Dem's think they will lose house - 08/26/10
I can't wait 'till election night to watch Pelosi balling through her botox.
Democrats privately fear House prospects worsening
Top Democrats are growing markedly more pessimistic about holding the House, privately conceding the summertime economic and political recovery they were banking on will not likely materialize by Election Day.
In conversations with more than two dozen party insiders, most of whom requested anonymity to speak candidly about the state of play, Democrats in and out of Washington say they are increasingly alarmed about the economic and polling data they have seen in recent weeks.
They no longer believe the jobs and housing markets will recover � or that anything resembling the White House�s promise of a �recovery summer� is under way. They are even more concerned by indications that House Democrats once considered safe � such as Rep. Betty Sutton, who occupies an Ohio seat President Barack Obama won with 57 percent of the vote in 2008 � are now in real trouble.
In two close races, endangered Democrats are even running ads touting how they oppose their leadership.
�Democrats kept thinking: �We�re going to get better. We�re going to get well before the election,�� said one of Washington�s best-connected Democrats. �But as of this week, you now have people saying that Republicans are going to win the House. And now it�s starting to look like the Senate is going to be a lot closer than people thought.�
A Democratic pollster working on several of the key races said �the reality is that [the House majority] is probably gone.� His data shows the Democrats� problems are only getting worse. �It�s spreading.�
Not all Democrats � or Republicans, for that matter � share this pessimistic assessment 68 days before the election. Republicans need to pick up 39 seats, and polls show most voters still have a downbeat view of the GOP�s ability to govern any better than Democrats. Republicans have been out-raised and out-spent at the national level and in many of the key races.
�We have been saying for the past 18 months this will be a politically challenging environment,� said DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen. �That being said, we will retain the majority in the House. All of what you are hearing is the inside-the-beltway chatter.�
A top House Democratic strategist who agrees with Van Hollen conceded pessimism is spreading rapidly � but mainly in Washington. This strategist said the mood among individual Democratic candidates, many of whom enjoy a considerable cash advantage, are more upbeat.
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Democrats privately fear House prospects worsening
Quote
Top Democrats are growing markedly more pessimistic about holding the House, privately conceding the summertime economic and political recovery they were banking on will not likely materialize by Election Day.
In conversations with more than two dozen party insiders, most of whom requested anonymity to speak candidly about the state of play, Democrats in and out of Washington say they are increasingly alarmed about the economic and polling data they have seen in recent weeks.
They no longer believe the jobs and housing markets will recover � or that anything resembling the White House�s promise of a �recovery summer� is under way. They are even more concerned by indications that House Democrats once considered safe � such as Rep. Betty Sutton, who occupies an Ohio seat President Barack Obama won with 57 percent of the vote in 2008 � are now in real trouble.
In two close races, endangered Democrats are even running ads touting how they oppose their leadership.
�Democrats kept thinking: �We�re going to get better. We�re going to get well before the election,�� said one of Washington�s best-connected Democrats. �But as of this week, you now have people saying that Republicans are going to win the House. And now it�s starting to look like the Senate is going to be a lot closer than people thought.�
A Democratic pollster working on several of the key races said �the reality is that [the House majority] is probably gone.� His data shows the Democrats� problems are only getting worse. �It�s spreading.�
Not all Democrats � or Republicans, for that matter � share this pessimistic assessment 68 days before the election. Republicans need to pick up 39 seats, and polls show most voters still have a downbeat view of the GOP�s ability to govern any better than Democrats. Republicans have been out-raised and out-spent at the national level and in many of the key races.
�We have been saying for the past 18 months this will be a politically challenging environment,� said DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen. �That being said, we will retain the majority in the House. All of what you are hearing is the inside-the-beltway chatter.�
A top House Democratic strategist who agrees with Van Hollen conceded pessimism is spreading rapidly � but mainly in Washington. This strategist said the mood among individual Democratic candidates, many of whom enjoy a considerable cash advantage, are more upbeat.
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