Democrats see path to Senate majority in 2018

[DonViejo]

The odds remain long for a takeover, but Republicans are still growing concerned.

By SEUNG MIN KIM and BURGESS EVERETT 10/10/2017 05:01 AM EDT

Something remarkable is happening in the halls of the Capitol: talk of a serious fight for the Senate majority next year.

Senate Democrats, once all but resigned to staying in the minority until at least 2020, say the door to retaking the chamber in next year’s midterms has cracked — just barely — if everything breaks their way. And instead of boasting about how many more seats they’re about to pick up, Republicans are now pondering the once-unthinkable possibility of losing the Senate, and with it, the ability to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominees.

While Republicans have been locked in bruising internal battles all year, legislatively and in GOP primaries, Senate Democrats in recent days scored a prized recruit in Arizona and saw a Republican titan in Tennessee, Bob Corker, retire. Public polls in the Alabama Senate race have shown Democrat Doug Jones within single digits of bomb-throwing Republican Roy Moore — forcing national Democrats to wrestle with whether to spend money in one of the most conservative states in the nation.

Democratic senators are loath to boast too publicly about their recent spate of political fortune. But they’re starting to see a path, however narrow, that hadn’t existed before. “The map feels a little different today than it did a few weeks ago,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). “We might be playing a little more offense. At the same time, we don’t have a lot of bandwidth for offense given the defense we have to play.”

more
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/10/democrats-senate-majority-2018-path-243533

[ffr]

1. First to K&R

[CrispyQ]

2. I hope so.

I like Chris Murphy! He's sharp & always on point.

[treestar]

3. Yes!

The Orange Bufoon Backlash! Let it be!

[ret5hd]

4. Is that powder finally dry enough?

Is it? Is it?

[Loyd]

5. Good Question

Because we won't get there via the shrinking violet approach!

[eleny]

6. I hope we can stop Marsha Blackburn in TN

[Hekate]

7. KnR

[mountain grammy]

8. Here's my fear..

if this starts looking possible in 2018, assuming we're not at war, I don't think there'll be a 2018 election. These religious zealots have their foot in the door and they won't give up.

If Moore loses, count on SCOTUS to uphold gerrymandering, hell, even endorse it...5-4. I know this may sound a little like conspiracy talk, but donald trump is president of the United States.

[KPN]

14. Aw, hell. Why'd you say that?

I was just starting my day.

[bench scientist]

15. Justice Kennedy's questioning in recent oral arguments suggest 5 to 4 to overturn Gerrymandering.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-justice-kennedys-silence-means-for-the-future-of-gerrymandering/

[kentuck]

9. I am getting to the point where...

I don't care who gets into office anymore, so long as they are willing to stand up for our country. Republicans are totally useless.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

10. "forcing national Democrats to wrestle with whether to spend money"

Wouldn't that force republicans to spend money to protect vulnerable candidate's too?

[Dawson Leery]

11. More Ben Nelsons and Mary Landrieus are fine by me.

They were and still are good Democrats who voted with the party 90% of the time. Also, they were not a critical of the party as Manchin is.

[Honeycombe8]

12. The Dems need to find some tough, competitive candidates, and be aggressive, IMO.

They need to do better than "a better deal." If that's an indication of the best they can do to formulate a path forward, I'm concerned. They need to have a pow-wow and re-do the slogan to be more aggressive, forward thinking, and young (to appeal to the people who are in their 30s....not 60s). The word "deal" should be avoided. We're not dealing, here. (I am in my 60s, BTW, and "better deal" doesn't appeal to me.)

They should be able to pick up some seats, though. And that will make a HUGE difference, shifting the power at least somewhat.

I, for one, will vote for the "D," no matter who it is, local and national. It's important to get some people in office who don't fall in line and vote "R," even when it's a madman's bill that is horrible for the country and the people.

I think a lot of Schumer, but someone else needs to formulate a plan and slogan, I think. Focusing on integrity and truth in office might be a way to go. Being able to, at a minimum, believe what our elected officials say, and know that they are people of integrity, is important.

[KPN]

13. Not if we don't get to the bottom of and short-circuit Russian

interference in our elections, eliminate or effectively mitigate shenanigans involving electronic voting machines, and stifle on-going suppression efforts.

[FBaggins]

16. The article doesn't make much of a case for that "path"

AZ/NV are do-able, but if we're going to spend money trying to win TN or AL, it had better not be at the expense of WV/MO/IN/OH/ND/FL/ME... or we won't pick up even the two seats that currently appear to be the ceiling.

Listing TX as a possible pickup makes me wonder what the author is smoking.