Democrats Fear New York, Nevada Losses Updated: September 12, 2011 | 1:52 p.m. September 11, 2011 | 12:10 p.m. Democrats are facing the very real possibility that a pair of special elections on Tuesday will shake the foundations of the 2012 political landscape. The party is at serious risk of losing a House race in New York City that few thought would be close, and campaign officials are already close to writing off a Nevada House race they had once hoped to contest. If Republicans win both contests, it would raise fresh concerns about President Obama’s drag on down-ballot Democrats and the party’s ability to keep its Senate majority. The losses would also raise questions about whether the party can gain the 24 seats it needs to regain the House. In the last week, the race for former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s seat has given Democrats the biggest headache. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee late last week poured in $500,000 in a last-gasp attempt to hang onto a seat that has been in Democratic hands for decades. Before Weiner represented the Queens- and Brooklyn-based district, it was the home turf of now-Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Democrats chose New York Assemblyman David Weprin as their nominee, and, for much of the campaign, spent little time on the race. They believed it would remain firmly in Democratic hands and that Weprin would be a placeholder for a seat likely to be eliminated in redistricting anyway. “The Democrats will look like dummies and the DCCC will get a black eye” if Weprin loses, said New York Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf. “It’s a precursor to more trouble in conservative Democratic districts throughout the country, and in the Senate and for the president.” The Republican nominee, businessman Bob Turner, also has taken advantage of several district-specific issues, according to Democratic operatives familiar with the race. He cast the contest as a referendum on Obama’s Israel policies, and scored a significant endorsement from former New York City Mayor Ed Koch. Koch’s backing has been a major factor among the district’s sizable Jewish population, nearly half of whom said in a recently released Siena poll that they were endorsing Turner. This support comes despite the fact that Weprin is an Orthodox Jew who has touted his pro-Israel bona fides on the trail. Even Weprin has sought to distance himself from Obama, telling the Jewish Weekly that he would “probably” back him for reelection. Discontent with Washington and the president is at the heart of Turner’s shocking upset bid. In a district he won by 11 points just three years ago, Obama’s favorability rating is now upside down in the Siena poll, with 54 percent having an unfavorable opinion of Obama and only 43 percent viewing him favorably. A remarkable 38 percent of Democrats and 68 percent of independents hold an unfavorable view of the president. Republicans are eager to link Obama to the district race. “It really will be a referendum on President Obama’s performance,” said New York GOP Chairman Edward Cox. “This will be a rejection of his policies that have stifled the district. Maybe [Democrats] can save this situation by funneling in hundreds of thousands of money in vicious ads—maybe that will work in this Democratic district. But they are already embarrassed by the fact that they’ve had to do this in this district.” In the Silver State, the situation isn’t as ominous, but Democrats have all but written off contesting a Republican-leaning seat in rural Nevada that once seemed squarely in play weeks ago. The Democratic nominee is state Treasurer Kate Marshall, and Democrats had touted her as a leading recruit. She got off to a fast fundraising start, and hammered the Republican nominee, Mark Amodei, for supporting entitlement cuts. Republicans anticipated this contest being tight, and the National Republican Congressional Committee and the outside group American Crossroads spent significant sums of money to bolster Amodei early. Amodei also was ready to play defense, using an ad with his mother to deflect the Medicare attacks against him. He noted that Marshall supported Obama’s health care overhaul law, which contained Medicare cuts as well. The National Republican Congressional Committee also pumped in more than $600,000 to pummel Marshall with that line of attack, but the DCCC never came to her rescue. Early voting in the district, along with few national Democratic reinforcements for Marshall, strongly suggests that Amodei is going to win comfortably. The race’s results also have worrisome implications for Democrats in the state’s closely watched Senate race between Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley and Republican Sen. Dean Heller—close to a must-win race if Democrats entertain hopes of keeping their four-seat Senate majority. http://www.nationaljournal.com/daily/democrats-fear-new-york-nevada-losses-20110911 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This special election for Weiner's seat is tomorrow. This is an important race for dems. So, watch this race and the one in Nevada.
The Obama name carries a lot of ''STANK'' to it...LOL Just the fact these are close is amazing, it will be interesting to see the weight the independence carry...The Jewish population is starting to read Obama, and that's a very good thing...
The fact that the Republican in New York is leading by 6 points, in Chuck Schumer's old district, is already a death sentence for Obama's chance at reelection. If a Republican is even close to winning a seat in that liberal of an area (3 or 4 liberals to every one conservative), then he's in big, big trouble.
I remember FEARING Palin, Trump, and Bachmann too, and I'm really fearing Perry, now that he's about to hip shoot his lip right off his face. cons fear the long trail of crap they've lead this country on is finally being recognized by all but the hardest core base kooks. You guys better spring your final, last, and best candidate at the last second as folks are about to vote if you expect even the slightest chance of winning anything.
