In the spirit of the season, where crunch-time meets reality -- I give you:
2014 MIDTERM ELECTIONS: The 9 races that will decide control of the U.S. Senate
by Leslie Larson , Adam Edelman, New York Daily News -- Oct 3, 2014
[...]
In the battle for the Senate, Republicans have the edge. They need to gain six seats -- and appear to be halfway there. Republicans are heavily favored to win three seats held by retiring Democrats in Montana, South Dakota and West Virginia.
Only nine of the remaining Senate races are truly competitive, and Democrats hold all but two of those seats.
So according to that math, the R's need
to win 3 out of the remaining 9 competitive states
to win the Senate, and
really muck-up the works in Washington. (What they've done so far has just been a 'dress rehearsal' for
the real 'stonewalling' show.)
For the starting line-ups in those playoff games, just stay tuned ...
Alaska
Democrat: Sen. Mark Begich (incumbent)
Republican: Dan Sullivan (challenger)
Arkansas
Democrat: Sen. Mark Pryor (incumbent)
Republican: Rep. Tom Cotton (challenger)
Colorado
Democrat: Sen. Mark Udall (incumbent)
Republican: Rep. Cory Gardner (challenger)
Georgia (open seat)
Democrat: Michelle Nunn
Republican: David Perdue
Iowa (open seat)
Republican: Joni Ernst
Democrat: Rep. Bruce Braley
Kansas
Republican: Sen. Pat Roberts (incumbent)
Independent: Greg Orman (challenger)
Democrat: Chad Taylor withdrew from the race
Louisiana
Democrat: Sen. Mary Landrieu (incumbent)
Republican: Rep. Bill Cassidy (challenger)
Michigan (open seat)
Republican: Terri Lynn Land
Democrat: Rep. Gary Peters
North Carolina
Democrat: Sen. Kay Hagan (incumbent)
Republican: State Rep. Thom Tillis (challenger)
The
intro article has pix of each Candidate and a local analysis describing how and sometimes why the contest is close -- pre-game show analyses such as this one, for Georgia:
Why is it so close? [in GA]
Nunn, the CEO of the Points of Light nonprofit and the daughter of former Georgia Democratic Sen. Sam Nunn, has consistently trailed Perdue in polls, but in recent weeks she’s narrowed the gap. Perdue, the cousin of former Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue, has repeatedly pledged to try to address the national debt, a popular issue in the largely Republican Peach State.
They are well worth a few moments out of your busy week-end.
Me, I think focusing on the "
Open Seats" (if you have to choose where to put your limited resources) is the way to go. You can't get anymore
"level playing-field" than having
No Incumbent. (That's like having
No Home-field advantage. Neutral territory. Fresh start.)
For the record, the 3 races that the NYDN writers say are already in the R's column (though a Vote has yet to be cast) -- can be read about here:
Montana -- missoulian.com
[...]
Then, [Amanda] Curtis makes the point she’ll make often during a recent campaign swing through western Montana: That “regular people” can still overcome adversity, get an education and become political leaders -- but only if the average person shows up and votes.
It’s a message that Curtis, a 35-year-old high school math teacher and Democratic state representative from Butte, hopes can propel her to victory in Montana’s U.S. Senate race, against Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Daines and Libertarian Roger Roots.
[...]
South Dakota --
hcn.org
[...]
There is only one problem with that scenario. We haven’t voted yet (except where early voting has started, such as South Dakota and Iowa). And if you think back to 2012, remember that two states that most forecasters got wrong were Montana and North Dakota. Why? Because the American Indian vote “outperformed” the models. That can happen again in Alaska, and, in my long-shot special, South Dakota.
Let’s look closer at South Dakota's Senate race. No pollster even ranks this as a competitive race. Former Gov. Mike Rounds is leading the polls by an average of 13 percent. He is facing several opponents: Democratic nominee Rick Weiland, and former U.S. Senator Larry Pressler, a former Republican now turned Independent. The conservative alternative, Gordie Howie, will also be on the ballot.
So unless something changes, Rounds will probably win with about 42 percent of the vote.
What could change that equation? Perhaps the Keystone XL pipeline.
[...]
West Virginia --
washingtontimes.com
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito picked up a National Rifle Association endorsement [its “A” rating] in the race for U.S. Senate in West Virginia, the gun rights group announced Wednesday.
[...]
“She will strongly oppose any attempt by President Obama and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to restrict their freedom.”
The Capito campaign used the endorsement to slam her Democratic opponent, West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, saying her “alleged ‘support’ of the Second Amendment misses the mark.”
[...]
That SD contest sounds interesting ... eh?
Happy Electioneering! Good Luck to Team D. May the Country finally get the Government we deserve.
One with far fewer stone-walls ... to progress.