Democrats look to ride Clinton wave to Senate control

[brooklynite]

Politico:

For months, Missouri barely registered in the 2016 battle for Senate control: It’s a conservative state with a solid Republican incumbent in Sen. Roy Blunt. But an unexpectedly strong Democratic recruit, Jason Kander, has put the state in play — prompting a Karl Rove-backed group to spend $800,000 to keep the seat in GOP hands.

Across the border in Kentucky, things haven’t gone as well for Democrats. The party’s best hope of unseating Republican Sen. Rand Paul evaporated last week when the Democratic state auditor lost his reelection campaign.

One year out from Election Day, neither party claims a clear upper hand in the showdown for the Senate. Democrats have an early edge in Illinois and Wisconsin, while some Republican incumbents who expected serious primary or general election challenges are still breathing easy. The biggest battlegrounds remain the same as at the outset of the election cycle: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Nevada and New Hampshire.

The real drama now is in the search for quality candidates.

Have the Sanders followers found theirs? I'm told that 1) DSCC is part of the "establishment" and 2) "We need real progressives" in Washington to help Bernie. Who've you got?

[hobbit709]

1. There's a better chance of me winning the lottery.

[Human101948]

2. The Lotto ticket I bought for you just won $40 million...

but I am keeping the proceeds since you a nattering nabob of negativism.

[hobbit709]

4. That's a first for me.

i've been called every name in the book in at least 6 languages but never been called that.

[Human101948]

6. It was a secret language invented by...

William Safire who wrote the eulogy for the Apollo 11 astronauts who never returned from the Moon--

Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.

These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice.

These two men are laying down their lives in mankind's most noble goal: the search for truth and understanding.

They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown.

In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man.

In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations.

In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.

Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man's search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.

For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.

[treestar]

3. No they believe Bernie will do it all himself

with the "bully pulpit." Only the Presidency matters. The right President will get the Senate and House in line.

[marmar]

5. I think they overestimate the length of those coattails .....

...... I have no doubt Hillary will win if she's the Dem nominee. But I just don't think there will be much enthusiasm surrounding this election.

[Gothmog]

7. We can retake the Senate if the POTUS candidate has some coat tails

I fear that Sanders would kill a number of down ballot races with concerns about socialism

[Nye Bevan]

8. "Coat Tails" do not exist.

Didn't exist for Reagan, or Bill Clinton, or Bush, or Obama. And will not exist for the next president.

[SoCalDem]

9. and when we are told they DO exist, we end up with

weak legislators who are ripe for the next picking

We had a LOT of blue dog dems whose only worth was the (D) next to their name, and who routinely voted AGAINST our party whenever they could..and who always provided the "cover" for repubs who love to trumpet BIPARTISAN when they scrape off 2 or 3 Dems to vote with them..

[Vinca]

10. Given what happened last Tuesday, all I can say is . . . good luck.

This election does not have the excitement of the Obama elections. Both candidates are generating interest, of course, but it's not the same. On a purely "excitement" scale, I'd say Bernie was the winner, but it still doesn't compare to the excitement over Obama. I'm predicting - and I hope I'm wrong - lazy Democrats won't bother to vote. Again. That's why I'm not confident a Democrat will win this time around and that's terrifying.