After Travis Childers beat out Gooper Greg Davis in MS-01, a Seat that was part of Newt's victories from way back in 1994, a seat that went +62 for Bush, by 6%, the NRCC today is essentially in meltdown mode. Let's examine the carnage. First up, Tom Cole's pathetic statement:
“I encourage all Republican candidates, whether incumbents or challengers, to take stock of their campaigns and position themselves for challenging campaigns this fall by building the financial resources and grassroots networks that offer them the opportunity and ability to communicate, energize and turn out voters this election.”
- Communicate: Voters aren't listening to the crap we're selling... need new message... Try "Change"
- Energize: They're sleeping, and who can blame them, the country is fucked, but you gotta scare them silly
- Turn Out Voters: Find ways to surpress the turn out the Dems are enjoying... Great job Indiana and Missouri
It's priceless how the rest of the press is quite aware of just how bad it's getting for the NRCC.
From First Read which pegged MS-01 as the real story of the night, rightly so. More Tom Cole
“The political environment is such that voters remain pessimistic about the direction of the country and the Republican Party in general,” he said in a statement last night. “Therefore, Republicans must undertake bold efforts to define a forward-looking agenda that offers the kind of positive change voters are looking for. This is something we can do in cooperation with our Presidential nominee, but time is short.” (snip) the Republican Party’s poor brand and its voters’ lack of enthusiasm right now tell us a WHOLE lot more about the overall political climate than last night’s West Virginia results do.
How are congressional Republicans reacting? If our email boxes and voicemail boxes are any indication, there are two guys on the firing line: House GOP leader John Boehner and the NRCC’s Tom Cole. The two may attempt to shoot at each other a bit (watch Eric Cantor; he's already be looked to by some as the NEXT great savior of the House GOP), though the person who may ultimately be blamed is Bush. After all, Republicans aren't running Congress anymore so if voters are still punishing the GOP, they are punishing them for Bush. If this isn't proof that 2006 was about Bush and not corruption, we don't know what else you need. Remember, not a single Democratic incumbent lost in ’06. Cole, in his statement last night, is advising Republicans to become change candidates. It's tough to break through the presidential clutter to do that. And the thing that ought to scare the GOP even more is that if a Democrat is elected president, he'll appear to have massive coattails and that, in turn, will create the appearance of a mandate, a la Reagan in 1980. No wonder Clinton isn't ready to throw in the towel just yet: If Democrats win this presidential election, it will be the biggest mandate any Democrat has had for governing since LBJ in '64.
I didn't really like that bit, I think it's pre-discounting the coming landslide victory potential with Obama. That said, A mandate is a mandate and Democrats will take it.
More from Politico
MSNBC's Chris Matthews: "It's like the Democrats losing to Republicans in Brooklyn - I mean, it's UNIMAGINABLE."
***Whispers among some House Republicans about trying to replace Cole with Rep. TOM DAVIS (R-Va.), who was NRCC chairman from 1998 to 2002. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) also has to watch his back. House conservatives especially restive.
After MS-01, the Media is starting to realize that the GOP is pretty much fucked everywhere. When the War Hero Candidate can barely register 40% Nationwide, while the dems are still sorting out their own primary, you know McCain's Fucked.