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Subscribe to RSSWith less than a month until Election Day, non-partisan political prognosticators -- such as the Cook Political Report and the Rothenberg Political Report -- are predicting that Democrats have a steep climb to take back control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
And there's one reason why, even with the political winds that have been blowing at the Democrats' backs over the past couple of months -- redistricting.
The decennial redistricting process is usually a very partisan affair, in which the political parties do everything they can to take advantage of how the congressional districts are drawn.
Given the Republican Party's electoral success in 2010 -- when it won governor's mansions and turned more than 740 state House and Senate seats red -- the GOP had unilateral authority over the drawing of 202 congressional districts, Democrats had authority over 47, and the others were drawn by a commission or by governors and legislatures from different parties, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.
That gave Republicans a big edge in strengthening their incumbents and trying to weaken sitting Democrats, although Democrats did the same in the states where they held the political advantage (notably Illinois and New York).
Here's the current state of play: Democrats must net 25 House seats to wrest control back from Republicans; 218 seats are needed for control.
The Cook Political Report rates 192 GOP-held seats as Solid Republican and 157 Democratic-held seats as Solid Democrat. That leaves only 50 Republican and 36 Democrat seats in the Likely/Lean/Tossup pool.
And if only the "Tossup" seats are considered – or worse – the pool becomes much smaller: Only 15 Democratic-held and 24 Republican-held seats are in this category.
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I'm sure they'll all get to work on this as opposed to, oh, passing a budget.
Cook is correct. For years I've worked as an election judge usually very close to my home. However, this time I couldn't get an assignment until the redistricting. Finally, they did it; but there are no democratic election judge opening near my home.
Can you believe I was offered the republican position near me. The catch I must vote Republican.
Neeeeever will I do that with these Republicons!
4 mor3 44
BUt not as much as O terrible debate performance.
Spanky - my guess is you, like Romney, got lost and are on the wrong post?
Obama/Biden 2012
Aw come on smart girl - this is about another impending shellacking of the House Dems.
That will certainly be impacted by O's impeding loss.
What's up Sanity, buy any gas lately? Pay $5.25 per gallon? No, then you do not live in the progressive paradise that is California.
Team Blue, all the way. Regulation are great, right?
Spanky - no filling up in Chicago is not THAT expensive. But, as we become less dependent on oil, it will matter less.
Obama/Biden 2012
Yeah...I can hardly wait for that to happen in 50 years.....now I realize why you need to "seek" sanity.
bucsdad- always seeking sanity in the GOP but, as usual, posters like you, Spanky, no joe, etc., prove, there is absolutely NO SANITY to be found in the Republican party!
Obama/Biden 2012
Of course you do....YAWN.
Repub trolls need their sleep, SS.
just another solid argument for why we need to change our electoral processes. That or totally bar partisanship entirely. i'd say that radical partisanship is the largest danger to this nation as it sits now.
Our enemies are probably just sitting back thinking that we'll just eat each other and they won't have to fight us at all...
Tzalaran,
What enemies are you talking about?
Islamic fundamentalists in the Middle East and Africa, South & Central American druglords (although if their best market was taken away i think they'd probably be worse off), China and Russia (to a lesser extent - not that they are dire foes or anything, but geopolitically if the extremists aren't in the picture, these guys step up imo).
Those are the only real enemies of the US the way i see it...
I just saw the new AD that the LIB TARDS have launched with BIG BIRD.....honestly, they should be embarrassed. What genius came up with that idea? Whoever it was didn't have their propeller strapped to their "beanie cap" too tight....I can hardly wait until that goes National.....HA HA HA. What a bunch of goobers. Hey FIRST READ, why don't you cover that one?
OBAMA/BIDEN/BIG BIRD - 2012, because your pumpkin LATTE LIFE depends on it!!
Sesame Workshop has asked the Obama's campaign to discontinue the ad.
Sesame Workshop is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns. We have approved no campaign ads, and as is our general practice, have requested that the ad be taken down," Sesame Workshop said in a statement.
This makes it official - We have gone off the rails on this one.
bucsdad-4541537
I just saw the new AD that the LIB TARDS have launched with BIG BIRD.....honestly, they should be embarrassed.
The people who are embarrassed are the ones in the MYTH Romney campaign. You see Big Bird is not quite the Game Changer MYTH expected. Big Bird is an America icon.
Big Bird is fighting back and so are the American people at MYTH's bullying.
Yep Bev., and yet Big Bird make millions every year and pays no taxes.
And we know you have millionaires that don't pay their fair share.
Say, whatever happened to the OWS thing-y? Kinda gone like the Global warming crowd, eh?
