Republicans seize Senate, gaining full control of Congress

[Karee 4,189]

Washington (CNN) -- A Republican tide ripped the Senate away from Democrats Tuesday, giving the GOP full control of Congress and the power to pin down President Barack Obama during his last two years in office.

The thumping win upends the balance of power between the White House and Capitol Hill only six years after Obama's Democrats swept to power and marginalized Republicans in a rush to reform health care, Wall Street and pass a huge stimulus package.

Now, it's Democrats who will take the back seat on Capitol Hill, relying mostly on the power of the filibuster to stymie Republicans and keep Obama's legacy intact.

"For too long, this administration has tried to tell the American people what is good for them and then blame somebody else when their policies didn't work out," Mitch McConnell, who is expected to become the next Senate majority leader, said in a victory speech.

In the House, the GOP won 246 seats, its largest majority since World War II. Speaker John Boehner, celebrating a widened majority, said he is "humbled by the responsibility the American people have placed with us."

"But this is not a time for celebration," he said. "It's time for government to start getting results and implementing solutions to the challenges facing our country, starting with our still-struggling economy.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has controlled the Senate since 2007, congratulated Republicans on their victory.

"The message from voters is clear: they want us to work together," Reid said. "I look forward to working with Senator McConnell to get things done for the middle class."

But there was silence from the White House after Tuesday's results became clear. Obama will make a public statement Wednesday on an election many will see as a repudiation of his presidency, and he will host bipartisan leaders on Friday to try to chart a way forward.

Democratic losses pile up

Democratic fears of a rout came true, as party candidates struggled to defend seats won in the 2008 Obama wave in conservative territory, and couldn't get out from under an unpopular president limping through his second term. The losses in Colorado and Iowa will sting especially hard, as those two states enjoyed a fabled place in Obama's world, as drivers of the president's unlikely bid for the White House in 2008.

The GOP also piled up wins in Montana, South Dakota, Arkansas, West Virginia and North Carolina — all seats that had been in Democratic hands — to surpass their magic number of six net gains. With seats still to be decided in Virginia, Alaska and Louisiana -- where there will be a runoff in December -- the GOP currently has 52 seats in the Senate.

Republican numbers stood up when the GOP managed to hold on to seats in Kansas and Georgia which had threatened to fall from their grasp and complicate the Senate math.

It was a night of almost unrelenting misery for Democrats:

--In Iowa, Iraq war veteran Joni Ernst became the first woman elected to Congress from her state, after turning around her Republican campaign with an ad in which she boasted about castrating hogs.

--In North Carolina, Democrat Kay Hagan was felled by Thom Tillis, who repeatedly pummeled her for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Obama.

--Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor lost Tom Cotton, who, like Ernst, is an Iraq war veteran. Pryor's loss comes despite former president Bill Clinton's efforts to save him in his beloved home state.

--Democrats thought they had Colorado, with its mix of young voters, Hispanics and students locked down for a generation. But Sen. Mark Udall tumbled to charismatic challenger Cory Gardner who shook off claims he was anti-women.

--Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner is having a tougher ride than expected against Republican challenger Ed Gillespie in a state Democrats had thought was reliably theirs after Obama won it twice.

A rare ray of hope for Democrats came in New Hampshire, where Senator Jeanne Shaheen bested challenger Scott Brown. And Pennsylvania's governor's mansion reverted back to Democrats when Tom Wolf unseated Republican Gov. Tom Corbett in a marquee race.

Governors

Two other Republican governors meanwhile won reelection and stirred buzz for their own 2016 White House prospects — John Kasich in swing state Ohio, and conservative Republican Scott Walker in Wisconsin. In New Mexico, Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, often mentioned as a possible GOP vice presidential pick, strolled to reelection.

Maryland -- a traditionally Democratic state -- elected Republican Larry Hogan as governor. And Illinois, Obama's home state, ousted its Democratic governor.

Republicans will now look with some optimism on the 2016 presidential election.

But Democrats will console themselves with a more favorable Senate map in two years time and the belief that shifting demographics and an unresolved war between the Republican grassroots and the party establishment will make the next presidential race a tough climb for the GOP.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/04/politics/election-day-story/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

[Operator 1,925]

Seems like a pretty clear statement.

[Karee 4,189]

Doesn't really change much. Obama will just issue more executive orders on things like immigration. I suspect will see a slew of them in the coming months. He was waiting until the election was over to do just that. Seems the voters didn't fall for it.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It isn't too surprising. A few months in and no doubt people will hate these guys too.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

Those who voted IN the conservatives were all taking a punch at this guy. Figuratively this image represents what happened to him. Literally, he's a seriously wounded mad man still in office.

Edited November 5, 2014 by ExExpat

[Teddy B 17,251]

It isn't too surprising. A few months in and no doubt people will hate these guys too.

It's a vicious cycle. Republican controlled congress, welcome back to the Bush years.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It's a vicious cycle. Republican controlled congress, welcome back to the Bush years.

Yep.

[Teddy B 17,251]

How is it possible for the Republicans to win control of congress with all this voter fraud we keep hearing about?

[Karee 4,189]

How is it possible for the Republicans to win control of congress with all this voter fraud we keep hearing about?

Looks like voter ID laws work!

[Teddy B 17,251]

Looks like voter ID laws work!

Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

There were plenty states with no voter id laws that elected Republicans. How is that possible with all this voter fraud?

Massachusetts which leans left and has no voter id law has elected a Republican Gov. How is that possible with all this voter fraud?

Edited November 5, 2014 by Teddy B

[Karee 4,189]

Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

There were plenty states with no voter id laws that elected Republicans. How is that possible with all this voter fraud?

Massachusetts which leans left and has no voter id law has elected a Republican Gov. How is that possible with all this voter fraud?

I didn't realize you were asking a serious question, so I didn't respond with a serious answer. Hard to tell.

[UncleBeer 244]

How is it possible for the Republicans to win control of congress with all this voter fraud we keep hearing about?

The win had to be so overwhelming as to overcome all the Democrat cheating. It's called the "margin of fraud".

[DavenRoxy 1,073]

Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

There were plenty states with no voter id laws that elected Republicans. How is that possible with all this voter fraud?

Massachusetts which leans left and has no voter id law has elected a Republican Gov. How is that possible with all this voter fraud?

I'm no election expert, but I'd say that whether or not there were any dead voting on the left, the living are tired of the false promises by the democrats.

That being said, only time will tell if the pubs actually make any improvements. Until politicians put the good of the people ahead of personal gain and politics themselves, I don't hold much hope of us being any better off. Then again, I'm prolly pessimistic.

[Teddy B 17,251]

LOL, nice one. Speaking of which, I'm drinking a tall iced mocha right now. Since I don't drink coffee, I will probably be shaking in an hour.

Decaf Dave.

I have 3 or 4 cups of coffee every morning. One at home, one on the drive in and usually two when I get to the office.

[Pitaya 2,576]

How is it possible for the Republicans to win control of congress with all this voter fraud we keep hearing about?

Vote early, vote often?

Edited November 5, 2014 by A&B