By GottaLaff
Absolutely horrific days on Wall Street (-678.91 at 8579.19 today) are having a cumulative affect on the elections: As the talking heads on MSNBC just said, the economy trumps race. Let's hope that's the silver lining:
As grim as things look at the moment for John McCain's chances at the White House, the horizon is even darker for House and Senate Republicans trying desperately to avoid huge losses across the country this fall.
As we noted in a story for the Post over the weekend, Republican strategists closely following the battle for Congress are bracing for major losses -- the result of a severely damaged Republican brand combined with the late-breaking economic crisis that has redounded to their party's considerable detriment. (Make sure to read Peter Baker's excellent piece in the New York Times magazine about retiring Virginia Republican Rep. Tom Davis's frank assessment of the miserable state of the GOP.)
And now comes a column from Stu Rothenberg [...] which [...] declares that the GOP stands on the precipice of an electoral "bloodbath."
Writes Rothenberg:
"While Democratic gains both in the House and Senate could still grow or shrink, for Republicans, the end of this movie won't be pretty, no matter the ultimate number.
We could see a new modern floor for House Republicans made in November, and it's likely to be in the 170s, if not the upper 160s. Given the realignment of the Reagan years and the GOP's advantages coming from the last redistricting, this is an incredibly low level."
[H]e says that 60 seats are now within reach while projecting gains of between 20 and 30 seats in the House. [...]
And, remember: While McCain still has the power to change his situation -- as a presidential nominee he can directly affect the news on any one day between now and Nov. 4 -- House and Senate candidates have little ability to fundamentally alter the national narrative. That's bad news for anyone running downballot with an "R" after his or her name.
And he adds this:
In the latest updates, Charlie Cook now says Democrats are positioned to win between six and eight Senate seats and 15 to 25 House seats. "At this stage, the most relevant question would seem to be: 'How big will the train wreck be for the Republican Party up and down the ballot in November,'" writes Charlie.I find it interesting that our trolls have nearly disappeared since the latest poll numbers have been reported. Coincidence?
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