Stuart Rothenberg: Senate Is Now In Play, But Republicans Have Reasons To Worry

Roll Call:

Until about 10 days ago, I agreed with the conventional wisdom that control of the House of Representatives was up for grabs this fall but that Republicans had yet to put the Senate into play. I no longer believe that.

Read the whole story: Roll Call

Comments

[DwayneRStone]

11:31 PM on 07/22/2010

Just who is the Democrat's Karl Rove?
Hey wait! Have we been snookered again? I get it now. Obama was part of a bigger play. The Democrats threw his hat into the ring with the intent to simply ram in as much radical socialist programming as he can. He is merely the sacrificial lamb. With his shotgun approach, some of the radical programming might stick. If not, then at least the soil has been tilled for a new crop. Someone like Clinton can show up with perfect timing and steal the presidency for another 8 years giving the Democrats a lock on the presidency for 12 years – just the time they need to make permanent changes to the US. The right moderate Democrat can be appealing enough in her own right. That appeal coupled with the Bush years still close enough for many to strategically mischaracterize, will be just the scheme that might actually work.

[Martel]

07:49 PM on 07/23/2010

You need a good long vacation in a mental hospital, but thanks for the mindless conspiracy theory.

[DwayneRStone]

09:26 PM on 07/23/2010

I know. That was funny. somebody had to say it.

[Downix]

04:04 PM on 07/22/2010

This is called saber rattling. If the base feels that they are safe, they don't turn out. If they feel like their vote will matter, they will turn out.

[StillweRise]

02:40 PM on 07/22/2010

Propaganda.... and lots of it.... works.

Progressives only hold a sliver of the media. There is only 30 hours of progressive programming for every 300 hours of conned-servative programming. That is the ONLY reason there is even a single republican left in this country. The flaming bag of republican left on the doorstep of this country after the debacle, treasury raping, and wealth redistribution to the top 20% perpetrated by the last administration.

And after being handed peace and prosperity, and leaving with deficits, 2 wars and a collapsed economy literally losing 600,000 jobs per month... they pretend a trends like those can be brought to pre-collapse levels in a year's time, despite their dishonest, disingenuous, bad-faith-negotiating, all-out-obstructionism tactics.

repubicans are THE most un-american, democracy-undermining, citizen-fooling, citizen-hating party-first, country-last politicians on the face of the planet.

they just lie and market exceptionally well.

[RMorr2002]

02:46 PM on 07/22/2010

"The ONLY reason that there is a single Republican left in this country is that there is only 30 hours of progressive progamming"?????

Do you even realize how stupid that sounds???

Have you ever thought that maybe the only reason there is only 30 hours of progressive programming is that NOBODY wants to listen to it??? Ever hear of Air America??

[StillweRise]

03:08 PM on 07/22/2010

yes... and no one wants an electric car either.....

[Downix]

04:06 PM on 07/22/2010

Yes, have you?

Air America can be a case study for how not to set up a radio network, regardless of affiliation. The shows were in demand, I know of at least 7 radio stations that tried to get shows but were rebuffed. Their business model was the problem, not the content. Ever notice how many of the Air America hosts have continued on past AA's problems, including MSNBC's own Rachael Maddow?

[rchwel]

03:38 PM on 07/22/2010

Fanned and Fave ! My sentiments exactly ! very well said

[jake1492]

02:23 PM on 07/22/2010

The senate wouldn't have to "..be in play..." if the democrats were to take bold policy initiatives, including powerful communications from the top, designed to balance taxing and spending priorities within the federal government that acknowledge each area of legitimate spending, but put clear headed limits on each of those areas of spending....and to aggressively promote more fair and higher taxes along with spending cuts to bring the deficit in line. Our problems largely stem from political timidity and the mistaken belief that the electorate will always punish those honestly addressing politically dishonest over spending. People are appropriately scared of the effects of unlimited government debt. What we need is real leadership. Obama has been a much better president than most give him credit for in terms of sensibility in his policies. But where he has been sorely lacking is in providing strong direction and leadership on the big issues, which are debt and industrial realignment.

