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bench scientist

(1,107 posts)
Wed Jan 10, 2018, 12:27 PM Jan 2018

Are Democrats Senate Chances In 2018 Overrated?

Nate Silver from 538 crunches the numbers:

“After Democrat Doug Jones won a stunning victory in Alabama’s special election for the U.S. Senate last month, lots of smart people whose work I read and follow, such as The New York Times’s Nate Cohn, declared that the battle for Senate control in 2018 was a “toss-up.” Prediction markets largely concur; after Jones’s win, the betting odds of Democrats taking over the Senate shot up to about 45 percent.

I think this might be premature. Winning in Alabama certainly makes the Democrats’ path easier: They could now gain control of the Senate by retaining all of their own seats, plus picking up the Republican held-seats in purplish Nevada and Arizona. But they’re probably still the underdogs.
Democrats face a really tough Senate map.”
More at link:

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/are-democrats-senate-chances-overrated/

16 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Are Democrats Senate Chances In 2018 Overrated? (Original Post) bench scientist Jan 2018 OP
Tennessee might be a surprise Funtatlaguy Jan 2018 #1
Certainly seems like the best of those in the likely R category. bench scientist Jan 2018 #4
And we have another seat to defend in Minnesota exboyfil Jan 2018 #2
2 Seats in Arizona? Proud Liberal Dem Jan 2018 #7
McCain has an aggressive form of brain cancer. bench scientist Jan 2018 #9
Definitely possible I agree Proud Liberal Dem Jan 2018 #13
I know that Nate deals in cold, hard numbers Proud Liberal Dem Jan 2018 #3
We do have a hard fight.Being realistic about that helps us to prepare bench scientist Jan 2018 #6
Correction: He deals with cold hard numbers....most of the time. BannonsLiver Jan 2018 #14
I 100% agree with Silver NewJeffCT Jan 2018 #5
Exactly. bench scientist Jan 2018 #8
not easy to predict accurately so far ahead, but i agree we're underdogs. unblock Jan 2018 #10
Don't give up on Texas Dem_4_Life Jan 2018 #11
Not by me. Iggo Jan 2018 #12
I hold out no hope of winning the Senate GulfCoast66 Jan 2018 #15
This message was self-deleted by its author Anny61 Jan 2018 #16

Funtatlaguy

(10,885 posts)
1. Tennessee might be a surprise
Wed Jan 10, 2018, 12:32 PM
Jan 2018

Former popular Democratic Governor Bredesen against Repub whack job Marsha Blackburn.

exboyfil

(17,865 posts)
2. And we have another seat to defend in Minnesota
Wed Jan 10, 2018, 12:35 PM
Jan 2018

Maybe we can pick up two seats in Arizona. I have to think we are going to lose at least two seats with current incumbents.

We have to defend Missouri, Indiana, West Virginia, Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida.

26 Democrat or Independent seats and 8 Republican seats (not including McCain)

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,436 posts)
7. 2 Seats in Arizona?
Wed Jan 10, 2018, 12:43 PM
Jan 2018

Is McCain resigning/retiring?

Who are the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents? Under normal circumstances, I'd agree that we would be more vulnerable but Trump is horribly toxic and so many Republicans in Congress are resigning that I would imagine that we would be in better shape in general. So far, I haven't heard any polling that shows any specific dangers for any of our incumbents.

bench scientist

(1,107 posts)
9. McCain has an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Wed Jan 10, 2018, 12:47 PM
Jan 2018

I wish him well but the prognosis for this type is both rapid and fatal. ( Vice President Biden’s son died from the same type of cancer ).
It’s possible there will two senate races in AZ.

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,436 posts)
3. I know that Nate deals in cold, hard numbers
Wed Jan 10, 2018, 12:37 PM
Jan 2018

and I agree that we face long odds in the Senate but, damn, why can't we try to feel optimistic about something at least occasionally? The last year+ has been one long dark tunnel of doom and gloom.

bench scientist

(1,107 posts)
6. We do have a hard fight.Being realistic about that helps us to prepare
Wed Jan 10, 2018, 12:43 PM
Jan 2018

Realism is good. We need to know what is ahead of us. Where do we marshall our resources, where recruit candidates, who are our best options?
Victories don’t just happen it takes a ton of work.

BannonsLiver

(16,439 posts)
14. Correction: He deals with cold hard numbers....most of the time.
Wed Jan 10, 2018, 01:19 PM
Jan 2018

But unfortunately for Nate, he's been inserting his own opinions into his forecasts and predictions lately which is where he gets into a bit of trouble.

NewJeffCT

(56,828 posts)
5. I 100% agree with Silver
Wed Jan 10, 2018, 12:40 PM
Jan 2018

I've been trying to sell the idea that the Democrats just holding even in the Senate would be a huge victory with the god-awful map.

However, if the Democrats pick up 50 seats in the House, but don't win the Senate, the media and Trump will trumpet it as a repudiation of the Resistance that Democrats didn't take back both houses

unblock

(52,309 posts)
10. not easy to predict accurately so far ahead, but i agree we're underdogs.
Wed Jan 10, 2018, 12:47 PM
Jan 2018

i think people take for granted that we'll be able to defend all our seats and focus on winning the seats we need to flip to our side.

but sheer randomness makes it hard to defend that many seats. some scandal or news event somewhere could very well blow things up out of left field.

Dem_4_Life

(1,765 posts)
11. Don't give up on Texas
Wed Jan 10, 2018, 12:49 PM
Jan 2018

Hillary lost by 8 points and Trump and Cruz are very unpopular. There are a lot of Republicans and people who have never voted for a DEM ever who are already saying they will vote for Beto O'Rourke and that Cruz needs to go. We need to focus on GOTV and it will be a hard fight but it is not impossible.

GulfCoast66

(11,949 posts)
15. I hold out no hope of winning the Senate
Wed Jan 10, 2018, 01:40 PM
Jan 2018

But we should fight seat like we can win. That pays off in future years. What kills us is so many districts where the voters never hear our message because we do not compete. Granted that is more true in the house than senate.

Response to bench scientist (Original post)

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