Big Bird is an American icon that is also a 1%er who should be paying his fair share. Or did Obama give him a waiver?
Bev,
Big Bird is fighting back and so are the American people at MYTH's bullying.
See what I mean, off the rails.
Hey Bev, you and your fellow LIB TARDS just go right ahead with that AD...I think you're going to do well with it...I think it's going to put BARRY right back in the game.
BARRY/JOEY/BIG BIRD 2012
Not really, considering it goes to Etch's continued lack of credibility to be POTUS.
All things considered, he should have been talking about anything else other than cutting funding, and firing moderators , like Mr. Trump, "YOU'RE FIRED"
ETCH/MARATHON MAN/TRUMPSTER 2012
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. The first three Articles of the Constitution establish the rules and separate powers of the three branches of the federal government: Congress, the President, and Supreme Court. The branches most work together establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty for the American people.
There is one of the federal government that is NOT doing there job!
THE AMERICAN REPUBLICAN TERRORISTS PARTY!
Only The Republican Congress said NO to every bill that would make American jobs.
Jun 5 -S.3240 - Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Bill of 2012
Jun 23 - H.R.4213 - American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Bill of 2010
Jun 29 - S.2237 - Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Bill Jul 17 - S.3364 - Bring Jobs Home Bill This would have moved American Manufacturing Companies back to the United States or they would pay millions in taxes each year until they did.
Jul 11 - S.2237 - Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Bill
Aug 5 - H.R.5297 - Small Business Jobs and Credit Bill of 2010
Sep 12 - S.3457 - Veterans Jobs Corps Bill and S. Amdt. 2789 Bill.
Support Our Troops!
Everyone coming home would have a job! Only the Republican congress said NO!
Sep 24 - S.3816 - Creating American Jobs and Ending Off Shoring Bill
Oct 6 - S.1660 - American Jobs Bill of 2011 Nov 1 - S.1769 - Rebuild America Jobs Bill. This one bill would have made way over 60 million American job only in the United States. Only the Republican Congress NO!
Nov 3 - H.R.674 - 3% Withholding Repeal and Job Creation Bill
Nov 30 - S.1917 - A bill to create jobs by providing payroll tax relief for middle class families and businesses
Dec 15 - H.R.3630 - Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Bill of 2011
There are alot more bills Republican will not pass. Look for yourself!
These ones will have put Americans back to work. The Republican Representatives no longer represented the everyday Americans. They only represent millionaires! Why? Because they are millionaires. We the People need to vote them out of office. Put them in the unemployment line and /or welfare line and see how they like it.
Today’s Sesame Street is brought to you by the letters F & U and 47%
Oh no, today's O campaign is brought to you by the number $1.1 Trillion [the current deficit] and the letter D, for debt.
See O has lots and lots of each.
See, it cannot be brought to you by the letter B, cause there is no budget in the dem's world - just ask Harry Reid.
Too easy.
Oha nd chief, given the goings on in Libya [on Amb., three others murdered] and Pakistan [ a 14 year old girl shot in the head for supporting education] you might want to refrain from tossing out terms like "terrorists"
Or not, cause you obviously can't help yourself.
How were those bills to be funded?
Chef asks.....
Well, lets see.....Trickle down/double down/low down or whatever math Dubya used...remember the wars, tax cuts, prescription drugs, etc.......all unfunded.
Better yet, ask Ryan about his Marvelous (as Mitt called it) budget......
Spanky
.....blah, blah, blah....blah, blah, blah O and B....blahblahblahblah D and Harry Reid. blah, blah, blah, blah. I can't help myself.....
WTF are you talking about?
$1.1 Trillion you can certainly blame on the previous POTUS, not this one. Or do you need Alfalfa to better explain it to you?
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
I know you libs control the government and the economy and all, but please don’t paint Air Force One yellow and call it Big Bird. O isn’t going to need it much longer.
Regardlessof who is in power, its wrong for them to have the power to alter furture elections for their benefit.
Once again, for all of our great ideals, we are one or two steps ahead of the banana republics that we always make fun of.
Pablo-FL: It is even more wrong than you imply. The districts should be made up to represent the people. Not those in power. I hope and pray the Dens. clean house. But wrong is wrong.
