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The Democratic Strategist

Political Strategy for a Permanent Democratic Majority

Political Strategy Notes

From President Obama’s remarks at a Miami Town Hall, as reported by Mollie Reilly at HuffPo: “In the last election, a little over one-third of eligible voters voted. One-third! Two-thirds of the people who have the right to vote — because of the struggles of previous generation, had the right to vote — stayed home. I’m willing to bet that there are young people who have family members who are at risk of the existing immigration system who still didn’t vote.”…”Why are you staying at home?” Obama said. “Why are you not participating? There are war-torn countries, people full of poverty, who still voted 60, 70 percent. If here in the United States of America, we voted at 60 percent, 70 percent, it would transform our politics. Our Congress would be completely different. We would have already passed comprehensive immigration reform.”
Apparently the Republicans are having a taste of their own meds, instead of the cakewalk they were expecting in the Senate, according to “Senate Democrats Show Limits of GOP Spending Strategy,” by Tamar Hallerman and Niels Lesniewski at The Hill.
New Republican front-runner and Koch brothers errand boy Scott Walker prepares to deliver another crushing blow to unions — and middle class living standards.
“Do you believe in evolution or not?” A 49% plurality of Republicans said they do not,” reports Steve Benen at Maddowblog. He adds a quote from Paul Krugman: “For some time now it has been impossible to be a good Republicans while believing in the reality of climate change; now it’s impossible to be a good Republican while believing in evolution.” This is the party that wants to lead America into the information age of the 21st century?
NYT columnist Ross Douthat sets a new standard in windy false equivalency analysis, yet another denial of the GOP’s animosity toward an African American president who dares to oppose their policies.
At Sabato’s Crystal Ball Kyle Kondik reports “Ultimately, there are just 25 seats listed…where there is a consensus among Democrats and Republicans that the races should be competitive, and we’re not even sure we’d go that far: Several of the seats the Crystal Ball has already categorized as Likely for one side or the other, so it is not obvious to us that they will be competitive. Another appears in the Crystal Ball as Safe Democratic (IL-17, held by Rep. Cheri Bustos). More races will obviously come into play, and remember that the Democrats have more Republican targets to unveil. However, there’s little reason to expect at this point that more than about 50-60 seats — and probably fewer — will be truly competitive in the general election. That’s barely more than a tenth of all 435 House seats.”
“Why are Democrats suddenly cheering in Ohio? (+video): Ted Strickland, a Democrat and former Ohio governor, announced Wednesday he’s taking on GOP Sen. Rob Portman. That will be a marquee Senate race in a cycle with lots of opportunities for Democrats,” reports Linda Feldman at The Monitor.
Paige Lavender reports on the “Middle Class Prosperity Project” being launched by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Elijah Cummings.
Republicans get told raw by retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer. Jill Bond reports at Blue Nation Review:

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