Is the Senate in play?

What makes the highly respected COOK POLITICAL REPORT interesting is that it was just a year ago that the Republican Party was given up for dead by some of you out there. In my life time I have seen the political scene shift back and forth. I remember when I was very young after the 1964 LBJ Landslide the GOP was considered dead in the water. They made a comeback in 1966 and won the presidency in 1968 with Nixon. In 1972 Nixon carried every state but Massachusetts and the Democrats were considered dead. But 4 years later (1976) Democrat Jimmy Carter was elected President. In 1980 and 1984 we had huge Reagan landslides and it was the Democrats who were considered lost. But things turn around and Bill Clinton won easily in 1992 and 1996. That was the first time since the 2nd World War that an elected Democratic President was reelected. In the last few elections 2000 and 2004 went to the Republicans by narrow margins and the Democrats easily regained power in 2008. The point I am trying to make is that the political scene can change very quickly and political parties that were considered dead by some have bounced back to power. It will be interesting to see what the final tally will be after the November elections. But as of today it appears that the GOP is ready to make major gains in numbers and even might take control of congress. Time will tell.

Dick Morris said last night on Rob's favorite channel FNC that the Republicans will have the house and senate in their hands after November. I think he also said they will win the senate by more than 2 seats. We will see. If that happens Obama's last 2 years in office will be used to Veto everything the Republicans send his way. Then who becomes the obstructionist Donny?

"Florida-22: From Likely Democrat to Lean Democrat"

???????

Should read FL-22: West wipes floor w/Klein.
We'll soon see.

What's a Mother to Do? Part Two: Saving Sheriff Joe

Mother’s Problem Number Two: Saving Sheriff Joe

For those unacquainted with Sheriff Joe, i.e., Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, he’s the law enforcement official most hated by the Mexican drug cartels who have put a million dollar bounty on his head because he’s afflicted with an odd quirk: He insists on doing his job and enforcing the immigration laws of the State of Arizona and the United States of America.

Sheriff Joe is also the law enforcement official most hated by the Obama administration and Eric Holder’s Justice Department who haven’t, as yet, put a bounty on his head and instead harass and threaten him for the same reason, his odd quirk about doing his job and enforcing the immigration laws of the State of Arizona and the United States of America.

It’s as presumptuous of me to suggest saving the tough and independent Sheriff Joe as it is for the DOJ to suggest he cease and desist from repeatedly rounding up Mexican and other illegal aliens in his state and incarcerating them in his tent prison. There they are decked out in pretty pink garb, served adequate but far from sumptuous meals, and expected to behave as prisoners, not as indulged guests of the state.

It’s presumptuous but I’ll do it anyway.

Long a burr under the saddles of everyone from the ACLU to La Raza to every other illegal alien rights group in the nation, Sheriff Joe, the self-described “America’s toughest sheriff,” was issued a second ultimatum last week insisting he “comply with a Justice Department request to explain his office’s ‘operations, policies and procedures’ involving the arrest and detention of Hispanics.” . . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=1877)

depot jim, I might be a bit older than you are (I was 20 in 1964) but I agree. The pendulum swings. We vote for the Republicans until it becomes obvious that they aren't going to lead us to Nirvana, then we vote for the Democrats until we realize that they're no better. Then we vote for the Republicans again. Anyone who believes that a single election, or a couple of elections, that favor one or the other party means that party will be dominant forever has probably been smoking too much of that wacky tabacky!

I think the decor of the OO should have been changed long ago.

And a lot of other things that could have been changed right away, should have been. E.g., DADT.

Then at least "change' voters would have something visible to hang hats on, wouldn't they?

Health care is too far in the future, too abstract, to hang hats on.

Pelosi and Reid , well...... never like them much.

They never conveyed "change" to me.

Yes, I know..... they were preoccupied with running scared from Paulson's bubblemeister panic-peddling.....

And of course, though we saw a bit of a Truth Commission here and there, a few hearings, a few bombshells, things remained curiously inconclusive on that front....

The Financial Crisis Commission just heard from Lehman Bros. witnesses Weds. of THIS WEEK, for Chrissakes.......

