How Bad Was Dem Turnout?
"Epic turnout collapse" says Cook Political Report: "...the story in House races was an epic turnout collapse and motivational deficit. Democrats' surprisingly large losses are attributable to 'orphan states' where there was little enthusiasm for top-of-the-ticket Democrat ... Just about the only places Democrats survived were races where the DCCC and its allies were able to take advantage of very flawed GOP incumbents or candidates ..."
Democrats hurt by low turnout in some, but not all, races. NYT: "...turnout among core Democratic groups was lower in 2014 than it was in 2012 or even 2010 ... But Democrats also lost in states where turnout surpassed 2010 ... Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat, found himself in a surprisingly tight race in Virginia, where turnout was unusually low. Yet Senator Mark Udall failed to win re-election in Colorado even though more Democrats voted than in 2010, when Democrats won a Senate seat ... Senator Kay Hagan lost by two points with an older and whiter electorate than the one that Mr. Obama lost by two points in 2012 ... In Iowa, where Joni Ernst, a Republican, defeated Bruce Braley, a Democrat, by a decisive eight-point margin, it is hard to argue that Republicans won by the margin of turnout."
Turnout problems raise questions for Southern Dems. NYT: "Republicans won all seven governor’s races in the South, nearly all by double-digit margins. They expanded majorities in five Southern state legislatures; in the Tennessee Senate, the Republicans now outnumber Democrats 28 to five ... The conservative Deep South was never going to be the heart of Mr. Obama’s culturally liberal coalition. But many Democrats saw this next-generational appeal making inroads in New South states ... Kasim Reed, the mayor of Atlanta, said he still believed that this was the way forward for Democrats in Georgia ... He faulted the campaigns of Michelle Nunn ... and Jason Carter ... for not spending more time and resources to register and turn out what he said were roughly 600,000 unregistered black voters in Georgia, and 200,000 unregistered Latinos."
GOP Leaders Talk Bipartisanship
GOP leaders insist there won't be a shutdown or debt default. Politico: "...Republican leaders are vowing not to repeat the errors of past years, when messy fiscal fights eroded public confidence in Washington and became the hallmark of the GOP-controlled House ... Asked whether he would insist on spending cuts as part of a debt ceiling increase, something House and Senate conservatives have demanded in past years, McConnell signaled he would pursue other avenues instead ... Only time will tell whether they can overcome the influence of their activist base ..."
But internal civil war simmers. Bloomberg: "Fissures are erupting between Republican Party leaders and the rank and file over whether to first advance the most ambitious goals -- dismantling Obamacare and rolling back environmental rules -- or focus on issues less likely to face a veto ... If the shutdown of 2013 is a guide, the rebellious wing of their party may force the hand of Republican leaders."
McConnell talks up bipartisanship for trade deals and corporate tax reform. Politico: "... it’s not clear what, beyond enacting new trade deals, the GOP leaders and Obama can agree upon ... McConnell and Obama discussed reforming the Tax Code, a tremendous undertaking and one that would require significant compromises. The White House has long insisted raising tax revenues, but that is off limits for virtually all House and Senate Republicans."
Obama signals willingness to swap repatriation of offshore corporate revenue for infrastructure spending: "On repatriation ... there is an opportunity for us to do a tax reform package that is good for business, good for jobs, and can potentially finance infrastructure development here in the United States. Now, the devil is in the details. So I think, conceptually, it’s something where we may have some overlap, and I’m very interested in pursuing ideas that can put folks to work right now on roads and bridges and waterways and ports, and a better air traffic control system."
But "Obama Immigration Vow Clashes With McConnell’s" reports Bloomberg: "[McConnell] said Obama’s plans to take executive action on immigration, if Congress doesn’t act, would amount to 'waving a red flag in front of a bull' ... As for Republicans who might be 'angered or frustrated,' he added, 'those are folks, I just have to say, who are also deeply opposed to immigration reform in any form.'"
Conservative National Review tells Republicans not to govern: "The desire to prove Republicans can govern also makes them hostage to their opponents in the Democratic party and the media ... A prove-you-can-govern strategy will inevitably divide the party on the same tea-party-vs.-establishment lines ..."
Republicans Make Big Gains With State Legislatures
Republicans now control 29 state legislatures. NYT: "[Nevada state Rep. Pat] Hickey said the newly Republican-held capital might tackle education issues and a restructuring of the state tax system, as well as examine collective bargaining rules and pensions ... In Minnesota, where Republicans took control of the state House, Paul Thissen, a Democrat who will no longer be speaker, said he expected the change would stall hopes Democrats had for the coming year, including the possibility of more spending on transportation and efforts to expand worker protections like paid parental leave."
Republican takeover of NY state Senate setback to Mayor de Blasio. NYT: "Lacking the partnership of the Senate, the mayor’s plan to restore New York City’s authority over its rent-control laws is likely a nonstarter. And his efforts to expand rights for immigrants and raise the city’s minimum wage could face significant opposition. In negotiations, the mayor will also be more dependent on his on-again, off-again friend Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ... Asked if his involvement in the Senate contest had backfired, he offered a calm response: 'I just don’t buy it.'"
