PA-Sen:  If I recall correctly, weren't Specter's approval numbers in the tank?  And wouldn't Specter be just another aging long-term incumbent ripe for picking?  The reasons Sestak isn't gaining traction is he's waited too long to get in to the GE campaign, Afghanistan, and the collapse of Obama and the Dems in Pennsylvania.

Agree on Kentucky--why was Conway running an off-message law enforcement ad?  Overall, I think this is the weakest group of Democratic Senate candidates in years.

So you have the GOP picking up 8 seats--I say nine (Manchin will lose in WV).

The reality that will sink in as Floridians vote is that one Democrat, Kendrick Meek (not Meeks), is running against two Republicans, Rubio and Crist. And it's the Republicans who have put the state in poor financial condition through their thorough domination of the state legislature. Rubio is a former speaker of the state House and Crist is governor with a long record as a Republican who should be seen as a failure in his own (former) party. A strong campaign by Meek should be able to make this clear.

I disagree with PA, WA, and IL those are blue collar dems in very blue states unlike the others in moderately redish states like OH, MO and NH.  I wouldn' say we lose 9 seats we lost at least 6 seats and wih 4 a real possible.  The House is another matter where it is truley decided by the economy. I hope the picture for the Dems turns or it seems we won't have a pretty 2012 either

And besides, I'm off building technology for a dozen statewide campaigns in Brazil…

Jerome, it would be interesting to hear more about politics in Brazil, if you have time to write a post. With presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff backed by the Workers' Party (and poised to win, after struggling early in the campaign); and José Serra backed by the Brazilian Social Democratic Party, Democrats, and Socialist People's Party (an odd mix of right and left?); politics in Brazil seems to be a lot more fluid than the U.S. two-party system.

Hey Jerome, did yiou hear the President's speech today in Milwaukee?

This being an ahem, liberal web site, you might want to comment on that.

No, the Democrats aren't going to all of a sudden be in a position to sweep to super-majority control of Congress amd they will still hit a speed bump, but his speech may make diaries like this seem a little Sept. 5, don't you think?

Just some food for thought. You, Charles LEmons, Nate silver, desmoinesdem, jepordy and of course Kent, may all return to your gloom and doom circle jerk now.

Try sticking to substance.

If the great Milwaukee address contained anything really noteworthy, I'm sure the diarists here would cover it.

 

I'd love to see Elaine Marshall pull out a victory, but I don't know if that's gonna happen.  Who will you be donating time and money toward this cycle?

Is the money and time we have to donate better spent on the House or the Senate?  What does everyone here think?

and Reid Wilson pointed out this morning, "Sen. Chuck Schumer has more than $23m in the bank right now. Top GOP rival has $60k. Bet the DSCC would love some of that cash."

Obama is great at running for President but he is terrible in supporting Democrat candidates for the Congress that he needs and will need.

How much money did Obama come away with from running his presidential campaign -- I have heard he had about $210 million left in 2008.

He hardly ever stumps for Democrats who need his money and his help. He has played nice with the GOP in Congress for so long that Democrat candidates now don't even expect him to come to help them and some don't even want him.

This is not new. Remember the 2 big senate seats up for grabs after the Nov. 2008 election--The race in Georgia where with heavy black voter turnout Democrat Martin could have probably beat the Republican incumbent Saxbe Chambliss. The other race was the Minnesota seat eventually won by Al Franken. Had Obama joined the fight for these 2 seats in 2008 runoffs, he might have been assured of a safer Senate.

Then when Ted Kennedy died and left open one of the safest seats in Congress, where was Obama. Okay, he ran off the Boston to give some support to the Democrat but it was TOO LITTLE AND TOO LATE--it was the weekend just before the election. What a pile of crap. How can he expect to get anymore legislation passed. Is he so blind that he doesn't look back at what happened in 1994 to Clinton.  The GOP's drive is now to win Congress and then really go after Obama the way they did after Clinton. They will harass him constantly and he will find that any plans he has for any more success are totally gone. 

If we lose the house or senate is will prove a very shocking thing.

 

The bad will the GOP built up over 8 years of one of the worst presidents in history has been negated by 2 years of a merely sub par president.

 

How do you do that?

 

How has Obama dug such a massive hole where there should have been a mountain?