LOSING HOPE...

[Cliffenstein]

President Obama's faithful losing hope as the magic fades
Margery Eagan / Boston Herald / October 17, 2010

This president gives rousing speeches. He did it again yesterday. He bounded out onto the Hynes Convention Center stage, all youth and vigor, open-necked white shirt, navy blazer.

But he didn't sell me, or reassure me.

And he obviously knows he's having trouble connecting — even with true believers. He talked about this yesterday: the "fun" and "feeling good" and overwhelming optimism of Inauguration Day vs. the undercurrent of skepticism now.

Remember? Obama was JFK, RFK and MLK rolled into one. He was a once-in-a-generation superstar. The savior had been born.

What happened?

"I know that hope may have faded as we grind it out. I know it's hard to keep faith," he said yesterday, "with another foreclosure sign hung on the house down the street, and you watch TV and all you see are politicians tearing each other down."

"They figured they could ride people's frustration and anger all the way to the ballot box," he said.

Alas for Obama, it looks like Republicans figured right. Here's one emotion loose upon the land that Obama neglected to mention: fear.

Barack Obama offered up this metaphor yesterday: America's a car that Republicans drove into a ditch.

Then along came Obama and the Democrats. "We put our boots on and went down into the ditch, and we started pushing that car out," the president told the cheering crowd. "It was hot down there and muddy, but we kept on pushing. And every once in a while we looked up and the Republicans are standing up there tanning themselves, sipping Slurpees, and we say, 'Hey, are you gonna help?'"

But the Republicans told us, said Obama, "You're not pushing the right way."

You're not pushing the right way.

I don't think the president meant to undermine anybody's confidence with his wrong-way-out-of-the-ditch story yesterday. But that's the nagging question — isn't it? Even among the once-Obamified, like me? We're afraid he's not really getting us out of our ditch. And the ditch is getting deeper. And it's very scary stuff.

Yesterday was Day 2 of Barack Obama's pre-election, pump-up-nervous-Democrats tour. It was as much about convincing us that we're, in fact, on the right road. Obama reminded us: He passed health care and Wall Street reform. The stimulus, supposedly, saved us from a depression.

But you know what? I read newspapers and watch the news for a living. Yet even I can't figure out if health care or Wall Street reform are really good for us or not.

I want Barack Obama to give me something concrete to hang onto so I can hang in myself. I am trying, Mr. President. But you don't make it easy.

So now we're back to the car in the ditch. Obama said yesterday that even though the GOP didn't lift a finger, he and the Democrats kept pushing, and "finally we got this car on level ground. It's a little banged up," he said, "It needs some body work, a tune-up." But at least it's finally out of the ditch. And now, Obama said, the GOP says, "Excuse me, can we have the keys back?"

We're not supposed to give the keys back, see. That's Obama's message this election season. We're supposed to "keep moving forward between our doubts and our hopes...to push forward even when success is uncertain."

OK, I get it. There are no guarantees. But I, for one, would feel much better with some kind of evidence that Obama's GPS works.

[SmokingGun]

The currency war with China will escalate. I hope Obama stays strong, that country is sinking us. Not much hope if he tries to appease everyone all the time, which is one of my pet peeves about him.

[Cliffenstein]

Republicans put 99 Democrat-held House seats in danger
Alex Isenstadt / Politico / October 19, 2010


(Bobby Bright, Alan Grayson, Betsy Markey and Frank Kratovil, Jr. are among the vulnerable.)

With two weeks remaining until Election Day, the political map has expanded to put Democrats on the run across the country – with 99 Democratic-held House seats now in play, according to a Politico analysis, and Republicans well in reach of retaking the House.

It's a dramatic departure from the outlook one year ago – and a broader landscape than even just prior to the summer congressional recess. As recently as early September, many Republicans were hesitant to talk about winning a majority for fear of overreaching.

Today, however, the non-partisan Cook Political Report predicts a GOP net gain of at least 40 House seats, with 90 Democratic seats in total rated as competitive or likely Republican.

"When Chairman Sessions and Leader Boehner said that 100 House seats were in play, Democrats scoffed," said Ken Spain, the National Republican Congressional Committee's communications director. "Today, they aren't laughing anymore."

The number of Democrats in danger is more than double the 39 seats Republicans need to seize control of the House. It reflects an elastic electoral environment that favors the GOP by every measure: money, momentum and mood of the country — in this case, sour on Democratic incumbents.

For Democrats, a deteriorating political environment – unemployment high, President Barack Obama’s approval ratings low — has been exacerbated by the presence of cash-flush, independent conservative groups that have poured huge sums of money into races.

