The Left has spent much of the last year screaming at the sky and taking special election beatdowns. But after recent wins in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, they’re rolling out the same old rhetoric, claiming Americans yearn for the days of Democratic rule.
Don’t let the rhetoric fool you. Despite the dog and pony show, the DNC is running scared ahead of the 2018 mid-term elections.
Several Democrats find themselves running in “Trump Country” and the prospects of holding on to their Senate seats are somewhere between slim and none. Compounding the problem that voters prefer jobs, security and a future for their children over Obama-era flowery rhetoric, DNC fundraising is on life-support and the Left has no white knight to rally around.
These are some of the Dems in deep trouble.
Joe Manchin
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin has been making recent headlines for telling Hillary Clinton to stay away. In his words, “it wouldn’t be wise” to have the failed presidential candidate stump for him. Probably a good policy. The bizarre question is: Did she think it was a good idea?
Sen. Manchin has been viewed as a conservtive Democrat that cares more about restoring the coal industry to West Virginia than transgender bathrooms. Even President Trump has called him his favorite Democrat. That has done nothing but enrage the DNC’s Liberal elite who will throw Paula Swearengin, a coal miner’s daughter turned radical environmental activist, against the incumbent.
Should Sen. Manchin survive his own party’s insider politics, the GOP will be licking their chops in the general election. W.V. Rep. Evan Jenkins will be looking to turn Manchin’s seat Red. Keep in mind, West Virginia’s governor switched to the GOP during a Trump rally. Joe Manchin is under siege.
Claire McCaskill
The senator will likely face the highly regarded Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley. The state has taken a strong Trumpian turn, as evidenced by the president hauling in 57 percent of the vote.
Sen. McCaskill may have also noticed that Sen. Roy Blunt dispatched the state’s Democratic secretary of state, Jason Kander. Political pundits had hope for Kander, who reportedly ran an outstanding campaign. In the end, voters roundly rejected the Democrat. A.G. Hawley is regarded as an upper-echelon candidate and a fundraising magnet.
Given the DNC is again underperforming in this area, expect Hawley to capitalize on Missouri’s MAGA sentiment that their senator has been voting against. Sen. McCaskill may want to dust off her resume.
Jon Tester
Politics looks like a royal rumble in Big Sky Country, and Sen. Tester could get counted out. He’s running in a Montana that Pres. Trump secured 56 percent of the vote. Montanans later elected a Republican in the special election to fill Rep. Ryan Zinke’s seat after he was tapped for Interior Secretary.
Democrats are pinning their hopes on the body slamming of a reporter by Rep. Greg Gianforte. That’s one high-flying hope, considering Rep. Gianforte walked away unscathed in both the slam and election.
The GOP appears to be running either Maryland transplant Matt Rosendale or District Judge Russel Fagg in the red state election. Judge Fagg traces his Montana roots back to the 1800s. Despite raising more than $3 million, either GOP candidate has a real shot at a Tester takedown.
Heidi Heitkamp
This North Dakota senator was reportedly on the fence about running again in 2018. She just squeaked out a win in 2012. Couple that low-earned win with the massive Trump turnout in her state, and Sen. Heitkamp appears to be in a lose-lose situation.
President Trump didn’t just win North Dakota, he amassed a whopping 64 percent of the vote. Yikes.
In all fairness, Sen. Heitkamp has been a moderate Democrat willing to reach across the aisle and even got a nod and a handshake from the president. She appears to be willing to tow the GOP agenda that includes tax reform. Putting money back in North Dakota pockets would provide her a boost. However, Conservative North Dakota voters are unlikely to support her re-election bid without more MAGA agenda votes in Congress.
Sen. Heitkamp is walking a tightrope in a state that won’t abide Liberal politics.
Bill Nelson
The popular Florida senator might have been safe in any other election cycle, but Trump moved the Sunshine State back into the Red column and has emerged as one of Florida’s favorite presidents.
During his first year in office, Trump established a “Southern White House” at his Mar-a-Lago resort, mended fences with Sen. Marco Rubio, supported Cuban-Americans’ beef with the island regime, and managed a double-hurricane disaster with ease. Couple that with the president’s urging of the very popular Gov. Rick Scott to topple the Left-leaning incumbent Democrat and it’s game on in Florida.
Should Rick Scott throw his hat into the ring, Sen. Nelson could be looking for a new job in 2018.
~ Conservative Zone
With Roy Moore a winner in Alabama, and these 5 seats, we are only 2 seats away from a filibuster proof senate.
That is if the repugnant republicans get on board the Trump Train, and join him in the winning column!
as a Florida resident it’s anyone but Nelson i wouldn’t care if its the leader of N.K. if he’s running against Nelson he would have my vote
Don’t forget useless Brown in Ohio. Josh Mandel will be a great Senator!
I think the Democrats are going to have their a** handed to them on a platter this fall.