Let’s take a minute to indulge in best-case scenarios, shall we? Time runs down the situation in the Senate. They note that if the Dems pick up…
- The open seat in Colorado being vacated by the retiring Wayne Allard,
- The open seat in New Mexico being vacated by the retiring Pete Domenici,
- The open seat in Virginia being vacated by the retiring John Warner,
- The open seat in Nebraska being vacated by the retiring Chuck Hagel,
- The open seat in Idaho being vacated by the retiring Wide Stance,
- The New Hampshire seat being defended by John Sununu,
- The Maine seat being defended by Susan Collins,
- The Minnesota seat being defended by Norm Coleman,
- The Oregon seat being defended by Gordon Smith,
and they defend…
- The Louisiana seat held by Mary Landrieu,
they will have 60 seats, enough to beat a Republican filibuster. This doesn’t even take into account the possibility of Alaska Senator Ted Steven’s legal troubles deepening and forcing his retirement. A 60-seat majority means, for the first time, real legislation that can end the Iraq War. And a Democratic tidal wave of this nature would likely usher in a Democratic president, which means a new era of progressive domestic policies.
The races listed above all have a legitimate chance to go the Dems’ way—there are 11 seats held by Democrats and 12 seats held by Republicans that I didn’t even mention because the incumbent is unlikely to face a serious challenge in any of them. (For a ranking of races, see this pdf.) These races all depend, of course, on the quality of opponents and various local factors. But with so many Republicans up for reelection in states trending blue, it should be an exciting 2008.
Also of note: Which of the challengers will catch the imagination of the netroots? To use the parlance, who will the people power?