[Americaisscrewed]

02:15 PM on 07/22/2010

Dems will lose at least 8 seats in the Senate. All most making it impossible for them to even use reconcilliation. Obama's agenda will be stopped in its tracks. Dems will try and shove as much crap down our throats from now thru January

[rchwel]

03:46 PM on 07/22/2010

Hoooray for the repigLIEcon party F U American people ! We are back in control and you pions will pay for electing a black man President now ! The new repigLIEcon contract on Anerica ! What great patriots !

[Martel]

08:07 PM on 07/23/2010

The Republigoons will win some seats in the Senate and in the House without taking control of either, so we're about to see the end of the filibuster. It has served some people well. It protected the 'peculiar institution' until the Civil War, a conflagration it made inevitable. It was also strongly instrumental in institutionalizing racial discrimination in this country for a hundred years. Now that racial discrimination is - for most of us - not only immoral but also illegal, we no longer 'need' it. What we need now is an electorate which votes for the good of the country instead of for the benefit of the wealthiest 1%, and eliminating the filibuster rule is an absolute necessity if we're ever going to get to that point. People in this country have for too long thought themselves immune from political reality because the filibuster guarantees that the nation and the society can only move backward, never forward.

Since the filibuster is not in any way a part of American law, constitutional or otherwise, all that is required is a willingness to employ common sense in the Senate. Democracy is corrupted to a terminal degree by the filibuster, and this nation will continue to produce laws which favor only those who are the most contemptuous of true American values until it is thrown overboard. That will mean that the American people will finally be required to actually THINK about their votes, which is a good thing - if bad for

[Tom Payned]

01:55 PM on 07/22/2010

We can keep Pennsylvania in play and win it if we donate to Joe Sestak.

https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/sestak2010?refcode=ejul22link1

Retired Admiral Sestak, fought the Dem Party & White House by challenging Arlene Spector in the Dem Primary.

People thought Joe was on a Quixotic run, no chance to win.

However, the more people learned about him, the stronger & more popular he became.

The Rethugs who held this seat until Spector jumped parties, feel it's their seat.

But it's not.

Please contribute to Joe's campaign, he's being smeared (what's new) by the better funded Toomy, in standard Rethug Swiftboat style ads.

Without campaign cash to air ads to get the truth out there, Joe could end up like Kerry in 2004. A real military man, with real life experience, whose record gets distorted, becoming other peoples reality.

[Americaisscrewed]

02:11 PM on 07/22/2010

Sestak poll numbers are tanking.

[Americaisscrewed]

02:17 PM on 07/22/2010

Dont compare Sestak to Kerry. I doubt Sestak can LIE like Kerry does

[Martel]

08:17 PM on 07/23/2010

And he certainly can't like like Toomy does. Vote Republigoon! They tell 'true' lies.

[Henri101]

01:37 PM on 07/22/2010

The article is non-sensical and misleading; a writer filling up spaces.

[rchwel]

04:01 PM on 07/22/2010

Rothenberg and rasmussen oh yeah real reliable unbiased sources there !

[Roguewolf]

01:09 PM on 07/22/2010

Reid said that the Auto bailout saved GM, Ford and Chrysler. I guess he wasn't there for that vote, Ford didn't recieve any money.

[trish333]

01:13 PM on 07/22/2010

LOL! Not surprised, they don't read the bills they pass and they're either lying or delusional most of the time.

[Henri101]

01:42 PM on 07/22/2010

The injection of monies in the auto industry saved all participants in the industry; remember cash for clunker? Ford benefited from that program more than any auto manufacturer. Think before criticizing or you will be the one laughed at.

[disgustedwithall]

12:34 PM on 07/22/2010

Since 2006, the D's have pretty much gone along and performed as the "other sub-division", R's being second sub-division of "Realty USA, single party $$$'s Party LLC". TIme and time again Ds' "compromise to get best we can", or infamous "filibuster (threat ONLY) prevents us from passing Bill, Real Reforms, etc"

They act as if R's run their joint "Reality USA $$$$ Party" with most Financial/Board Members and their subdivision-D is not the great "WS/Bankers/Special Interest profits center" R's created. So D's now worried they will get less "dividends" AKA Campaign Funds (bribes), loose their jobs manufacturing more funds for upper 5% well off/selves.