The groups, including American Crossroads, have combined with the National Republican Congressional Committee to stretch the boundaries of the 2010 map into races where there’s even a scent of Democratic vulnerability.

"This year is shaping up to be something of a repeat of the 52-seat House and eight-seat Senate rout of Democrats in 1994," handicapper Charlie Cook wrote last week. "Sure, the circumstances and dynamics are different from then, but the outcome seems to be shaping up along the same lines."

At one time, there was serious doubt the GOP would have the financial resources to compete effectively for the House majority. The thinking was that scores of potential opportunities could go unexplored due to the cash disparity between the NRCC and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

While the NRCC still trails in cash on hand, its fundraising has picked up—the September total was the committee's largest one-month take since 2006—and independent groups have helped fill the void. And with anti-incumbent, anti-Obama and anti-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sentiment running so high in many districts, even a relative pittance has been enough to push a few Democrats onto thin ice.

The assessment by Politico is based on a review of TV media-buy information from those independent groups and the party committees in more than 80 districts; internal and public polling in individual races; Federal Election Commission fundraising data for incumbents and challengers; and reporting on the districts.

While the level of competitiveness among the 99 seats varies widely, they share a common denominator: all of them show some serious sign of vulnerability to takeover by the GOP. Factors included a Democratic incumbent's unpopular legislative votes, the quality of opposition, the partisan breakdown of the districts or the huge sums of money dedicated to Democratic defeat—or some combination of all those factors—to place them "in play" ahead of Nov. 2.

The subjectivity of those factors have led to varying interpretations of just how many seats are actually at risk for Democrats. The Rothenberg Report, another political handicapper, lists 91 Democratic-held seats as in play, and predicts the "extremely large field of competitive races" will produce a "likely Republican gain of 40-50 seats, with 60 seats possible."

Politico's list of 99 seats—some of which have only recently emerged—places GOP pickup opportunities across the political map, stretching from regions of Republican strength such as the South to Democratic states such as California, where three incumbent Democrats face competitive challengers.

In deep-blue New York, Republicans have a shot at as many as nine Democrats. "It's thermonuclear," said two-term Rep. Michael Arcuri, in describing the campaign against him to the New York Times.

The list doesn't include several Republican-oriented seats that Democrats have all but ceded to Republicans, including districts in southeastern Louisiana, Upstate New York and Middle Tennessee.

Some Democrats are clearly facing more difficult challenges than others. The DCCC, which is charged with protecting the party's 39-seat majority, has already pulled TV ad reservations in at least six contests — a sign that Democratic hopes of retaining those seats are diminishing.

There are dramatic differences in the competitiveness of races even within states. In California, Reps. Jim Costa and Loretta Sanchez appear to have easier paths to reelection than fellow Democratic Rep. Jerry McNerney. In New York, Upstate Rep. Bill Owens has a higher degree of reelection difficulty than Long Island-based Rep. Carolyn McCarthy. In Texas, Rep. Solomon Ortiz—who typically wins by wide margins--is far likelier to win than Rep. Chet Edwards, who is regularly faces stiff opposition in his solidly Republican district.

What does an endangered Democrat look like? Take your pick.

Freshman Democrats make up a large share — more than a quarter — of those facing competitive races. Of the 38 Democrats serving their first full terms in the House, Politico rates 29 as at-risk. Some — such as Reps. Bobby Bright of Alabama, Betsy Markey of Colorado, Alan Grayson of Florida and Frank Kratovil Jr. of Maryland — hail from GOP-friendly districts, where they have been in the cross hairs almost since the moment they were elected.

But legislative vets are under fire too. Nine-term New York Rep. Maurice Hinchey and four-term Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva until recently were considered near-locks to win, before their campaigns hit unexpected turbulence. Hinchey attracted unflattering attention this weekend after a videotaped confrontation with a reporter at the same time American Crossroads and other GOP groups are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into ads in his district.

Grijalva, who called for an economic boycott of his own state amid a housing crisis and record unemployment, has also been hit by outside spending right after an automated poll unexpectedly showed him in a dead heat with his GOP opponent.

The list also includes a handful of veteran Democrats who typically enjoy the benefits of seniority on Capitol Hill and cruise to reelection but this year find themselves locked in competitive races. Among those Democrats are Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton of Missouri and Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt of South Carolina.

Getting outhustled in fundraising is another way for candidates to find themselves on the bubble.

In a sign of GOP momentum — and of the breadth of the competitive landscape — at least 40 Democratic incumbents were outraised by their GOP challengers in the most recent quarter, according to FEC data. Reps. Ron Klein of Florida and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota, both stellar fundraisers, were among those outraised in the latest reporting period.