As the 2010 mid term elections demonstrated, the majority of America wants your group out on their asses. Obama's poll numbers show the same. The newest stimulus bill (aka "jobs plan") is Obama's hail Mary. When it fails (not if...when) he's out of luck. So is the Democratic party. Repubs will get the Senate, the White House, and keep the House. Then you can say buh-bye to your Marxist plans for the future!
Here's hoping you wiped off those fingers befor sticking them in your ears... You speak not for any majority, and there is no majority that comes close to your silly spew. Obama's personal rating is around 75%, that say's the majority of the country knows well that the BS we're stuck in is mostly con made, especially now that they've overplayed their hand by causing the now stalled economic recovery and now own the economic crisis for their non-stop obstruction and partisan crap. Not like I say bye bye to you.
LOL! 75%! I don't know what liberal cave you've been squatting in, but the President's Gallup approval poll rating is 42%, the lowest of his Presidency. The lowest W Bush's approval rating went during his first term was 46%. In fact, Obama's approval rating was NEVER 75%. The highest his rating ever went was 69%. Look at the site. I'd be curious to read whatever worthless liberal rag you currently subscribe to that is telling you that he currently has 75% though. Thanks for the laugh. If Obama had 75%, the Democrats wouldn't have gotten slaughtered in a historical way back in 2010. Once again, we have the left's wishful thinking versus reality. Reality will win every time.
Obama's latest scheme is another tax bill disguised as something else. I'm not fooled. Neither are MILLIONS of people.
Aw, who needs to change the channel from FOX occassionally? I said his PERSONAL rating, the one that gauges whether people 'like' him as a person. I too have very unfavorable opinions of him as prez, but will vote for him over all/any cons into infinity. Lot's of pollers are like this, not all are illegit haters against Obama, so put the pollube away.
So here are some facts. New York is not even battlegrounds if Rick Perry gets nominated. You would have had a chance with Romney but Perry is darth vader type of Republcan who probably, like bush jr, will be another southern republican liberal spender. I'm afraid to say once the undecideds actually decide you lose in New York as is te case majority (almost all) the time. You would have to be a dumb ass to even spend money in New York especially with that field of nobody candidates with (*)(*)(*)(*)ty flip flop politics and another Evangelical Extremist, Rick Perry. Once the nation knows him you guys lose by fifteen points. And the youtube videos that people will find and have found as well as articles about the man SCARE tHE S H I T out of normal people. Just jump out of your skin and think like a fence sitter for once. Obama hasnt done a good job will be the response according to job approval ratings but the underlying truth is that George Bush JR royally effed the housing regulations, bank regulations, and natural inalienable rights we had before the patriot act. Fifteen points.
Do you think anyone cares if YOU call them "haters" for objecting to Mr. Obama's term as POTUS? It's just more politically correct speech which is the true hate speech in America. Now run along before someone drops a house on you.
Nope, and I won't for his entire 2nd term either. ooo, I can feel the illegit hate building even from here!
If the track of the economy keeps going the way it is now, Republicans will take more seats in the House and rip a 60 in the Senate. If Bachmann is the candidate it will usher in a complete wave of slash and burn on the socialist agenda. If it's Perry (which I don't believe for a minute) it will be sidetracked. Herman Cain means well but I wonder if he's grounded enough. Santorum would be good. I can't stand Romney or Gingrich. Perry will be shown to be a fraud conservative. Bachmann took out Pawlenty with a well placed jab. Now I think she senses a vulnerable Perry. I hope so. I don't trust that guy. I just get this real shaky vibe from him.
Nevada never realy lost, FYI Nevada is full on Rebulical State, that caters to conservative Public School Union. But either way you try to spin it Nevada is Conservative, they don't call it the Mississippi of the West for nothing.
You won't need to, I'll be saying it plenty, especially after election day. But then, it'll be quiet as a con graveyard here.
Take the tinfoil off and sit down for a minute. We Republicans know how to properly vett a candidate. You couldn't pick one if they handed you a book and gave you a degree. Obama will lose worse than Mike Dukakis. Where did you clowns do any research on Obama? We sure as hell are doing our due dilligence on these people running for the Republican nomination. Democrats would vote for a blue stick if the TV told you to.
I'd suggest cons go strong for the blue stick instead of wasting such heavy due dilligence on the likes of super wow factors like Palin, Trump, Bachmann, and Perry. Be the party of the blue stick instead of the party of we hope you die!, you'll have a little better chance in the future.
I can't wait to see you eat those words. See ya then !! You're worried. You have to be.................
And I'll do it for all to see, should this country choose to shoot itself in the head again with a con cannon. Yes, I'm worried to death for this country that cons are killing. But that's another of the many differences between good and bad, we can handle anything, cons freak, run, and hide until they can circle the wagons again and continue lying, denying, and screwing things up.
