Bullish Democrats

Senator Chuck Schumer, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), held a press conference with reporters this afternoon and was absolutely bullish about the Democrats chances of taking back the Senate.

As an example, he pointed to Arizona. Polls have shown Republican Senator Jon Kyl with a comfortable lead over Democratic challenger Jim Pederson. But according to early voting indicators, 30 percent of Arizonians have already voted, and, based on DSCC polling, Pederson leads Kyl among that group, 44 to 40 percent.

"If Virginia is the cinderella story of '06, Arizona is the sleeper," Schumer said. Among the overall electorate, Kyl leads Pederson by single-digits, according to Schumer, and the DSCC recently went on the air in Phoenix and Tucson with $1 million in television ads. "This could be a harbinger of a wave," Schumer predicted.

Democrats need to pick up six seats to take back the Senate. Polling indicates that they're ahead by significant margins in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, clinging to a small lead in Montana and tied, if not up slightly, in Missouri and Virginia. Tennessee, where Harold Ford has been hit with a barrage of nasty, racially-tinged TV ads, appears to be trending Republican.

In these tight races, the DSCC is spending $25 million on get-out-the-vote efforts, which Schumer believes made the difference for Republicans in '04. "The two states where we built the strongest field operations were Montana and Missouri," Schumer stated, though he admitted to not knowing the difference between an RV and a Winnebago.

Luckily, John Kerry's much-discussed comments came up only once. "Senator Kerry has apologized," Schumer said. "He's said he's not gonna say anything else."

Before concluding, Schumer had one last message for the press: "Don't forget to vote."

Comments (12)

1. Possibly some reason to be bullish.

   But interesting cast of new Democratic Senators, he's looking at...and few "pure progressives".

   Webb...to the Right of Lieberman. Ford Jr. not only pro-life, but along with Sherrod Brown, among a handful of House Dems who voted FOR the "torture bill".

   Yes, yes...of course "So? Those are the only kind of Democrats that can win in those areas!"

   Sure...but it also means that unless you expect them to run from their campaigns or their constituentss and march in lock-step with the liberal wing of the Party, they're not going to be "cast in the mold of Paul Wellstone"...but more the mold of Biden, Ben Nelson, etc.

   AFTER the Dems take Congress is when the real fun begins...and when some post-partum depression might strike those who think they are giving birth to the "Renaissance of Liberalism".

   Posted by Mask at 11/02/2006 @ 4:43pm

2. Schume ris an idiot to believe in polling - particularly exit polls of early voters. The Dems and MoveOn have been pushing people to vote early as if this will help their vote "to count". So the exit polls of early voters are going to trend to the Dems.

   Besides, the current regime has committed blatant election fraud in 2000, 2002 and 2004 through voter disenfranchisement and suppression tactics. They are already purging voters now and enforcing unconstitutional voting requirements.

   A regime that came into power through election fraud will not simply be voted out.

   Posted by bjkron at 11/02/2006 @ 4:57pm

3. Posted by MASK 11/02/2006 @ 4:43pm

   A lot of us would gladly take that lineup after the last six years.

   Posted by Hman23 at 11/02/2006 @ 6:07pm

4. Posted by HMAN23 11/02/2006 @ 6:07pm

   Sure, and if you've resigned yourself to "low expectations"...after living for 6 years with "no expectations"...you'll be okay.

   But I don't think the idealists will be so satisfied after a year or so.

   Posted by Mask at 11/02/2006 @ 7:22pm

5. AFTER the Dems take Congress is when the real fun begins...and when some post-partum depression might strike those who think they are giving birth to the "Renaissance of Liberalism".

   Posted by MASK 11/02/2006 @ 4:43pm | ignore this person

   YOU HEAR THAT ALL YOU IDEALIST WHO'VE BEEN SAYING WE"RE "GIVING BIRTH TO THE RENAISSANCE OF LIBERALISM"!!! Maks says it ain't'gonna happen!!!

   Oh wait...nobody here has ever said anything like that. In fact, the only people saying anything like that at all...are the vast chorus of 'liberal voices' in Mask's head!!

   And of course, there's just NO convincing them...is there Mask?

   Posted by Lillian at 11/02/2006 @ 11:25pm

6. Keep celebrating your party's inevitable win, Ari. All those prowar conservative democrats flooding our halls of power are sure to make a big big big difference. You betcha!

   Posted by AlanSmithee at 11/03/2006 @ 07:45am

7. Posted by LILLIAN 11/02/2006 @ 11:25pm

   Glad to hear it, LIL.

   Those "pure progressive" "we hate Republican-lite" guys are the ruin of the Democratic Party.

   Posted by Mask at 11/03/2006 @ 08:49am

8. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061103/ts_nm/security_bush_poll_dc

   Posted by djmarch at 11/03/2006 @ 09:19am

9. Posted by MASK 11/02/2006 @ 7:22pm

   Low expectations by whose standards? Maybe by the party purists. But, that's not my benchmark.

   Posted by Hman23 at 11/03/2006 @ 09:52am

10. Posted by HMAN23 11/03/2006 @ 09:52am

    I know...glad to hear it. You'll stay sane in the coming years.

    Still...there obviously are SOME out there who are always talking about "evil DLC" "sell-out centrists" and "Republican-lites"...who may be a bit disappointed in the next 2, 4, 6 years.

    Posted by Mask at 11/03/2006 @ 09:58am

11. I know...glad to hear it. You'll stay sane in the coming years.

    Still...there obviously are SOME out there who are always talking about "evil DLC" "sell-out centrists" and "Republican-lites"...who may be a bit disappointed in the next 2, 4, 6 years.

    Posted by MASK 11/03/2006 @ 09:58am

    I have no expectations of the Democrats as I have given up on them.

    Posted by green2006 at 11/04/2006 @ 2:38pm

12. Ari, you're being just as much of a partisan shill as Ari Fleischer. Plenty of outrage about the RNC ads attacking Harold Ford, but nothing about Ford's support for torture.

    Posted by green2006 at 11/04/2006 @ 2:41pm