AlterNet: Three 'Red State' Senate Races That Could Change America

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Three 'Red State' Senate Races That Could Change America

By Joshua Holland, AlterNet. Posted November 3, 2008.

Dems are riding a wave into Congress this election, and a few key victories in the South could make a huge difference for progressive causes.



If Barack Obama pulls off a widely-anticipated win on Tuesday, he'll take office with an enormous amount of political capital. As George W. Bush proclaimed in 2004, "elections matter." But while Obama will have a clear mandate for dismantling the policies of the Bush era, he'll also have to wrestle with a conservative movement that, while wounded, is far from dead.

Key to his ability to effect substantive change will be the composition of the Senate, where 60 votes are required to overcome filibusters on crucial pieces of legislation. If the Democrats hit that mark, it'll be a game-changer; the party's leadership would have no excuses for failing to enact a progressive agenda. That in itself would help the party's progressive base exercise real power for the first time in decades.

Democrats started this cycle with an advantage; 23 GOP seats are up for re-election versus 12 seats held by Dems. With George Bush's dismal approval ratings, the Democrats have long anticipated increasing their Senate majority -- now 51-49, including "independent Democrat" Joe Lieberman (CT) and Bernie Sanders (VT) -- by 5-6 seats. But with the financial meltdown weighing heavily on the Republican brand and a disciplined and impressive Obama organization on the ground, a 60-seat majority, while still a very long shot, is not beyond the realm of possibility.

In addition to several seats left open by Republican retirements -- and that of the recently-convicted Ted Stevens (AK) -- Democrats have real opportunities to pick up seats that seemed like stiff challenges a few short months ago, including those held by Norm Coleman (MN), Gordon Smith (OR) and John Sununu (NH). .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/election08/105806/three_%27red_state%27_senate_races_that_could_change_america/