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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe tea party is helping Democrats
The tea party is helping Democrats
By Dana Milbank, Published: October 19
There are those who say that the tea party is fading in influence, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the movement is on the cusp of achieving what once seemed nearly impossible: keeping the Senate Democratic.
A year ago, famed political handicapper Charlie Cook gave Republicans a 60 percent to 70 percent likelihood of capturing control of the Senate; now, he tells me the likelihood of it remaining Democratic is 60 percent.
The switch in fortunes can be attributed to many causes a slate of lackluster Republican candidates high among them but one thing is beyond serious dispute: If not for a series of tea party upsets in Republican primaries, the Republicans would be taking over the Senate majority in January.
In the 2010 cycle, tea party candidates caused the Republicans to lose three Senate seats easily within their grasp: Sharron Angle allowed Democratic leader Harry Reid to keep his seat in Nevada, Christine ODonnell handed Joe Bidens former seat right back to the Democrats in Delaware, and a tea party favorite in Colorado, Ken Buck, lost a seat that was his to lose.
Now, tea party picks are in jeopardy of losing two more races that heavily favored Republicans: Richard Mourdock, who beat longtime Sen. Richard Lugar in the Indiana Republican primary, is struggling against Democrat Joe Donnelly; and Todd Akin, who bested the Republican establishments favorite in the Missouri Senate primary, is expected to lose to the onetime underdog, Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, because of Akins infamous comments on legitimate rape.
Democrats and affiliated independents now have 53 seats to the Republicans 47. The way things look now, they seem likely to end up with 51 or 52 after the election; if President Obama is reelected, they would keep control of the chamber with 50 seats because Vice President Biden would have the tiebreaker vote. This would mean that the seats the tea party cost the Republicans between three and five, depending on the outcomes in Indiana and Missouri will have kept the Democrats in charge.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-the-tea-party-is-helping-democrats/2012/10/19/815e07e0-1a08-11e2-aa6f-3b636fecb829_story.html
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The tea party is helping Democrats (Original Post)
babylonsister
Oct 2012
OP
Charlie Cook, seems to be objective and reliable, sometimes painfully so. I am glad it isn't this
still_one
Oct 2012
#1
The article doesn't take into account a potential democratic pickup in Massachusetts, and
bluestate10
Oct 2012
#4
still_one
(92,219 posts)1. Charlie Cook, seems to be objective and reliable, sometimes painfully so. I am glad it isn't this
time
MrYikes
(720 posts)2. I have very high hopes
that Indiana will give Lugar's senate seat to a Democrat.
highplainsdem
(49,004 posts)3. K&R
bluestate10
(10,942 posts)4. The article doesn't take into account a potential democratic pickup in Massachusetts, and
a republican to democrat leaning Independent change in Maine. The only seat where a democrat is behind is in Nebraska and Kerry has narrowed the margin to 5 points in that race.