Midterm Elections: The Homestretch
As Democrats brace themselves to lose in November, Republicans are riding high in the polls and gearing up for a landslide victory next month.
Over the last few weeks, Republicans have quickly gained momentum and strategists are now doubling down on a GOP victory in 2014. With only 15 days until Election Day, the window of opportunity for Democrats to turn it around is closing quickly.
Democrats are losing steam and have spent most of the cycle trying to distance themselves from the president and his failing policies. Republicans on the other hand have harnessed their momentum early on and as a result are poised to take back the Senate.
Polling models such as The New York Times and FiveThirtyEight, are giving Republicans over a 60% chance of gaining control of the Senate. As the scales tip in the GOP’s favor, it’s their election to lose. The Republican advantage comes as a result of the president’s inaction on issues plaguing our country such as immigration and the mishandling of crises abroad, namely ISIS.
With Real Clear Politics reporting 52% of the country disproving of Obama’s job performance, and more joining them everyday, Democrats in the Senate are waking up and realizing the power they currently wield will soon be a distant memory.
In the past midterm elections have served as a referendum on the sitting president and his party. If that’s the case Obama and the Democrats better brace themselves because according to my magic 8ball, the outlook is bleak.
President Obama’s leadership in his second term has lacked a coherent strategy. He confirmed America’s fears when he openly admitted, “we don’t have a strategy yet” to deal with the threat posed by ISIS. On the campaign trail, Democratic candidates are fighting an up-hill battle trying to overcome the burden of a failing President; while Americans watch their president lurch from one crisis to another without adequately resolving any of them.
As such, the 2014 elections will be a turning point for America as a country, much like the Tea Party take-over in 2010. Voters are fed up and ready to overhaul Washington in a big way. Many incumbents find themselves facing accusations of being out of step with their constituents, a bad situation for any candidate so close to an election.
With the Democratic Party weaker than it has been in years, a perfect storm is brewing, giving Republicans a much-welcomed edge in this election cycle. This year shows a lot of promise for the GOP as long as they turn out their base on November 4th, they may just find the momentum and stride they’ll need to cross the finish line with a victory again in 2016.