Georgia Dems search for upsides in House loss

While some Democratic operatives played up the silver lining they saw in Ossoff’s loss, members of the party’s progressive wing said that candidates needed to strengthen the party’s message going forward. Democrats need to pick up 24 House seats to retake the majority. While Ryan praised the ongoing investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia, he argued that doubt in Trump’s leadership is not enough to flip seats in Congress. “She fits the stereotype of exactly what swing voters can’t stand about the Democratic Party”. “That’s the most important part”. Perhaps if the Democrats had put slightly less of a moral investment in this election, it would be seen for what it really is: a special election.

Electorally, at least. And, yes, it’s the Democrats’ fault if they can’t see the writing on the wall for themselves. But each side having a base of voters who believe in the strength of their respective parties is itself an ingredient required for competitive politics. A primary election is expected to happen on August 15, with a runoff election on September 26 and a general election on December 12, Politico reported. Big donors to the party’s congressional campaign committee were also available to Pelosi through her “Speaker’s Cabinet” program, which gave them special access to the Democratic leader. “But not good news” for Republicans, who were all-out to defend what should have been a safe seat. He didn’t create any vacancies in swing states.

For GOP consultants, tie-every-Democrat-to-Pelosi is a tried-and-true strategy that’s been working for more than six years. “It doesn’t matter who our leader is, the Republicans will always run against them, someone else in our caucus or Willie Horton”, referring to the convicted MA murderer that Republicans used to make Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis look weak on crime during the 1988 campaign.

Handel backers, though, hailed Tuesday’s results as confirmation that the district remains solidly in the party’s grasp. The Republican won a key contest in Georgia.

Losing would raise questions about whether Democrats can turn protests and fundraising records into enough votes. Democrats were unduly optimistic about the Georgia race, but what happened there and in SC is consistent with what has happened in other congressional special elections this year.

Handel also turned Ossoff’s residency about two miles outside the district into a cultural argument that his heart was actually 2,100 miles away, in San Francisco. Despite this, Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff ended up losing the election by a wider margin than the Democratic candidate in SC, whose election took place on the same day.

“There are plenty of people who have qualms with Trump on one level or another, but are totally willing to stick with him because the Democratic option is just too far left”, Todd said.

Principled PAC says it made a “five-figure” buy on Fox News, a low spending total on cable news that likely means the spot got more attention from the campaign and reporters than from voters.

Mentally setting the baseline as the results of the Trump-Clinton election seems to have led Democrats to overrate their odds in Georgia and underrate their odds everywhere else. It was precisely because all the focus was on Georgia that SC flew below the radar, and did not inspire high turnout by Republicans.

Democrats would feel better today if their baselining theory had been correct. The race in SC received little national attention, which might be a good explanation as to why it was so close.

Among the frontrunners, Democrat Kathie Allen is expected to run against Republican Chris Herrod in the special election, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. And the state-based math is even more punitive in the Senate.

Despite all this, media freaked out a bit after the returns came in Tuesday night, emphasizing that Handel’s win would encourage Republicans on Capitol Hill to crush Obamacare (as if they aren’t set upon doing that anyway).

Unfortunately for them, the voters of Georgia’s 6th district, in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, did not send the resounding message of Trump punishment that the New York/DC/Boston elites so desired.

All of which is to say that the fundamental political conditions in the United States continue to be unfavorable for Republicans.