Republicans Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush are in the spotlight, because the GOP is freaking about 2014 and what it means for 2016.
Bloomberg Politics debuts Mark Halperin and John Heillemann’s new venture and “With All Due Respect” on web TV at 5:00 p.m. today.
There are currently two factions in American presidential politics: Those who are absolutely sure Jeb Bush will run for president in 2016 and those who are absolutely sure he won’t. – Mark Halperin
IF YOU DIDN’T understand it before, the debut of Mark Halperin and John Heilemann‘s Bloomberg politics project reveals what’s really on the minds of Republicans. It’s not 2014, as the handwringing over the 10-point lead of so-called independent in Kansas Greg Orman has turned GOP flop sweat into the Niagara Falls edition.
Failing to win the Senate is a far bigger loss for Republicans than keeping the upper chamber is to Democrats.
The midterms are a must for Republicans, as Reince Priebus confessed on Meet the Press to Chuck Todd. If Republicans don’t win the Senate it would be a disastrous loss for the party, Priebus said. What it sets up for 2016 is something political writers are already teeing up, with Bloomberg Politics serving up an example that is irrefutable in its conclusion.
Everyone knows the 2014 election cycle is but a blip in the future of American politics, which is poised on the lens of what Republicans can possibly due to combat the coming Clinton machine 2.0, powered by American women and male feminists who are backing our play.
Of course, there are few journalists that give progressives a bigger target than elite insider Mark Halperin. You’ll be unsurprised to hear I’m wholly uninterested in this serial drama. Having written the book on what establishment players do, which focused on Hillary Clinton’s media treatment in 2007-2008, it’s old news that access rules in the establishment press.
What is far more interesting is that Bloomberg’s debut of Mark Halperin and John Heilemann‘s politics coverage, which comes with a web TV version at 5:00 p.m. today, goes through the motions of covering the midterms, focusing on Scott Brown’s challenge to Jean Shaheen, but doesn’t really convince anyone that midterms matter to anyone but Republicans.
Bloomberg Politics acknowledges what I wrote about on Friday, the legacy of Pres. Obama is the judiciary.
However, in the end the 2014 midterms gets around to why Mark Halperin focused on whether Jeb Bush will run, and why Mitt Romney is the guest on the inaugural episode of “With All Due Respect.”
The battle for the soul and direction of the Republican Party has raged for several election cycles, and it won’t be settled by the 2014 midterm elections. But should Republicans take control of the Senate, the party leaders’ agenda will be illustrative of the possible way forward — as will the way potential 2016 presidential candidates respond to that agenda. – Phil Mattingly, Bloomberg Politics
Agenda?
What exactly is the Republican “agenda”?
Everyone is waiting to find out, because even Joe Scarborough admits that Republicans have no message. If they lose in their effort to take the Senate in November that reality will be proven conclusively and out of the rubble will have to emerge a leader to give Republicans purpose. Since they never look forward it makes sense to look back.
They’ll also have to grapple with Clinton, who is as establishment as it comes, but no one can make the case that electing the first female is looking back.
So, as much as progressive activists want you to believe that the midterms matter to Democrats and that the sky will fall if they lose the Senate, it’s nonsense.
President Obama has already made his mark on the judiciary, Obamacare is law and Republicans can’t take a program away from people without having an alternative plan, with the catch-22 here being that Americans don’t have the stomach for another stab at national health care.
Democrats looking to 2016 are chewing on leather waiting impatiently for another moment in politics to reach a second milestone. From the first black president to the first female candidate who has a chance of becoming commander in chief.
All Republicans have to match is Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney, with Kelly Ayotte hopscotching Fox News programs and hitting primary states hoping and praying she can become the anti-Sarah Palin on the next Republican ticket.
Come November 5th everyone will turn to 2016, and President Obama will have to get busy before January signing executive orders and enjoying what comes next. Nothing to lose in his remaining days, while he waits to hand the Democratic party back to the Clintons and the women of America.
I would be completely astonished if the Republicans do not win big in November. Even NPR played down the 5.9% unemployment rate reporting that the work force participation rate is the lowest since 1978. I am unable to think of a bigger turn off than people listening to a commentator or politician boasting about how great the economy is doing right now. The economy stinks. People are sick of the democrats and their lousy policies. The democrats are going to get voted out of office. 2016 is not really that relevant right now, compared to the elections next month.Who wants… Read more »
Republicans better take the Senate! Disastrous failure if they don’t, as Priebus confessed.
Interesting that you completely ignored midterm election trend history that usually goes against sitting president’s party.
Your thesis re Dems collapses, because if people hated Democratic policies so much 2012 wouldn’t have happened and the outlook for 2016 for GOP would be brighter than it is demographically.
Oh, wait, one more thing: Besides Obama sucks, what is the GOP message? See Joe Scarborough, there isn’t one.
Outside low turnout base midterm elections, you can’t beat something with nothing.
There is no message. The entire GOP message is Obama sucks. They are offering no solutions, don’t even tell you where they stand on issues.
I see highly unmotivated GOP voters down here in GA. The far right is going to turn out because the Obama sucks message works on them but the GOP had better hope that a lot of other voters just sit home for that work.. And all you are going to get with a GOP senate is more crazy clown car stuff. They’re going to waste the entire two years if they win with these endless investigations that do nothing and help none of the Americans who are out of a job in any way. A lot of the crazy will… Read more »
Yeah, I did a lot of reading after hearing progressive activists bemoan a November catastrophe, because it makes sense at first glance because of Obama.
Then I digested the politics of it & came to the irrefutable answer that political ego drives partisans on the midterm outcome, but the actual manifestation is the GOP having to govern while picking a 2016 nominee. Picture the political practicalities balanced against the Huckabee – Paul – Cruz – Christie – Portman free for all, while dealing with finding some woman, any female to be on the ticket!
I wonder if the comedy coming out of the GOP primary in 2016 will best the one that came out of 2012 though this time there seems to be no one would even be considered remotely moderate. Jeb Bush has done everything they hate like support common core and frankly who is his constituency within the GOP? At least Christie would have NJ and maybe a few other states. Friends in FL say the GOP down there has gone so far off the rails that they doubt Jeb would even win the GOP FL primary. Apparently Jeb is not as… Read more »
I don’t know what would be more disastrous for the Republicans winning the Senate or not making the grade. If they win, they let their freak flag fly and Mitch McConnell makes Obama’s and Hilary’s life a holy hell for two years. But will Yertel the Turtle get the chance? He might get bumped off in the General, he might get back-stabbed in the cloak room by the ambitious as Lucifer Cruz. If it is only a narrow majority, the long knifes are going to come out in the Republican caucus with the Ultras holding power, just as the TEA… Read more »
Dems keep the Senate….take a couple of seats in the House…and CREAM the repugnantklan,teabagger,UBERChristians in Governors races. Then bring on 2016!!!!!! They really should come up with something like a never ending gobstopper in the popcorn Isle!!!
Kelly Ayotte?? No way is she going to be allowed anywhere near the levers of power Taylor. There is a reason that Simple Sara, the Savior of the North got the nod and it was not policy bone fides. Women in the party of Lincoln are window dressing for now. They are props to “prove” to foolish people that a Party made of Pasty Old Racist White Dudes is something other than that. I can see how Ayotte could be used as a sand in your eyes tactic to blunt the meme of “The War Against Women” but if you… Read more »
Well, Republicans need a woman and she’s the only one being groomed on national security for the spot, by McCain and Lindsey Graham, no less.
Groomed by McCain and Lindsey Graham? Well, there is a recommendation for you. She may as well claim to raised by wolves.
*claim to be raised by wolves.