The GOP/RNC have violated the US Constitution. Again! This is not shocking at all America.
prog -- what are you talking about? there are laws that guide this. because you don't get the outcome you desire it must be illegal? good heavens, get a grip
I'm guessing that the Reptilicans are going to save most of their voter- intimidation or -fraud efforts for the presidential race, and it'll be concentrated in the same places where they got a big payoff in years past. Florida (and Kathleen Harris, and the Supreme Court, Inc.) gave them the win in '00, and in a much- less remarked-upon effort, some 40,000 mysteriously disappearing votes on newly installed Diebold voting machines delivered Ohio in '04. There'll probably be a curious upswing in questionable or vanishing ballots in Virginia this time around, and even Pennsylvania might be back in play by Nov. 1st.
We might as well get used to it right now- there can't be any doubt that the Forces of Darkness will go to any length, tell any lie, promise anything they have no way or intention of ever delivering, and accept any amount of foreign money, in order to deliver what's left of America to the super-national plutocrat class. The process of selling off our public assets to foreign nations at fire-sale prices is already well under way; we can be as sure as sunrise that this'll accelerate dramatically under a Romney regime. You always wanted a condo in Yosemite Valley? Dreamed of playing golf at the Grand Canyon, and no pesky brown or poor people allowed? Sign up now, your chance is just around the corner!
I've said it before on this space: We have a recent example of what happens to a country that has an immensely powerful military establishment without a strong economy to back it up. Many, if not most, of you will openly scoff at the idea of the United States being politically sundered and broken apart into several separate, desperately poor pieces. Ask yourselves this- back in 1980, with Poland writhing under the Soviet boot, and Afghanistan bleeding, how many of us foresaw that the U.S.S.R. had scarcely a decade to live? Honestly, now.
The Rethuglicans, aided by any number of Democrats who were blinded by greed or just plain stupid, are turning the United States into a second-tier power, one whose main economic activity will be providing food and raw materials to our new colonial masters in Beijing, New Dehli and possibly even Moscow. Make no mistake, I do not excuse the Democrats from their share of the blame for this appalling state of affairs; I just think that, under a Republican regime, it'll happen that much more quickly, and the fall won't be cushioned by any safety net. They've already made it plain enough that those are all going away to ease the crushing burden of taxes on our
new nobilityjob creators.Look for a Republican controlled House, and Senate, and White House, for the next EIGHT YEARS.
It's pay back time.
Order a case of those rubber stamp thingies, President Romney has a lot to get done.
You wanna get pimped vote for obama, he will sell your arss for a dime, but if you want a job, then vote for Romney, simple as that.
"The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living"
This was written by a 21 yr old female who gets it. It's her future she’s worried about and this is how she feels about the social welfare system that she’s being forced to live in! These solutions are just common sense in her opinion.
Put me in charge ...
Put me in charge of benefit payments. I'd get rid of cash payments and provide vouchers for 50kg bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese, basic sanitary items and all the powdered milk you can use.
If you want steak, burgers, takeaway and junk food, then get a job.
Put me in charge of the NHS. The first thing I'd do is to get women to have birth control implants.
Then, we'll test recipients for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine. If you want to reproduce, use drugs, drink alcohol or smoke, then get a job.
Put me in charge of local authority housing. Ever live in military barracks?
You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair.
Your "home" will be subject to inspections anytime and possessions will be inventoried.
If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and your own place.
Put me in charge of compulsory job search. You will either search for employment each week no matter what the job or you will report for community work.
This may be clearing the roadways and open spaces of rubbish, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you.
We will sell your 22 inch rims and low profile tires and your dooff dooff stereo and speakers and put that money toward the “common good”
Before you write that I've violated someone's rights, realize that all of the above is voluntary.
If you want our hard earned cash and housing assistance, accept our rules...
Before you say that this would be "demeaning" and ruin someone’s "self esteem," consider that it wasn’t that long ago that taking someone else's money for doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self esteem.
If we are expected to pay for other people's mistakes we should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad choices. The current system rewards those for continuing to make bad choices.
AND - While you are on benefit income you no longer have the right to VOTE!
For you to vote would be a conflict of interest..... If you want to vote, then get a job.
Now, if you have the guts - PASS IT ON... BRING ON THE REVOLUTION
Typical Teabagger nonsense. Always looking to blame those poor folks for their problems and situation in life. They preach personal responsibility yet rarely account for their members behaviors or acts. The Republican House blocked all jobs bills else the economy be humming today with 5 million more jobs then now. The Rich do not pay their fair share contrary to Fox News and the Far Rights bull@!$%# that they do.
11Eagles
LOLOLOLOL ROTFLMAO XD AHHHHahahhhh..yeah...that was so good I had to wipe my eyes from tears. Good one, Eagles.
NO DOUBT OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
Romney should respect the family. They have asked he stop mentioning their sons name to score political points. It has upset the mother and she made a public statement today. Romney should listen. He'd be wise if he did.