Democrats - are you panicking right now?

[IceSpear]

Guys,

You need all to be positive.

If democrats keep the senate: GREAT .

If democrats lose the senate! GREAT . Mcconnell would be a disaster and would hurt the  GOP for 2016.

This. I'll be disappointed if Republicans take the Senate, but at least there will be the silver lining that McConnell and Boehner will no doubt make Hillary's trip to the White House much easier.

[IceSpear]

No, because there's this thing called 2016, when all of those Tea Party Senators come up for re-election. There's a good chance that Democrats gain as many seats two years from now as Republicans could gain this year.

Now, I'd panic/care if there was a possibility that we could maintain the number of seats in this election that we currently have, because 2016 would then produce the possibility for a filibuster-proof majority, but alas...

Whether Democrats have a majority or not come 2015 in the Senate won't affect legislation or policies that are passed over the next two years, and won't stop Democrats from regaining the Senate come 2017.

Maybe, but I wouldn't be so quick to assume 2016 will be a big Dem year. 2012 was supposed to see GOP gains and look how that turned out.

You should read 2010 analysis from directly after the 2008 election. Supposedly, the only vulnerable Democratic seats were Arkansas (but Blanche Lincoln was favored) and California (but ONLY if Schwarzenegger ran!). Democrats were expected to gain seats, possibly lots of seats.

[IceSpear]

Guys,

You need all to be positive.

If democrats keep the senate: GREAT .

If democrats lose the senate! GREAT . Mcconnell would be a disaster and would hurt the  GOP for 2016.

This. I'll be disappointed if Republicans take the Senate, but at least there will be the silver lining that McConnell and Boehner will no doubt make Hillary's trip to the White House much easier.

As the news worsens, I continue to be happy for this silver lining...

[IceSpear]

This thread: Democrats losing a bunch of Senate seats will be GREAT NEWS for the Democratic Party.

Who said that? Bad things can still have silver linings.

[IceSpear]

It's not like Democrats were going to be able to get 60 before 2020 anyway, and 60 is the only number that matters as far as the Senate goes.

Hillary won't be as toxic to Congressional candidates as Obama is. We'll retake the Senate with her coattails in 2016, 2018 will be about even, and we'll have a shot at 60 in 2020 with Hillary's second set of coattails.

If Hillary was President the last 6 years and Obama wasn't, I think you'd be saying the same about Obama.

Probably true, but so what?