Not all Democratic districts in play are held by incumbents: The party is trying to retain open seats in states including Pennsylvania, Indiana and Washington.

If there is a particular trouble spot for Democrats, it is the Midwest, where 31 seats are at risk. Democrats are trying to defend incumbents including Reps. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin, Bill Foster of Illinois and Leonard Boswell of Iowa, as well as several open seats.

In the South, where many Democrats occupy conservative-oriented districts, Republicans are making a play for 24 seats.

Politico's tally does not include a handful of seats in which Democrats are waging competitive campaigns to capture GOP-held seats. Democrats increasingly appear poised to win Delaware's open at-large seat and Republican Rep. Joseph Cao's New Orleans-based 2nd District, and are running aggressively against Republican Reps. Dan Lungren of California and Dave Reichert of Washington, and in south Florida's open 25th District, held by Mario Diaz-Balart.

In the homestretch, the DCCC will have a $60 million program, including at least $40 million of independent-expenditure television ads planned, as well as a $20 million voter contact program.

"The more voters have gotten to know House Republicans' fatally flawed candidates, including those with ties to organized crime, a Nazi enthusiast, and another being sued for attempted rape and sexual assault, the less there is to like," said Ryan Rudominer, a DCCC spokesman. "So for all the Republicans' popping the champagne and the countless millions spent in secret funds from shady right wing groups, they haven't been able to close the deal in their targeted races, and that's why Democrats will win."

[MitziDupree]

This is a sad thread.

Did you lose hope, Cliffy?

Are you living in your in-laws basement?

[Cliffenstein]

This is a sad thread.

Did you lose hope, Cliffy?

Are you living in your in-laws basement?

I have great hopes of watching the Democrats being voted out of power.

My wife and I live in a 1080 sq ft apartment in La Porte, Texas.

We're hoping to move into a house in about a year.

Our first child (it's a boy!) is due in mid-January and seeing so much of the country desire to return to our founding principles gives me hope that this will be a decent place for him to grow up in.

[MurrayFiend]

The United States of America (Steinhaus Remaster)!

Congrats on the kid, BTW.

[MitziDupree]

Well, I can certainly see why you are bitter, Cliffy. Failure is a heavy yoke to wear.

I'm glad you told me it was a 1080 sf apartment. Because if you'd just said 1000 sf, I wouldn't have been impressed. Apartments are cool for dudes in their 40's. They have, like, pools and stuff! Hey - maybe you can book a gig for your band in the clubhouse or something.

Kudos on knocking up the teenager. Yay your sperm!

BTW, her parents hate you.

[Cliffenstein]

Well, I can certainly see why you are bitter, Cliffy. Failure is a heavy yoke to wear.

I'm glad you told me it was a 1080 sf apartment. Because if you'd just said 1000 sf, I wouldn't have been impressed. Apartments are cool for dudes in their 40's. They have, like, pools and stuff! Hey - maybe you can book a gig for your band in the clubhouse or something.

Kudos on knocking up the teenager. Yay your sperm!

BTW, her parents hate you.

1. Bitter? I think the word you're looking for is blessed.

2. Living in an apartment is never impressive. But we're new to the area...it was the best we could do for now.

3. I officially ended my band this past summer. Not too interested in focusing on a band when I've got a soon to be born son to focus on.

4. My wife is 24 years old. I'm 40. We will be 25 and 41 respectively later this year.

5. Her parents love me.

6. Things at BCO a bit slow these days? You figured you'd follow me on over here?

[Cliffenstein]

The United States of America (Steinhaus Remaster)!

Congrats on the kid, BTW.

You better believe it! haha.

(and thank you!)

[Pill]

Our first child (it's a boy!) is due in mid-January and seeing so much of the country desire to return to our founding principles gives me hope that this will be a decent place for him to grow up in.

That kid is fucked either way with having a cradle robber for a dad.

[yeahbuddy]

Grayson is the biggest doucheback, hack, dickhead politician to walk the earth.

[Cliffenstein]

That kid is f*cked either way with having a cradle robber for a dad.

[Skate4RnR]

4. My wife is 24 years old. I'm 40. We will be 25 and 41 respectively later this year.

Being a virgin was overrated huh?

You must be dumber than goddamn cow shit if you have "deep" and "intelligent" conversations with a bitch so young.

Fucking around aside, congrats on your child, best wishes my friend.

[Pill]

That kid is f*cked either way with having a cradle robber for a dad.

I don't appreciate you censoring me. It's obvious you are a socialist liberal who hates freedom of speech and live babies. May you get raped while your wife/girlfriend/second cousin/whatever fucks your drummer.