DaveB and DJ, your post’s illustrate just how fickle (dumb) the majority of the American Electorate is on both sides. That said, I can't take any poll seriously anymore. Congress has been a useless body since 1994 so it doesn't really matter who controls it anyway in this day of partisan politics. I guess we'll see in November. Until then, nothing will continue to get done in the Senate.

Tim, I think it's really the political middle that makes most of the decisions. On the left and the right are closed-minded people that wouldn't vote for a Republican or a Democrat (respectively) if they were being waterboarded. Those people aren't fickle; their minds are made up and they are not to be swayed by any argument, however persuasive. It's the people in the middle who look at the candidates, listen to the arguments, and then vote for one or another, for whatever reason, whether it's because they are attracted to one or repelled by another. Those at the extremes call them fickle or wishy-washy, but they're the ones who run the country. It's probably a good thing.

What about my main man Gene Green? Gene Green(D) – 29th,Tx.

Every time that Gene Green(D) – 29th, Tx has to stand up in front of his working class hard-hat constituents and explain yet another job killing piece of democrat styled legislation, he looks as if he was just forced to swallow another lump of coal. If the Homies of his district were to snap alive, Gene Green(D) – 29th ,Tx will be packing some boxes in the early morning hours of November 3rd.

Gene Green(D) – 29th, Tx is into his 5th month of sounding Republican. Gotta keep those voters fooled just a little while longer, if you can. What a life. What a country this has become.

Why would anyone want to go back to the Republican's slash jobs, scorch budget policies of the past? Of course, we know why- people have short term memories. They forget how "bad" was bad. . .

Hey there, DaveB. I would be fine with people casting their vote based on the arguments made and what aligns with them. I think that I do that now.

There are, however, a few things that will never work for me. I will never hate my country and wish that it were France, the USSR, or someplace in Africa. I am not going to pretend that those are better places to want to be. I will never be a Marxist. I am not opposed to having to pay taxes, but 40% of my income is beginning to be too much.

Considering JUST these 3 issues, I don't see ever a way to be voting for democrats. There are surely worthless Republicans. I just find the democrat alternative to be consistently and considerably worse. Not even close. For me, this is not an exercise in thoughtlessness.

Rodney King,

All those months of Republican's "slashing job" (probably gov't jobs) and we had 42 months of full employment. Oh the humanity.

Tim, I think it's really the political middle that makes most of the decisions. On the left and the right are closed-minded people that wouldn't vote for a Republican or a Democrat (respectively) if they were being waterboarded. Those people aren't fickle; their minds are made up and they are not to be swayed by any argument, however persuasive. It's the people in the middle who look at the candidates, listen to the arguments, and then vote for one or another, for whatever reason, whether it's because they are attracted to one or repelled by another. Those at the extremes call them fickle or wishy-washy, but they're the ones who run the country. It's probably a good thing.

Posted by: DaveB | September 3, 2010 11:43 AM

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Dave B, you bring up some good points. About 25 to 35 percent of the voters decide the elections. Those people that make up that group, which I believe I am one of them, include Independents, Soft Democrats and Soft Republicans. Those people whom I described as soft supporters of one of the parties do no not vote straight party line tickets and will vote for the Individual over the Party Candidate. The hard core Party supporters on the Left with the Democrats and the Right with the Republicans will vote straight party line no matter who the candidate is. For example in 1980 and 1984 you had the so-called Reagan Democrats and Independents who provided the huge margins of the Reagan victories (the Democrats carried 6 states in 1980 & 1 state in 1984). In the most recent Obama victory the Independent vote plus some soft Republicans provided Obama with his fairly big victory margin. In addition to this many American voters have always voted their wallet. When times are bad enough of those voters will bring back the out of power party to give them a chance to turn things around. A couple of major things are working against the Democrats this year. First, the Democrats have won the last two elections in 2006 and 2008 and some of the people elected were in Republican leaning districts. Secondly, the Out of Power Party historically makes gains in an off year election, and Third the Democrats have been in complete power for two years and the economy and job market continues to get worse. Whether the Democrats are completely at fault for this does not matter because they are going to get blamed by the American public and will pay a big price in the November elections. A majority of the Independents along with many soft Democrats are going to vote Republican this year. And this will provide the Republicans with their victory margins in many swing districts. year. In 2006 the Democrats did this and this year it will be the Republicans turn.