Democrats looking fine?


Malcolm's US election watch continues. He notes, with some degree of chuffiness, today's New York Times piece by Robin Toner. Toner, it needs recognising, has been consistently chipper about the Democratic Party's changes in November.

Six weeks out, he believes that Senator Allen of Virginia looks "newly vulnerable". In view of Allen being repeatedly wrong-footed in recent weeks (notably on race issues, now also over whether he is prepared to acknowledge his Jewish ancestry), and his Democratic challenger getting the better of the exchanges, that's recognising the increasingly-obvious. That all is significant because it represents the sixth State on the Democrat's possible shopping list: the one that might give them a majority in the Senate. Democrats are ahead or challenging in Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, according to Toner as well as other columnists. The grit in the sandwich is New Jersey, a traditional Democratic banker looking vulnerable. And, as usual, the Republicans have long pockets, and no qualms about "casting nasturtiums".

Meanwhile, Chris Cillizza, whose Washington Post politics blog Malcolm has hailed previously (see August 24th), has been getting down and dirty in an Ohio River Ramble. Incidently, the Washington Post has one of the most irritating ads popping up in the margin. Cillizza is due for another summing-up of the national picture, and it'll be worth the waiting.

Rasmussen is still going 49 Republican to 48 Democrats, with three "toss-ups". He still has Democratic Bill Nelson at 56-33 over "road-kill" Katherine Harris in Florida (Ho, ho!, says Malcolm). Sphere: Related Content