Tag: 2018 elections

This chart should really worry Republicans about 2018

The following article by Aaron Blake was posted on the Washington Post website October 17, 2017:

The symbols of the Democratic (donkey) and Republican (elephant) parties in Washington, D.C., in 2008. (Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images)

Buried inside the new CNN poll is a finding that won’t make many headlines, but should probably cause a good bit of concern for Republicans.

The poll asked the standard “generic ballot” question: Would you prefer a generic Democrat or a generic Republican in the upcoming election? Democrats lead on that question for the 2018 midterms by a whopping 16-point margin, 54 percent to 38 percent.

If that were actually to turn out to be the case, of course, we’d be talking about a Democratic landslide — and almost definitely a Democratic takeover of the House that is so difficult given the map. But even if it’s just close to reality, it could be a very bad omen for the Republican Party in a historically tough first midterm election under a president of their own party. Continue reading “This chart should really worry Republicans about 2018”

Minnesota set for pivotal House battles

The following article by Ben Kamisar was posted on the Hill website September 7, 2017:

Credit: Greg Nash

Minnesota will be a pivotal battleground in the midterm fight for the House majority, featuring five of 2018’s most contentious races.

Rep. Tim Walz’s (D) decision to run for governor has created an open seat in the 1st District, while freshman Rep. Jason Lewis (R) will try to hold on to his swing seat.

Buoyed by President Trump’s strong performance in the state, Republicans plan to go on the offensive in two seats currently held by Reps. Rick Nolan (D) and Collin Peterson (D). But Democrats have their own plans in the state, aiming to win over well-educated suburban voters who could help them oust Rep. Erik Paulsen (R). Continue reading “Minnesota set for pivotal House battles”

Republicans Worry That White House Disarray Is Undermining Trump

The following article by Alexander Burns and Michael D. Shear was posted on the New York Times website July 30, 2017:

President Trump boarded Air Force One Credit:   Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Trump and Republicans in Washington have shaken the confidence of their supporters after a punishing and self-inflicted series of setbacks that have angered activists, left allies slack-jawed and reopened old fissures on the right.

A seemingly endless sequence of disappointments and blunders has rattled Mr. Trump’s volatile governing coalition, like Mr. Trump’s attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions; a vulgar tirade by his new communications chief, Anthony Scaramucci; and the collapse of conservative-backed health care legislation.

Mr. Trump remains overwhelmingly popular with Republicans, but among party loyalists and pro-Trump activists around the country, there are new doubts about the tactics he has employed, the team he has assembled and the fate of the populist, “drain the swamp” agenda he promised to deliver in partnership with a Republican-controlled Congress. Continue reading “Republicans Worry That White House Disarray Is Undermining Trump”