MEMO from the National Republican
Congressional Committee
TO: INTERESTED PARTIES
FROM: NRCC CHAIRMAN PETE SESSIONS
DATE: OCTOBER 5, 2010
SUBJECT: PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE HOUSE PLAYING FIELD
Now that October is here, the final month of the campaign is upon us
and Democrats are still on their heels as candidates begin to make
their closing arguments. Democrats made a mad dash for the exits when
they voted to adjourn Congress without putting a stop to the
job-killing Obama tax hikes in order to return to the campaign trail.
Now, they once again face the harsh reality that voters are eager to
hold them accountable for the destructive agenda they have put in place
over the last 21 months. Republican candidates continue to campaign
against reckless items like the failed ‘stimulus,’ the government
takeover of healthcare, the National Energy Tax, failure to pass a
budget, and now the Obama tax hikes. The record accumulated by House
Democrats during the current Congress proves that this majority is
incapable of governing according to the will of the American people.
We need to look no farther than the current playing field to see how
badly the political environment has deteriorated for the majority
party. Throughout the summer and now into the fall, the playing field
has continuously expanded, pulling once-safe Democrats into the fray to
join their endangered colleagues. While many scoffed even at the idea
of a Republican majority when the current Congress convened in January
2009, the size of the playing field confirms that the House is in play.
The Rothenberg Political Report now puts 86 Democrat-held seats in
danger of flipping to the Republican column.
Democrats have already begun to admit as much. The Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee has already started cutting ad time
for districts that appear beyond saving. As Democrats across the
country are forced to play defense, the DCCC has told many incumbents –
and some open-seat candidates – that they are on their own. Due to
significant independent expenditure cuts in states like Arizona,
Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, the DCCC
has signaled that Republican candidates in these battleground districts
should be considered the prohibitive favorites for victory in November.
Exacerbating the problem for Democrats: As Election Day gets closer,
competitive seats continue to appear in places where few expected.
Rothenberg recently moved Rep. Tim Bishop’s Long Island, New York seat
into the “Toss-Up/Tilt Democrat” column, one of his most competitive
rankings. The NRCC is now airing ads to make a serious play for
retiring Rep. Bill Delahunt’s Massachusetts congressional district. And
Democrats have found themselves paying to play defense in the most
unexpected places. The DCCC has placed major ad buys in the districts
of Phil Hare in Illinois and Sanford Bishop in Georgia – Democrats who
were not found on anyone’s watch list just a few months ago.
Republican congressional candidates are also enjoying the prospects of
a significant boost from strong upticket performances by Republican
nominees. In key congressional districts in states like Pennsylvania,
Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Iowa, Republican House candidates will
likely benefit from strong performances by top-notch gubernatorial and
Senate candidates. In a midterm election where turnout could be a key
factor in deciding which party holds a majority in Congress, enthusiasm
for GOP candidates at the top of the ticket will benefit Republicans in
battleground districts.
Thanks to the hard work of Republican candidates and members of
Congress, our prospects for November are bright heading into the final
stretch of the campaign. In publicly-available polling in key districts
nationwide, Republican challenger and open-seat candidates have either
earned an advantage or have put themselves in a strong position to win.
The RealClearPolitics average of the generic congressional ballot shows
the GOP with a 3.5-point lead – a margin that could allow the GOP to
win the requisite 39 seats. Making life even more difficult for
Democrats on the campaign trail, Gallup finds President Obama’s average
approval rating sitting at a paltry 45 percent.
Republicans have spent the last 21 months putting the pieces in place
for a majority in 2011. All factors indicate that our hard work will
pay off if we continue to hold Democrats accountable for the reckless
Obama-Pelosi agenda. With less than a month to go, it’s clear that
Democrats will, at the very least, lose functional control of the
House. The next four weeks will determine the extent of their losses.
Americans deserve a Congress that is willing to listen to the voice of
the people. With Republicans on the brink of large gains, it’s now time
to close the deal.
###