republicans. “

To HRLL with Maddow & Co. Obama has arranged a meeting of the following people Nov. 18.Worry about THIS

Obama
Pelosi
McConnell (RINO fool.
Boner (moderate conservative)

THAT is what worries me.


49 posted on 11/04/2010 10:02:11 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker
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To: sickoflibs

” Already Maddow Schultz and Olbermann and complaining about Obama and Reid saying they want to work with Republicans. “

To HeLL with Maddow & Co. Obama has arranged a meeting of the following people Nov. 18.Worry about THIS

Obama
Pelosi
McConnell (RINO fool.
Boner (moderate conservative)

THAT is what worries me.


50 posted on 11/04/2010 10:02:21 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker
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To: markomalley

I want that useless rubber stamp by the name of Jim Webb to lose in 2012.


51 posted on 11/04/2010 10:07:46 AM PDT by OldPossum
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To: Lancey Howard

Gee. Perhaps we need more homosexuals in Congress.


52 posted on 11/04/2010 10:26:49 AM PDT by IbJensen (Our government is a disease masquerading as its own cure.)
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To: IbJensen
LOL!
Well, we now have Mark Kirk in the Senate.. Maybe he has a "wide stance".


53 posted on 11/04/2010 10:40:53 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: OldPossum

I have my doubts Webb will run again. He has hardly raised a dime for re-election, and I am unconvinced that he likes the job all that much.

I am confident that Nebraska is ours. Nelson will probably retire rather than face sure defeat by the current governor.


54 posted on 11/04/2010 10:53:59 AM PDT by freespirited (This tagline dedicated to the memory of John Armor, a/k/a Congressman Billybob.)
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To: markomalley

Anybody know how the rancher lady in the Dakotas did in the election? I don’t remember what seat she was running for. Brain is on overload, maybe.

Any info would be appreciated.


55 posted on 11/04/2010 10:58:04 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: Feline_AIDS

I worry that we’ve created gridlock, which is good, but people don’t realize that we can’t do much except throw a wrench in the gears of the dem machine””

Hey- when someone is trying to kill me, I don’t care if I can only kneecap him so I can get away. I don’t have to kill him. I just have to stop his attack on me.


56 posted on 11/04/2010 11:01:52 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: ridesthemiles

Noem Claims South Dakota’s Only Seat in House of Representatives

http://www.kpth.com/Global/story.asp?S=13442321


57 posted on 11/04/2010 11:03:30 AM PDT by Califreak (November 2008 proved that Idiocracy isn't just a movie anymore)
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To: markomalley
Amy Klobuchar (Minn.)

Bring. It. On. I cannot WAIT for this witless wonder's term to expire.

58 posted on 11/04/2010 11:05:09 AM PDT by Colonel_Flagg ("I'd rather lose fighting for the right cause than win fighting for the wrong cause." - Jim DeMint)
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To: nascarnation

Lugar will be tough to take out here in Indiana.
But he’ll be 80 yrs old. Time to hang it up, Dick.””

Only fair to use this info as part of a campaign against him.

I think it is time to call for an age limit in Congress, since so many states cannot get it into their voter’s heads about TERM LIMITS.


59 posted on 11/04/2010 12:02:35 PM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: stephenjohnbanker

bttt


60 posted on 11/04/2010 12:07:43 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55
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