Mommy Life: WSJ: Even Democrat strongholds under seige

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October 9, 2010 12:24 PM

WSJ: Even Democrat strongholds under seige

From the Wall Street Journal. You definitely want to click on the interactive map for lots of information on individual races. And show it to teens in your house. These are historic times we're living through and this should be embedded into their memories to tell future generations of when we almost lost our country, but didn't:

Democrat Bastions Besieged by GOP

By NEIL KING JR. And PETER WALLSTEN
October 9, 2010

Republican challengers are suddenly threatening once-safe Democrats in New England and the Northwest, expanding the terrain for potential GOP gains and raising the party's hopes for a significant victory in next month's elections.

Republican advances in traditionally Democratic states, including Connecticut, Oregon and Washington, may not translate into a wave of GOP victories. But they have rattled local campaigns and forced the Democrats to shift attention and money to races they didn't expect to be defending.

Rising sentiment against the party in power has washed ashore even in coastal Oregon, where Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio won his 10th re-election two years ago with 82% of the vote.

"I am having the same problem that Democrats are having across the country, which is ennui," he said, noting that his opponent's yard signs "are thick" across much of the district. Mr. DeFazio said he is facing the fight of his political life.

Races in 2010

See which House, Senate and governors' races are considered closest.

House Republican leaders in recent weeks have tamped down expectations, noting that Democrats still have significant financial resources and could prove resilient down the stretch. There is plenty of time for voter sentiment to shift, with three weeks before Election Day.

The expanded battlefield map, however, has prompted a shift in tone. Oregon Rep. Greg Walden, vice chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee, bluntly predicted his party is heading toward a big win. "The Democrats are standing on a beach with the water going out and there is a tsunami coming their way," he said.
Read lots more at the Wall Street Journal