Big GOP losses in Congress likely, even if McCain wins

[babylonsister]

Big GOP losses in Congress likely, even if McCain wins
By Steven Thomma and Margaret Talev | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — Whoever wins the presidency this November, it's all but a slam dunk they'll be working with a Democratic Congress. And it probably will be a stronger Democratic majority with more votes than it has today.

Even normally optimistic Republicans conceded in recent days that the landscape is stacked against them after losing their third special House of Representatives election in a row, all in what had been safe Republican districts.

"A large segment of the American public doesn't have confidence in the Republican Party," said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., the party's chief political operative for House races.

"It should be a really good Democratic year in both chambers," said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report. He's one of the three most authoritative nonpartisan voices on congressional races, along with Charles Cook of the Cook Political Report and Larry Sabato, the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

They all predict that Democrats will add to their majorities in the House by six to 20 seats and in the Senate by two to five seats.

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/37362.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. The key is that the Democratic Congress has to be tough

and adhere to Democratic principals, and not bow, whimpering, to whatever Republicans decide they want to do. When our Democratic President takes office, I sincerely hope that the Democratic Congress will support his/her programs with vigor.

[blondeatlast]

5. I believe that a more powerful majority witll grow some spine in

more moderate Dems. they've been terrified (even the incumbents) of losing to the more well-financed and m$m-backed RRRs.

I think most Americans have grown very suspicious of the RRRs and that will work to our favor in the legislative battles.

[spanone]

2. 'even if mccain wins' now that's a funny

[babylonsister]

3. I remember 4 years ago, when I also thought the Dems

had it in the bag. So I'm not counting any chickens, though I am optimistic.

[spanone]

7. a grim reminder.....i'm an optimist too...

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. HOW can McCain win?

I'm amazed that, at least according to some polls, he even has a chance to win despite the fact that he is going around right now publicly supporting just about every failed Bush policy, particularly Bush's "surge" strategy. I suspect, however, that with the Democratic nomination still undecided, the public and the media is focusing more of their time and attention on THAT race rather than McCain's apparent Bush worship (and "love") and that once we have our nominee in hand and particularly start having debates his support or prospects for electoral victory may very well diminish. I don't want to be naive enough to think that we have the election "in the bag" until all of the votes have been (properly) counted but I don't detect a huge groundswell of support for another 4 years of utterly failed Bush policies, which is essentially all McCain seems to be offering right now and even the GOP and its evangelical base is fairly lukewarm about his candidacy.
What is "dangerous" about McCain IMHO is that the media will, despite all of the evidence to the contrary, seek to paint him as some kind of "independent" straight-talking bipartisan "maverick" capable of "unifying" the country and offering "change" (even though he really isn't) and play down (or completely ignore) his "flip-flops" on things like torture and tax cuts, his stated support for keeping troops in Iraq pretty much indefinitely (I'm not even sure people will support the troops over there until 2013), and his apparent amusement about bombing Iran (and probably other countries as well). I don't, however, believe that he can withstand critical scrutiny in the general election if the MSM, the Democratic Party, and our nominee ensure that McCain IS critically scrutinized enough so that the public will realize that his presidency would be essentially a third "Bush term".

[arcadian]

4. Larry Sabato is a right-wing tool

He knows his shit though, he's known for being near 100% in his predictions.