Democrats confront difficult prospects for midterms

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House Democrats are beginning to confront the challenging reality awaiting them in the 2022 midterm elections amid a spate of retirements and dim redistricting prospects.

Democrats had hoped that brightening economic and public health outlooks combined with ongoing discord within the GOP would save them from the kind of electoral thrashing that historically besets the president’s party in midterm elections.

But privately, some in the party are beginning to acknowledge the uphill battle they will face next year when their narrow majorities in the House and Senate will be on the line. Continue reading.

Want to Know More About: The 2018 Midterms?

John Heilemann: “Unfortunately For This White House, If You Look At Every Piece Of Data Over The Course Over The Past 18 Months, Every Special Election, The 2017 Off Year Election, There’s Not A Single Piece Of Data That Suggests That The Republican Party Is Not In Deep Trouble.” JOHN HEILEMANN: “If you look at the historical precedence presidents with approval ratings in the 40s who go badly for the in power party. We’ve never seen a president in first mid-term that had ratings in the mid-30s and that’s where president trump is now and, again, as Willie pointed out in the first hour, seems we’ve seen consistent polling in the last week to two weeks that put the president in this kind of high, mid to high 30s and the trajectory is in the wrong direction. On this trend line we can see the about an approval rating of 35, 34 by the time we get to election day. Bob, I want to ask you this question, Costa that is. Obviously, everybody as we head into a midterm election, both parties try to highlight what their argument for how it’s not going to be as bad, if there’s negative forecast or great if it’s a positive forecast. To make an argument in a midterm election that the base, it will be a base election would be conventional wisdom. Unfortunately, for this white house, if you look at every piece of data over the course over the past 18 months, every special election, the 2017 off year election, there’s not a single piece of data that suggests that the Republican party is not in deep trouble. If you look at democratic enthusiasm, you look at the closing of margins in places where Donald Trump won in 2016, how D they confront that data because there’s now a lot of data that suggests the democratic base is so fired up, way more so than the Republican base.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 9/11/18; VIDEO]

Rob Costa On Midterms: “That Data Is All Accurate. It Paints A Bleak Picture For The Republican Party.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 9/11/18; VIDEO] Continue reading “Want to Know More About: The 2018 Midterms?”

What Midterm Election? Trump Is Already Campaigning for 2020

The following article by John T. Bennet was posted on the Roll Call website August 7, 2018:

Penn Ave Report: Connecting Congress and the White House at the intersection of politics

President Donald Trump is attending a host of rallies to boost GOP nominees ahead of the November midterm vote. But White House correspondent John T. Bennett counts off five sure signs that Trump is already looking ahead to his own re-election battle.

View the post here.

GOP strategists admit their party ‘just can’t be saved’ in midterms

The following article by Eric Boehlert was posted on the ShareBlue.com website April 19, 2018:

Several veteran Republicans don’t have much faith for the upcoming midterms, fearing ‘the smoking rubble of a 40- to 50-seat pounding.’

Credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

With lots of Republican House incumbents getting buried by their opponents in fundraising, more and more Republican strategists are denouncing their party’s prospects for the upcoming midterms, and acknowledging they may be facing the worst possible outcomes.

“Thanks to a map that puts more Democratic than Republican seats at risk, our party will still cling to control of the Senate, but GOP House members lack insulation: They will crawl out from the smoking rubble of a 40- to 50-seat pounding to find they have lost their majority,” writes longtime GOP operative Alex Castellanos. Continue reading “GOP strategists admit their party ‘just can’t be saved’ in midterms”

Health Care Overhaul Appears Unlikely Before Midterm Elections

The following article by Joe Williams was posted on the Roll Call website January 10, 2018:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Whip John Cornyn arrive for a news conference following the Republicans’ policy lunch on Tuesday. McConnell has been pessimistic about the chances for a health care overhaul this year. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Republicans are at risk of facing voters this year with no cohesive strategy to fulfill their seven-year campaign promise to repeal and replace the 2010 health care law or address the rising cost of health care.

Following a meeting at Camp David over the weekend between President Donald Trump and top congressional leaders, members said a major overhaul of the law is unlikely this year.

Such a move could anger members of the GOP base, who have heard Republicans pledge for years to gut the law, as well as a broader set of voters whom Democratic political operatives say are opposed to the failed Republican health care proposals from last year. Continue reading “Health Care Overhaul Appears Unlikely Before Midterm Elections”

McConnell bracing for ‘knock down, drag out’ 2018 midterms

The following article by Louis Nelson was posted on the Politico website December 22, 2017:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also said he is prepared to wade into GOP primaries to “make every effort to make sure we have a nominee on the November ballot who can appeal to a general election audience.” | Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told the Washington Examiner Thursday that he anticipates a “knock down, drag out” 2018 midterm election for Republicans, who will look to maintain their majorities in both houses of Congress with a historically unpopular president in the White House.

“The environment today is not great, the generic ballot’s not good, and I’d love to see the president’s approval rating higher. So I think we should anticipate a real knock down, drag out — even on the Senate side,” McConnell (R-Ky.) said in an interview Thursday. Continue reading “McConnell bracing for ‘knock down, drag out’ 2018 midterms”