Op-Ed: A midterm elections threat assessment — high and getting higher
Welcome to midterms!
November 6, 2010 — The U.S. midterm elections are two weeks away, with all 435 congressional seats up for grabs.
The elections in America’s most populous states are shaping up to be a battle between two big political narratives: the blue-state-vs-red-state battle and the national-vs-state battle.
The Democrats’ chances of retaining control of the House of Representatives seem all but certain, and if the Republicans can hold onto the Senate — a much tougher task — they have a good chance of making serious gains in both houses.
The elections, though, are a two-way street. If the Democrats’ prospects for retaining power become bleak, the Republicans — or at least most of them — can claim to have won the national vote.
But on the flip side, a successful GOP candidate winning a competitive seat won’t guarantee a GOP majority in the House or, much less, in the Senate.
And a Democratic House or Senate majority in 2013 will be based almost entirely on the margin of victory in a state.
Here’s the latest news on the midterm elections.
Here’s the latest coverage from Inside Elections.
Here’s our map of the midterms — with an interactive tool to help you get a sense of the district lines.
And a special message from the president of USA Today:
To all the midterms voters in the United States, I do hope you don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re going to turn blue: you’re not going to. If you don’t think you’re voting for a person you’re voting for a party, but rather a party for you. To all voters out there, I salute you for making this effort to vote in a district, town, or state where you can. Go out there and make it happen, and I’ll see you the next day.
A midterm election is not a choice between Obama and Romney — but rather it is a choice between Obama and the Republicans.
It’s not that the election is between Obama and Romney — but rather it is a choice between Obama and the Republicans
