NOVEMBER 2016, THE GOP’S LAST STAND???

While I fear I might possibly be jinxing the entire election by daring to put the cart pretty far in front of the horse, it would seem, at least at this point, that something which I never thought would happen, ‘MAY’ actually be on the verge of becoming a reality.  That being, of course, that despite of the thoroughly incompetent leadership of Mitch McConnell, the Republicans ‘may’ actually retain control of the Senate.  And just as I had resolved myself to Chuckie Schumer becoming the majority leader.  But the election is still very far away.

Republican hopes for holding onto the Senate are being bolstered a bit by a recent Quinnipiac University poll showing GOP incumbents leading in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, three critical swing states and may prove to be even more critical than usual this election.  Proving, I suppose, that old adage that even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and again.  And if they do in fact manage to keep control of Congress it will be more in spite of anything they have done than because of anything that they have managed to accomplish.

Mr. Peter A. Brown is the assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.  And Mr. Brown said, “The numbers seem to be breaking the Republican way in the battle for control of the U.S. Senate, at least when it comes to the critical swing states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.”  And according to the poll’s executive summary: “The Swing State Poll focuses on Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania because since 1960 no candidate has won the presidential race without taking at least two of these three states.”  So, I guess we’ll see.

And the poll also found: “Noteworthy is Ohio where former Gov. Ted Strickland, who had an early lead but now trails Sen. Rob Portman (R.-Ohio) by 7 percentage points.” In Florida, Marco Rubio leads Democrats Rep. Patrick Murphy 50 percent to 37 percent Rep. Alan Grayson similarly: 50 percent to 38 percent.  And meanwhile in Pennsylvania, Pat Toomey over Democrat Katie McGinty 49 percent to 39 percent.  But as I said, it’s still very early and as we all things in the world of politics can change all too quickly. A lot can happen in the next 115 days.

In looking at Ohio Mr. Brown said, “Portman had trailed for much of the campaign, but now has moved clearly ahead of Democratic challenger Ted Strickland, a former governor.  HE added, “Many talking heads have suggested that with Donald Trump at the top of the GOP ticket, Republican Senate candidates might suffer.”  And Mr. Brown went on to say, “But at least in these three key states, the Republican Senate candidates are running ahead of Trump and don’t seem to be hurt by their shared party label.”  The Trump brand ‘may’ even be helping.

Mr. Brown said, “There’s a seeming paradox about the U.S. Senate race in Ohio. Democrat Ted Strickland, who will be 75-years-old next month, does best among young voters, beating incumbent Republican Sen. Rob Portman 49 percent 36 percent among voters 18 to 34 years old. Portman, who is 60-years-old, scores best among voters over 65 years old, beating Strickland 51 percent to 35 percent.”  Well I’m quite sure that the Democrat in this race is working the young voters in the same as Bernie Sanders did, just promise them free everything.

Turning to Pennsylvania, Brown said, “In Pennsylvania, incumbent Sen. Pat Toomey, who has led from the start, maintains a double-digit margin.”  Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said Trump is not hindrance to Toomey.  “Republicans, at least in Pennsylvania, can exhale. Toomey has a comfortable lead in his bid to keep this GOP Senate seat safe. A welcome development in the turbulent and polarizing landscape where Donald Trump roams.”  And Toomey isn’t the most conservative of Republicans.

And in Florida Democrats were hoping to pick up the open seat left by the retirement of Rubio, but Rubio has retired his retirement plan and is seeking to be rehired. Brown said the Quinnipiac University Poll finds Rubio in a very strong position. He said, “The breadth of Senator Rubio’s lead against Rep. Patrick Murphy, who has the backing of the Democratic leadership, is impressive. He has a 19-point margin among independent voters and scores 10 points better among Republicans than Murphy does among Democrats.”

So let’s say, for the sake of argument, that these polls hold true and come this November voters hand to the Republicans that which they have been saying they needed for what will have been the last eight years, complete control of Congress as well as the White House.  What might we, the American people expect to see happen?  Will we see them throw caution to the wind by putting the future, and the very survival of our country, above their individual political careers and finally do what we elected them to do?  Or, will we once again hear nothing but excuses?

After all, Republican majorities in the House in 2010 and the senate in 2014 proved themselves to be little more than impotent as they basically allowed ‘Dingy Harry’ Reid and Nancy Pelosi free rein to implement Barry’s agenda with nary a word of opposition. And with the entrance of Trump what we may very well be watching could actually be the final death gasps of the uniparty.  And this is not Trump wrecking the Republican Party, this is the people sick of voting for a specific agenda and getting the complete opposite of what they were promised and voted for.

If this recent poll is accurate, and may actually be foretelling that which will actually come to pass, I can’t help but wonder if it might be because voters have a sense that Donald Trump intends to do those things that he has promised them he will do, and realize that he will need a unified Congress behind him if he is to be successful.  So in an effort to give him a chance they may be willing to allow the Republicans to keep their majority at least long enough to provide Trump the opportunity to make good on what he has promised.  But the window of opportunity will be ever so brief.