Van Hollen: 'Democrats are not going to lose the House'

[ProSense]

Source: The Hill

Democrats won't lose control of the House in this fall's midterm elections, their campaign chief said Monday.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), dismissed Republican hopes of a takeover, as well as a White House acknowledgement this weekend that such a scenario was possible.

"Democrats are not going to lose the House; the answer's 'no,'" Van Hollen said Monday during an appearance on MSNBC.

<...>

"I was not surprised he said that," Van Hollen explained. "What he said was there are a lot of seats out there, and it's a dogfight out there."


Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/108251-van-hollen-democrats-are-not-going-to-lose-the-house

[JuniperLea]

1. Lather, rinse, repeat...

For the GOP, it's all about the repeating... in an effort to make it so.

Didn't work in '08... not gonna work now.

[Grassy Knoll]

2. I loved the way Gibbs played this.........

...and he got limpy all frothy.

[Control-Z]

4. What did Gibbs actually say?

I missed the start of this and am only hearing about the repercussions. He didn't really say he thought the repugs would take the house, did he?

[Atman]

5. He merely acknowledged that it was mathematically possible

not that he actually thought it would happen.

Much ado about nothing. Of course, the GOP-owned media are piling on it, trying to make it so.

.

[Control-Z]

24. Sounds about

par for the course. Really growing tired of the creeps.

[DimplesinMI]

3. Sorry, but if they take another vacation without approving Unemployment

Yes, oh yes...they will. Were is President Obama on this issue?

[Atman]

6. *YAWN*

Yes...people will flock to the Republicans, because they've always been soooooo concerned about the poor and the unemployed. They did such an awesome job the last time they were in power. That's what people want...more war, more tax breaks for the rich, more getting screwed by the GOP. Get real.

:eyes:

.

[breadandwine]

8. Sorry, Atman. You don't understand midterm elections. Like 1994.

The GOP is playing the midterm elections perfectly. They know that in the absence of a presidential race a lot of people won't even bother to vote. Even in 2008 there were foolish young people who went into the voting booth all smug and happy and they pulled the lever for Obama and didn't even bother to vote for other races. The Republicans have their base all worked up and full of emotion and we don't. Midterm elections are always won by the committed. Our side is apathetic and frustrated by Obama's constant cave ins in the name of DLC finger-in-the-wind. If I hear Obama talk about the deficit one more time I'm going to puke.

So the Republicans will show up and vote and our side won't.

Same thing happened in 1994 when Gingrich took over the House. And lots of smug, overconfident Democrats said it would never happen.

[RBInMaine]

9. Hogshit ! Obama is attacking, and all we have to do is attack and we can gin up the base. Also,

the DLC DLC DLC DLC ... snooze meme is just that. Find another tune please.

[RBInMaine]

10. The GOP is NOT "playing it perfectly" since they have to affirmative message. Just "attack" Obama.

Well, we are already calling them out on how they would GOVERN as the Grand Old British Petroleum Party, and we are attacking them hard in many localities on how INSANE they are with the Tea Haters.
As long as we ATTACK, we hold them off.

[MikeW]

17. youve been living in Maine too long ...

Heres how the country votes ... like it or not.

If your unemployed your a single issue voter ... hands down I dont care what anyone else says.

The Republicans dont have to offer an alternative plan yet becuase voter apathy will be focused on the Democratic party.

I'll say this again SLOWLY ...

The party in power HAS TO OFFER the PLAN, THE FIX, AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.

VOTERS WILL NOT LISTEN to Democrats whining about how the Republicans are abstructionists (even though it might be true).

Eventually people get fed up with the BS grade school playground "OH HE POKED ME !!! TEACHER!!!!" and they expect ACTION.

Granted Obama is getting a raw deal, he has to turn around an economy thats has years worth of damage.

However, hes IN CHARGE and HE WILL rec. the BLAME.

[Ramulux]

18. I see your point

but there are a lot of differences between this election and 1994. The motivation factor is definitely key in this election and will be the reason the GOP pick up any seats at all.

All you really need to do is look at how many seats are in play and how many of them are likely turnovers. To take back the house or senate there would literally have to be a massive shift in the political atmosphere between now and November and I dont see that happening. Also, if it did happen, we wouldn't be worrying about simply losing majorities but losing a much larger amounts of seats.

The point is, short of a huge wave of anti-democratic sentiment, the GOP will not take back congress.

[Tempest]

20. Once again, THIS IS NOTHING LIKE 1994

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/12/eric-cantor-says-republic_n_643306.html

[Atman]

25. I don't understand mid-term elections??

LOL! You obviously don't know who I work for. Nice try, though.

[RBInMaine]

11. Please, stop helping the RePUKES.

[Lost4words]

13. Welcome to DU!

watch for the flat earth crowd around here! :hi:

[Tempest]

19. You want to blame Democrats because the Republicans are blocking the extension?

I suppose you blame your dog whenever you get drunk and trip over a coffee table.

[LiberalEsto]

7. I hope he's correct

Chris is our congressman. I worked on his campaign when he ousted the entrenched and well-liked Republican Connie Morella some years back.

A couple of months ago I wrote to Van Hollen pleading with him to make job creation and increased employment a major Democratic Party position this fall, and to get his fellow Democrats doing something about unemployment ASAP.

Nothing but an automatic "Thank you for your opinion" response, which is unusual for Van Hollen. Usually his office is much more responsive.

I am bewildered about this. Why are Democrats seemingly ignoring our massive unemployment numbers when they know perfectly well that people vote their pocketbooks?

[DCBob]

15. He's mine too. I like him. I met him at fundraiser event a while back.

I think he could be major player down the road... Senate or more.

[RC]

12. Ya all is forgettin' who owns the voting machines

It's not how ya vote, but who does the countin'.

[Lost4words]

22. aint that the truth, and little or nothing has been done

with regard to electronic voting.

[SlingBlade]

14. Whistling by the Grave Yard of Corporate Dem's

[yurbud]

21. DLC can ALWAYS rescue defeat from the jaws of victory

wins in 2006 & 2008 were in spite of not because of DLC corporate Dems.

[Lost4words]

23. +1 nt

[DCBob]

16. It's definitely mathematically possible and definitely possible..

I think this was entirely orchestrated to energize the Democrat masses.