GOP closes in on Heitkamp knockout -- and control of the Senate

[DonViejo]

The North Dakota Democrat is down in polls. And if she loses, Democrats can all but kiss their hopes of winning the Senate goodbye.

By BURGESS EVERETT 10/11/2018 05:08 AM EDT

Republicans say they’re on the cusp of delivering a knockout blow to North Dakota Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp — and virtually ending Democrats’ hopes of winning the Senate.

Heitkamp is down in public polls by a significant margin, and most political handicappers think Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) is the favorite to beat her. If she goes down, Democrats would basically have to run the table in every other battleground race to take the chamber.

Republicans have had Heitkamp losing by double digits in their private polling for weeks, according to a GOP strategist working on Senate races. Democrats argue the race is closer but acknowledge she is down even in their polling, after her vote against Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.

“At this point, it’s really ours to lose,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). “The race, probably to her detriment, has been nationalized around the Supreme Court and Trump.”

more
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/11/heidi-heitkamp-north-dakota-senate-2018-891461

[Hortensis]

1. They have a SCOTUS victory surge, but we have 3 weeks and Trump.

[samnsara]

2. donate!!

[Trueblue Texan]

7. Just donated!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

10. donate link

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/hh4nd

[Iliyah]

3. One of ND's main concern is Healthcare . . . .

In 2012 polls I guess either forgot or ignored the Native American Indians. This time around GOPers are making sure they can't vote. With the help of people who care that they do, I think they may be able to get their ID's with physical residence addresses (most only have Post Box addresses) in time for the mid-terms. That said, I wouldn't write her off.


In GA, they are holding approx. 53,000 voter registration applications, mostly from the Black communities.

See a pattern here.

[Funtatlaguy]

4. We can lose ND if we hold all others and flip AZ, NV, and TX or TN. Need to net 2 somehow.

[Iliyah]

5. Also, polls are not

factoring new voter registrations especially in Texas which I read is significant.

[2naSalit]

6. Another problem

for her is that the Native American population is hit with obstructions to voting from ID laws to long distances to polling places. They are a good portion of her base and the R regime there is working hard to suppress their vote.

Montana has been more progressive on that front but ND is one of the more racist states when it comes to Native Americans, still.

[Guilded Lilly]

8. The Republicans know exactly who and what they have to target to keep the Senate...

And they will relentlessly obstruct voting in those places. They are experts at blocking democracy.

[Garrett78]

9. We live in a country where many states can be won by people like Trump, Cramer and Blackburn.

And John McCain was considered a "moderate."

Madness. Absolute madness.

[The_Counsel]

11. That Race Has NOT Been "Nationalized Around the Supreme Court."

The article says GOP pollsters had Heitkamp losing by double-digits "for weeks."

The Kavanaugh debacle has nothing to do with it. The reason why she's down is because she's a Democrat running in NORTH DAKOTA! Duh!

The only reason she has the seat in the first place is because she rode Obama's coattails in 2012. Yes, Obama lost the state, but not nearly as badly as Hillary did in 2016.

The only people surprised by this are the same people who are surprised when a Republican gets beat up in a Senate race in California. Which is to say: "Really? You're actually surprised by this...??"

[Thekaspervote]

12. Sadly in all reality, the senate has never really been in play. 538 poll Dems 2 in 9 changes

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. A good night would be Ds capturing the House and maintaining the status quo in the Senate.