The environment is better and better for Democrats. |
The fact that he's a lame duck in Massachusetts now and his term will end two years before the presidential election is not at all a problem. I'd regard it as an asset. He's free to travel. |
The House of Representatives is in play, and the Democrats do have a chance to win it in November. |
The Kerry people have to keep their focus on George W. Bush and attacking the president's policies, particularly on Iraq. To the extent that Bill Clinton suddenly becomes a campaign issue, I don't think that's an asset for the challenger. |
The president is not on the ballot so the only way to send a message to the government, to the White House, to Congress about the president's performance is via these congressional elections. |
The problem with the big issues, Social Security reform, campaign finance reform, fundamental tax reform, is that they are so politically dangerous that I think both sides want to avoid them. |
The race is over unless Bush not only stumbles but collapses, ... He has such a huge bankroll, he starts out with such terrific poll numbers, he has demonstrated such significant campaign appeal that it's hard to imagine this is a race. |
The Republicans and the president seem to have come together on a number of issues to arrive at a consensus. The deepening division is now between the Democratic President Bill Clinton and the Democratic leader in the House, Dick Gephardt, and a lot of this is positioning for the year 2000. |
The Republicans cannot hemorrhage among Republican, suburban women; they need those votes in '98 and 2000. And I think Democrats may come to need white men whether it's in '98 or 2000 or beyond. |
The same electorate that is unhappy with [Pennsylvania's] GOP Sen. Rick Santorum appears to have some qualms with Rendell. |
There are signs that Hackett seems a little embittered, ... If he runs an aggressive race that attacks Sherrod Brown, it could divide the party. |
There is an aggressiveness coming out of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that I haven't seen in the past. |
There is no doubt the voters of Delaware really love Bill Roth. It's not that they don't know him. It's a question of whether they think it's time to give him a gold watch and have someone else for the future. |
There will be some true believers who will rally around him and portray him as a victim. But politicians tend to be a wary bunch. |
There's a decent chance the Democrats could take the House. The combination of the national mood and the difficulty the president and Republicans are having getting things done makes it no longer a long shot. |