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发帖数: 3300 | 1 CAMBRIDGE, Md. – According to Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), 2014 is his party's year.
In a closed-door briefing to House Democrats, the campaign chief painted a
picture of favorable midterm political landscape. Israel argued that the
combination of strong recruiting, a stark fundraising advantage and a
popular policy platform gives the Democrats a real shot at defying the
historical odds and winning back the House in November.
"In all the polling, on the issues that matter to the American people, we’
re winning,” Israel told the lawmakers gathered on the Eastern Shore for
their annual retreat, according to a source in the room.
Israel also announced that President Obama has committed to six fundraising
events for the House Democrats – a dynamic that's sure to give a boost to
the DCCC's already sizable campaign haul, which was $15 million more than
the majority Republicans brought in last year.
History, though, is not on the Democrats' side, as the party of lame-duck
presidents tends to fare poorly in off-year elections. The Democrats would
need to pick up 17 seats to win back the Speaker's gavel from Rep. John
Boehner (R-Ohio) and the GOP – a high bar, especially in light of Obama's
dismal approval ratings and a small House battlefield.
Still, Israel noted that the Republicans' approval numbers, which have
hovered around 10 percent, are also historic lows, suggesting Democrats will
fight to exploit their opponents' unpopularity.
“Never in history has a majority run in a midterm election with a job
approval at 12 percent,” Israel said, according to the entrenched source.
The Democrats are also banking that their continued emphasis on popular
economic policies – including a hike in the minimum wage, an extension of
unemployment benefits and comprehensive immigration reform – will
distinguish them, in the eyes of voters, as the party of the working class.
Israel argued Thursday that the issue of retirements also favors the
Democrats, as the Republicans will have roughly a dozen soon-to-be vacant
seats to fill.
“It is a myth that retirements have hurt us," Israel said, according to the
source. "When you look at the map, 11 Republican districts are now in play."
Obama, who is scheduled to address the Democrats in Cambridge on Friday
morning, is expected to discuss similar themes. |
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