Put yourself in the House GOP's shoes for a minute. Just about every time you've thought things couldn't get any worse this year, they have. Think about it: first, your financial deficit has just kept growing after an accounting scandal at the NRCC uncovered record committee debt. Then, there was that string of unthinkable special election defeats. And, to top it off, after one of your five-term incumbents admitted to an extramarital affair that led to an illegitimate child following a DUI, the replacement candidate died.
Could it actually go downhill from here?
It's the question that has made trying to identify "sleeper" House races one of DC's favorite parlor games at the moment. When another Democratic wave hits, who will be the Carol Shea-Porter, Nancy Boyda, or Dave Loebsack of 2008? The larger political environment, more than local factors, is the reason we are keeping more of an eye on districts that currently seem safe for Republicans than districts that currently seem safe for Democrats.
In a Roll Call column last week, our friend Stu Rothenberg pointed out the
Subscribe Today
Our subscribers have first access to individual race pages for each House, Senate and Governors race, which will include race ratings (each race is rated on a seven-point scale) and a narrative analysis pertaining to that race.