Latest NBC Marist Poll Shows GOP Opening Up Leads in Key Senate Races Ahead of 2014 Midterms

Republicans need a net pickup of 6 Senate seats in the 2014 midterm elections in order to wrestle control away from Harry Reid and Democrats.

The GOP need a net pickup of 6 Senate seats in order to gain control of the US Senate. A recent NBC/Marist poll shows that although Democrat incumbent Sen. Mark Udall is still leading in Colorado, Republicans are surging in the key “red” state races in Kentucky and Arkansas. US Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR) leads incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor by five points among likely voters, 45% to 40%. Although Kentucky is not a pickup for the GOP, some Democrats have thought that it could be a possible loss for the GOP. However, that does not appear to be the case. In reality, the GOP already is at a +3 as Republicans will pick up seats in the open Senate races formerly held by Democrats in Montana, West Virginia and South Dakota.

Other Senate seats currently held by Democrats that are now in play include Alaska, Louisiana, North Carolina, Iowa, New Hampshire and Michigan.  My person opinion is that the GOP with have a net pick up of 7, possibly 8 Senate seats. If all things go right, it could be 9, but my gut feeling says this will not be a wave election like in 2010 because too many establishment Republicans are running and the establishment appears to have no clue that their conservative base is what wins elections. Not being Democrat light.

US Rep. Cotton (R-AR) calls Democrat Sen. Pryor a good Obama foot soldier, who was the deciding vote for Obamacare and who has voted with Obama 93% of the time.

Republican Senate candidates have opened up leads in the key states of Arkansas and Kentucky, putting them in a strong position to win back the U.S. Senate, according to new NBC News/Marist polls.

But another NBC/Marist poll shows Democrats holding on in the blue state of Colorado, suggesting a limit to the gains that Republicans could make in November.

In Arkansas, Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., leads incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor by five points among likely voters, 45 percent to 40 percent, with two minor candidates getting a combined 5 percent.

In Kentucky, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is ahead of Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes by eight points among likely voters, 47 percent to 39 percent, with Libertarian David Patterson getting another 8 percent.

And in Colorado, incumbent Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., is up by six points over Rep. Cory Gardner, 48 percent to 42 percent.

State Senator Joni Ernst Wins GOP Iowa Primary Going Away … Faces Democrat Bruce Braley for Open Iowa Senate Seat

State Senator Joni Ernst wins Republican primary in Iowa,  set to face Democrat  Bruce Braley for US Senate race in pivotal battle in 2014 for the US Senate.

It did not take long last night after the polls closed in Iowa as the AP called the GOP US Senate primary for state senator Joni Ernst. With just 24% of precincts reporting, the AP made the call for Joni Ernst who had 53% of the vote, Conservative radio host Sam Clovis had 19%, businessman Mark Jacobs (R) had 17% and former U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker (R) had 9%. However, by the time all the votes were counted Ernst would win the Iowa Republican senate primary by an even wider margin gaining 56.2% of the vote. Ernst easily cleared the 35 percent threshold necessary to avoid a convention nomination fight. Republican Joni Ernst will face Democrat Bruce Braley this November for the Iowa senate seat currently held by the retiring Democrat Sen. Tom Harkin.

Joni Ernst for US Senate

Joni Ernst, who highlighted her ability to shoot guns and castrate hogs to overcome disinterest in a sleepy primary election, tonight racked up enough votes to become the first female GOP U.S. Senate nominee in Iowa history.

The Associated Press called the race shortly before 10 p.m.

The 43-year-old farmer’s daughter turned state senator and military commander eclipsed the 35 percent necessary to claim victory over her four competitors, including retired businessman Mark Jacobs, who tried to overpower the rest of the field by self-funding his campaign with millions from his own wealth.

Vote for Jodi Ernst and let her trim the pork in Washington, DC … its a simple choice for Iowa voters.

Washington is full of big spenders, let’s make them squeal

“This campaign will come down to a very simple choice: our shared Iowa values, versus Bruce Braley’s liberal Washington values,” Ernst said.

According to the statement, Ernst, a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard who served a tour in Iraq, will start a statewide tour on Wednesday alongside Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds. She’s due to report for National Guard duty once that tour ends, the statement says without giving an exact time-frame.

George Will Predicts Romney Landslide 321-217 on ABC’s ‘This Week” … Similar to Barone’s Landslide Prediction

Most pundits are calling the 2012 Presidential race too close to call as the RCP averages of polls have it a dead tie.

However, that did not stop conservative columnist on ABC’s “This Week’ to predict a Mitt Romney electoral landslide. Will predicted a 321-217 electoral victory for Romney. What I do find interesting is that a couple of people have gone out on a limb and said that Romney will get over 300 electoral votes; however, no one is really saying that Obama will do such. What we are seeing from Will and Barone is that if the undecided’s break for the challenger Mitt Romney, battleground states could fall like dominoes for Romney.

On this weekend’s broadcast of “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” on ABC, Will revealed his prediction and added a bonus surprise by saying traditional Democratic state Minnesota would go for Romney as well.