Seems "consumers" of $$$ D-Division Party goods, "commoners", fed up with D/$$$$ low quality products sold under guise of "best we can get" AKA trimming for commoners, meat for upper end" over last 30 years. Most commoners consider DC/State Capitals bigger threat then offshore bandits, latter as/more honest.

Division-D may take some hits, predictably "Stunned" R/D reaction, arrogantly upset with the commoners for such treason's, no change, just new "Marketing" spin.

Issue is not D/R more/less seats, other then that is where most of their brains reside.. Core issue, Politics morphed to FOR PROFIT rendering company. ALL employees/stocks/profits/funding/hacks, (USA) run/controlled by VERY few "investors"..

AKA Robber Barons bought our once great nation, their political factory will bleed nation, render every penny it can get.

[trish333]

12:29 PM on 07/22/2010

As if you needed another reason to vote out ALL Dems in November.....

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/541131/201007211841/The-Tax-Tsunami-On-The-Horizon.aspx

[dshwa]

01:54 PM on 07/22/2010

The article quotes Americans for tax reform's materials. They're not an unbiased source. Nice try though...

[Lab Sharpei]

12:11 PM on 07/22/2010

Reid is clu.el.ess!! He just stated that Ford Auto survived only because of the bailouts!!! Well, one little missing fact, Ford didn't take any bailout money!! Harry is out of touch, unless he was taken out of context like Shirley Sherrod.

http://bit.ly/chhjJc

[zendem1]

12:05 PM on 07/22/2010

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-boykin/four-things-the-republica_b_161077.html

[zendem1]

12:01 PM on 07/22/2010

For obvious reasons, this kind of non-story always becoames a big steaming pyle for all the tr0lls to play around.So here ya go kids. suc on this:
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2009/01/09/bush-on-jobs-the-worst-track-record-on-record/tab/article/

ps. up yer.

[trish333]

12:04 PM on 07/22/2010

Have you heard? Bush isn't on the ballot this time.

[Bella Lee]

12:07 PM on 07/22/2010

Not on the ballot but we are still feeling the effects of the Great Republican recession and so he is not easily forgotten. His impact on this county will keep repubs out of office for years to come.

[Cool Arrow]

12:41 PM on 07/22/2010

Trish looking at Ohio specifically do you think that Rob Portman is going to run ads talking of his job in the Bush Administration? If so does that help him win?

Saying that he does not do that do you think that Lee Fisher will run ads reminding people about this? If so does that help him win?

[Ucan2]

11:58 AM on 07/22/2010

All politics are local.

The teatards/cons/repubs found that out when they went for Murtha's seat.

[trish333]

12:02 PM on 07/22/2010

Some, yes. Here's how it stands with the governors. Look at all of the pretty blue states turning to
RED:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/governor/2010_elections_governor_map_no_toss_ups.html

[RMorr2002]

01:05 PM on 07/22/2010

Hate to be the one to break it to you, but Toomey is leading in the polls!

[Ucan2]

11:55 AM on 07/22/2010

This hype about repubs walking away with the elections in the Fall is just that HYPE.
In Ohio We have two Senators, Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican George Voinavich. Well Voinavich will be retiring this fall so his seat will be open.

One would think that the republican candidate Rob Portman would be running away in the polls if you listened to the MSM logic, well he's not. Actually his democratic oponent Lee Fisher is ahead of him by several points or more in some polls. And to the pleasure of democrats here in Ohio Fisher is a true liberal democrat.

Because of this Citizen United decision handed down by the Supreme court his oponent is out raising him, so he is beating him in on air commercials.

[RMorr2002]

11:58 AM on 07/22/2010

Actually, in the latest Rassmussen poll, Portman holds a 7 point lead.

[Ucan2]

12:01 PM on 07/22/2010

Nate Siilver polling says different, and I will go with the guy who percentage of being correct is far greater.

[zendem1]

12:01 PM on 07/22/2010

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2009/01/09/bush-on-jobs-the-worst-track-record-on-record/tab/article/