Jay Carney On Democrats: Election Day Will Be ‘Bad’
Jay Carney said Democrats should expect a “bad” election day next week.
The comments to CNN’s Jake Tapper lay out what Jay Carney thinks Democrats should expect on Tuesday (Nov. 4), according to Mediaite.
“No matter how you slice it Republicans are gonna pick up seats in the Senate and the House, and they may win control of the Senate.”
With Jay Carney certain that Democrats could lose control of the Senate, what could a Republican House and Senate mean? CBS News digital political correspondent Stephanie Condon has analysis and explained that President Barack Obama would have to abandon much of his key policy initiatives in order to work with Republicans on any meaningful legislation. Among the items to be lost, she said, would be the president’s push for an increase in the minimum wage.
Long story short, if Jay Carney’s Democratic election day predictions come true, Condon said it is likely that next to nothing would get done in Congress. But she said the two sides could find some room for agreement. But not much.
“If the GOP continues to take a hard line against the Democrats’ agenda, it is hard to imagine much will get done in the senate over the next two years under a Republican majority. Republicans are projected to win just one or two seats more than Democrats, meaning the president’s party could block most legislation with a filibuster. Republicans will need to reach across the aisle for at least some Democratic support, as Democrats have done with the GOP in the past six years.
“That means much of next year’s congressional agenda would comprise smaller, more incremental accomplishments that could win bipartisan support. That might include repealing the Medical Device Tax from the Affordable Care Act, a tax that’s unpopular with both Republicans and Democrats. Congress could also decide to cooperate with Mr. Obama on issues like infrastructure spending.”
For anyone who needs a reminder of Jay Carney’s analysis of Democrats’ chances in the fall, just look back to his comments in September, when Jay Carney said Democrats would lose decisively in the mid-term elections. Say what you will, but Carney seems to be taking the approach of political realist versus political hack that many political operatives before him have taken.
What do you think? Is Jay Carney right about Democrats losing next week? Or do they stand a chance. Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