“I’m projecting Minnesota to go for Romney,” Will said. “It’s the only state that’s voted democratic in nine consecutive elections, but this year, there’s marriage amendment on the ballot that will bring out the evangelicals and I think could make the difference.”

Add Will’s landslide prediction to that of numbers cruncher extraordinaire Michael Barone. His prediction of a landslide is based
on fundamentals, a majority of Americans are against Obama’s policies.  and a sluggish economy where job growth and recovery has been far too slow. Barone is predicting a Romney 315, Obama 223 landslide. Barone stated that it sounds high for Romney, but he could lose Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and still win the election.

Which candidate will get the electoral votes of the target states? I’ll go out on a limb and predict them, in ascending order of 2008 Obama percentages — fully aware that I’m likely to get some wrong.

Indiana (11 ). Uncontested. Romney.

North Carolina (15). Obama has abandoned this target. Romney.

Florida (29). The biggest target state has trended Romney since the Denver debate. I don’t see any segment of the electorate favoring Obama more than in 2008, and I see some (South Florida Jews) favoring him less. Romney.

Ohio (18). The anti-Romney auto bailout ads have Obama running well enough among blue-collar voters for him to lead most polls. But many polls anticipate a more Democratic electorate than in 2008. Early voting tells another story, and so does the registration decline in Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County. In 2004, intensity among rural, small -town and evangelical voters, undetected by political reporters who don’t mix in such circles, produced a narrow Bush victory. I see that happening again. Romney.
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Surprise … Des Moines Register Endorses Mitt Romney

Bad news for Barack Obama in Iowa and fantastic new for Mitt Romney … Des Moines Register endorses ROMNEY!!!

The Des Moines Register has changed their 2008 endorsement of Barack Obama to a 2012 endorsement of Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. For the first time in 40 years the Des Moines Register is backing a Republican over a Democrat. The Register cited the number one issue of the economy as their reason for the endorsement.

American voters are deeply divided about this race. The Register’s editorial board, as it should, had a vigorous debate over this endorsement. Our discussion repeatedly circled back to the nation’s single most important challenge: pulling the economy out of the doldrums, getting more Americans back in the workforce in meaningful jobs with promising futures, and getting the federal government on a track to balance the budget in a bipartisan manner that the country demands.

What did they think of Obama in the end, it’s the economy stupid. This should provide great insight to voters as to just how bad Obama has gummed up the economic job recovery. For the first time in 40 years the paper endorses a Republic over a Democrat for President. That should speal volumes to Iowans. The paper stated that they thought Obama’s efforts to fix the economy have fallen short and there was nothing to believe that the same would not continue to be the case if given another four years.

“The president’s best efforts to resuscitate the stumbling economy have fallen short. Nothing indicates it would change with a second term in the White House.”

Maybe the Des Moines Register’s final decision to not endorse Barack Obama came from Obama’s comment to them in what was supposed to originally be an off the record interview, that Obama had no regrets on prioritizing Obamacare over jobs in his first two years.

The president was also asked about his decision to spend his substantial political capital, and exploit his large Congressional majorities, to aggressively push his partisan health care law, rather than in pursuit of other economic priorities.  Obama’s answer?  “Absolutely” no regrets:

QUESTION: “Some say you had a super majority in your first two years and had this incredible opportunity, but because of what you were talking about, as you were running, you had to go to get Obamacare done. Do you have any regrets taking on some of the economic issues, some of the issues that we’re talking about for your second term, that when you had the chance, so to speak, during your first — do you have any regrets that you didn’t do that at that time?”

OBAMA: “Absolutely not, Laura.”

Will this endorsement shake up the presidential race in Iowa? RCP has the average of polling at +2.3% Obama; however, that is with a rather suspect +8 Obama NBC/WSJ/Marist poll. Rasmussen has it an even tie.

UPDATE I: As reported at NewsBusters, the libs are in disbelief and trying to trivialize the endorsement as a joke. Actually Libs, the only joke has been that who has been in the White House the past 4 years. Even more sadly, the sick joke has been one perpetrated on America, and its citizens are not laughing.

President Barack Obama Reminded by Iowa Voters … “Obama Welcome to SUX – We Did Build This”

The battleground state of Iowa reminds Barack Obama … “Obama Welcome to SUX – We Did Build This”. Not since Democrat candidate for President John Kerry made the ill-fated comment, I voted for it, before I voted against it, has there been such a statement that has so fired up America. Obama’s “you did not build it,” commentwill be his undoing. Obama hit a nerve with small business owners whether they be white, black, Hispanic, Left, Right, Center, Democrat, Republican or Independent that “you did not own it, because you did not build it.

President Obama received a less than warm welcome and a warning upon arrival at the airport here on the second stop of his Iowa visit, which was aimed at recapturing some of the magic the state gave his run to the White House in 2008.

Greeting Air Force One as it touched down under sunny skies and sultry heat was  a hand-painted banner draped across the top of an airplane hangar that reads, “Obama Welcome to SUX – We Did Build This.” “SUX” is the airport code for Sioux City.