Republicans’ 2014 Senate Edge Muddied by Shutdown Message
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis - Oct 2, 2013
The partial government shutdown may undermine Republicans’ edge in the 2014 campaign, harming a prime opportunity to win control of the U.S. Senate and protect their 32-seat House advantage.
Heading into the midterm elections, the political math favors Republicans. Democrats are defending seven Senate seats in politically competitive states compared with only two for their adversaries.
The shuttering of the government, which is deeply unpopular with voters, could cut into those advantages by obscuring their message and highlighting internal rifts, political strategists from both parties said.
“It’s not helpful for us because it takes Republicans off offense at a time when we should be taking advantage of a favorable map,” said Brian Walsh, of Washington-based Singer Bonjean Strategies who is a former aide to the party’s Senate campaign committee. “Republicans should be on offense right now on Obamacare, and instead, all the focus is on infighting and the shutdown.”
Voters disapprove of the job being done by congressional Republicans by 74 percent to 17 percent -- their lowest score ever -- while disapproving of Democrats’ job performance 60 percent to 32 percent, according to a national poll released yesterday by Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. President Barack Obama had a 45 percent to 49 percent job-approval rating.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-02/republicans-2014-senate-edge-muddied-by-shutdown-message.html
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