Posted on 11/07/2018 8:40:41 AM PST by SMGFan
WASHINGTON — Votes are still being counted from Tuesday's election but a picture of the 2020 campaign is coming into focus. Republicans not only emerged with their majority intact but expanded it by at least two seats. That cushion will make it harder for Democrats to retake the chamber two years from now.
Unlike 2018, 2020 is a presidential election year in which Donald Trump will be on the ballot as he seeks a second term. Voter sentiment about the president will play a big role in determining who turns out to the polls and which party they support.
Here are six takeaways from the Senate races: The Trump effect key for Senate races in 2020 Not only did Republicans keep the Senate, they outperformed many pollsters' expectations in that chamber by trouncing Democratic incumbents in conservative states such as Missouri, North Dakota and Indiana. The president immersed himself in trying to rally support for GOP Senate candidates in the final weeks of the midterm races. He and his aides view the Senate results as a vindication of the president's power as a political force, even as Republicans lost their majority in the House. Trump's popularity with the conservative base could present daunting obstacles for Democrats trying to make inroads in red states in the 2020 Senate contests.
Map for GOP challenging but not that bad Of the 33 seats up for election, 20 are Republican. A 21st — Mississippi — will be decided by a runoff election still up for grabs in the 2018 election. Of those, only three appear to be Democratic pickup opportunities: Colorado, Iowa, and Maine. A fourth, North Carolina, could be in play given that Republican Tom Tillis is likely running for re-election to a seat Democrat Kay Hagan won in 2008.
Conversely, the GOP could flip three of the 12 Democratic seats up for election: Alabama, Michigan and New Hampshire.
With Republicans adding to their margin Tuesday, it makes it more likely the GOP will hold the Senate beyond 2020 as well.
We must primary McConnell. But does he have Trump’s support?
It’s very cute that Democrat scu&bags needed 23 seats and conveniently got 25 in the House.
Reality or fraud?
Just asking.
IMHO
As a traffic cop told me back in the 70s, “Keep it at 55”. That’s probably our limit for the near future, and we might have to settle for it. Let the dems scramble like rats trying to find a piece of cheese. We’re in the KAG era now!
Tester up by 1,000 votes now.
Most of the 2020 Democrat seats are in the Northeast. I’m surprised the author didn’t list Arizona as a vulnerable GOP seat.
Fraud.
They used stupid American voters.
This is the perfect situation for the Trump 2020 re-election. Now there is controlled (by Trump) opposition. He’ll bait them into doing and saying the stupidest things ever recorded on the planet. He can feign being the victim of insane House. If the Dems don’t take the bait Trump will get through everything he wants with his veto pen and bully pulpit. Dems are painted into a corner. If they impeach it’ll be just like the Kavanough result this election. You go after Kav or Trump and it’s the 3rd rail and your tongue. The Senate will never muster 67 votes to convict to impeach and remove.
They mean Conservative JUDGES and that should bring a broad smile to everyone's face. It may be the only upside to yesterday.
He has done a terrific job with judges.
I’m saying a lot of fraud with “bussed in illegal voters.”
The biggest take away is a reminder from Tip O’Neil that all politics are local. Trump was most effective campaigning for Senators. Wonderful and brilliant job from the potus. Not so well for Congressmen. The localist of local for politics. Trump couldn’t help them in the big Trump way.
This is my thought, also.
If mc turtle focuses on confirming conservative judges he will be safe.
Fraud.
They used stupid American voters.
YES!! the gimmedats don’t just live in the hood anymore.
Tester has thousands of votes yet to come from Gallatin & Missoula counties, according to news reports.
Those big counties, the enclaves of universities and the mega-rich, are now hard Left.
[[YES!! the gimmedats don’t just live in the hood anymore.]]
That is exactly why republicans lost the house- too many ‘gimmedats’ have crept into the republican party!
There are 4 reasons republicans lost-
1: Republicans are freakin allergic to success- We ALWAYS rest on our laurels when we win, and the next election sees us not getting out enough voters to defeat the enemy
2: Republicans had 2 years to prepare for these crucial midterms- and they had NOT gotten the message out enough (Beyond Trump’s rallies I’m talking- republicans were NOT hammering home the message about how well the economy was doing, and how terrible voting for democrats would be for the great progress we had been making- Independents who get most of their news from msm could only see how ‘divisive’ Trump was (in the terms of CNN and msm), and they did not get the message about how well we were actually doing
3: Freakin never trumpers in the republican party hurt our party by driving independents away. Instead of republicans WORKING TOGETHER to make America Great again, never trumpers destroyed the party’s chances of maintaining control by their incessant infighting- Independents took notice- and left- We NEEDED their votes- and never trumpers drove them away!
4: Gimmedats in the party ignorantly believed the socialist democrats, and think they will be ‘getting free stuff’ from democrats
Democrats won in solidly red states all across the country where they had no business winning- The country is doing great now, and voters SHOULD HAVE recognized this and wanted more of the same- instead they inexplicably said ‘ya know, the country is doing great- but I think it’s time for a change’... Unreal!
The purpose of this election was to purge the GOP of the deadwood.
Now that it’s done they need to start getting ready for 2020.
Democrats were winning in solid red states and solid red districts where they had no business winning- This doesn’t bode well
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