NRSC Head: Losing Three Senate Seats Would Be "Terrific"
The Republican Senator in charge of the party's coordinated effort this Fall has clarified exactly what their goal is: It would be a "terrific night" to lose three seats.
"I think it would be a great night, especially, [to lose] three seats -- that would be a terrific night for us, absolutely," NRSC chairman John Ensign told a lunch hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. "I don't want to slip below the four-seat loss -- that's kind of where we set our absolute worst goal, is to be down to 45 seats."
Ensign took some heat a few days ago when he set the GOP's goal at only losing eight seats or less -- which would put Dems ahead in the Senate 59-41 as a worst case scenario for the GOP.
So Ensign has now gone from a worst-case goal of 59-41 to 55-45. Does this mean things are improving?
Under either scenario, auf wiedersehen Sen Lieberman.
June 12, 2008 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, which 3 seats is he writing off? He should let those Senators know, so they can start packing their stuff up now.
June 12, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, John Warner is already packing, and I doubt VA GOP candidate Jim Gilmore is going to be making any non-refundable deposits with a moving company... ;-)
June 12, 2008 5:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Election Projection has them losing six Senate seats right now - Warner in Virginia, Sununu in New Hampshire, the open seats Colorado and New Mexico, and two semi-surprises, McConnell in Kentucky and Wicker in Mississippi!!
June 12, 2008 9:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, it means when you talk about losing eight seats, what donors in their right mind are going to give you money?
June 12, 2008 5:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think his wording lets the truth slip. 55-45 can't very well be both the "absolute worst" and "Terrific." That suggests these bracket the range of expected outcomes, rather than expressing true (delusional) happy-talk about the worst case.
June 12, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Right. Maybe the idea is that 41 is what they're considering success, but 45 would be better than their goal, "terrific".
June 12, 2008 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
O yeah, things are really looking up for the Repukes.
LOLOLOLOL!!!!!
Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of perverts, crooks, wack jobs and fascists.
:)
June 12, 2008 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, Ensign has always maintained that the best Republicans will do is lose four Senate seats. Ensign has never said that the best Senate Republicans can do is lose eight seats; he said that was his goal -- not best case scenario. Still, a setting a four Senate seat loss as defeating expectations amounts to the "soft bigotry of low expectations."
June 12, 2008 7:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sadly he'll be around, just not in a majority committee asignment of note...
June 12, 2008 7:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Any news of the Republicans holding or gaining any seat in the Senate match-ups this year is bad news. While I recognize that the chance that the Democrats will gain a shut out in the Senate is improbable, it remains a fervent hope and desire of mine.
It would be sad if the Republicans retained any hope of continued survival . . .
June 12, 2008 8:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is GREAT NEWS for:
June 12, 2008 9:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did anyone else just hear Pat Buchanan refer to Barack Obama as "exotic" on Abrams' show?!?
I'm frickin' seething!
June 12, 2008 9:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
He meant erotic...what a jerk.
June 12, 2008 9:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Buchanan is not worth your anger.
June 12, 2008 10:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
I will be satisfied with 67.
June 12, 2008 9:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Dems will take a minimum of 5 from the GOP. It could be as many as 11. If we get all 11....Hello super majority, f**k you Joe Leiberman.
easy wins:
Mark Begich in AK (ted stevens r.i.p)
Mark Udall in CO (wayne allard - smart to retire)
Tom Udall in NM (domenici - out to pasture)
Jeanne Shaheen sends Sununu home-home in NH
Mark Warner takes the seat of retiring John Warner
within reach now:
Bruce Lunsford dumps Mitch McConnell in KY
Ronnie Musgrove beats Roger Wicker in MS (spec election)
longer shots, but still possible:
Al Franken in MN
Kay Hagan in NC
Andrew Rice upsets complete douche Inhofe in OK
Jeff Merkley beats psuedo-moderate G Smith in OR
In 2006, Dems won 24 races, GOP won 9. I would expect more of the same in 08.
June 12, 2008 10:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd add to the within reach:
Maine, Collins isn't polling that well and Allen is very popular. Good shot.
Texas, Cornyn is a putz and Noriega is polling really well. Add in a huge hispanic turnout and bye, bye Cornyn. Texas might even go blue in this election with obama. Wouldn't that be a hoot.
Just a little cushion. 60 without traitor joe is totally doable.
June 13, 2008 8:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Texas might even go blue in this election with obama..
No way in hell Obama wins Texas.
He'd win McCain's home state before he won Texas.
June 13, 2008 12:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bet you a lunch. It's totally not out of reach. Game on? It would truly be poetic justice if texas went blue after the tragedy of the last 7 years. Toooo Funny, and worth a lunch.
June 13, 2008 8:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Republicans don't want to admit it and the Democrats don't want to appear too confident, but come 2009 the Democrats are going to have a president in the White House and a filabuster-proof Senate. Imagine all the possibilities.
June 12, 2008 10:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Talk about your "soft bigotry of low expectations"
June 12, 2008 11:27 PM | Reply | Permalink