If you've been following the Daily Kos Elections team's Morning Digest, you know that Democrats are poised to gain even more House seats. It would take a major catastrophe for Republicans to regain the House. That leaves Republicans in the position of just trying to hang on to what they have, but preparing to lose as many as another 20 seats.
Corry Bliss, a Republican strategist who worked on 2018's GOP disaster, calls 2020 "an extremely challenging environment" for Republicans. "There are about a dozen 50-50 races across the country, and the most important factor in each is if the president can close strong in the final stretch." With Trump's campaign practically broke, down-ballot candidates in many of these districts can't count on much help from there. Particularly since he's off in the land of the deluded, repeating his claim on national TV in last week's debate that "I think we're going to win the House."
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Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee scoffs at that notion. "I don't think too many people would have thought that at the beginning of this cycle, but we are playing deep into Trump country," she told the Times, noting that the combination of "a third of a billion dollars" and solid recruits are "a good secret sauce" for Democratic gains. The most competitive House Democratic candidates have—get this—fives times as much cash-on-hand over Republicans. That's allowing the DCCC to go all out in red states like Texas, Alaska, and Montana. Which means Republicans have to stretch resources to play defense. Not that they'll admit it.
Bustos' Republican equivalent is Rep. Tom Emmer from Minnesota, who told the Times that Republicans really could take back the House. Someone didn't want to get on the wrong side of a Trump Twitter tirade. He insists that national polls are undercounting conservatives and that some of the seats that flipped in 2018 to Democrats are going to come back. He does concede, however, that that depends on Trump: "It really depends on if the president performs at or near 2016 levels. […] If not, it becomes a lot more difficult."
Hahahahahahahaha.
Victoria Spartz, a Republican state senator running for the House Indiana's 5th congressional district—a seat opened by the retirement of Susan Brooks who chaired the National Republican Congressional Committee's recruitment efforts (hahahahaha)—against Democrat Christina Hale shoots that down. She's now running away from Trump, and is already casting blame in her loserspeak. "I wish people would pay more attention and actually vote for the candidate," she told the Times, "not for the party."
Hahahahahaha!