“Bill and Hillary Clinton were the most sought after surrogates in the Democratic Party this year. He campaigned for more than 47 candidates. She for more than 26. Supporters estimate that, together, the Clintons headlined 75 rallies and fundraisers — and logged roughly 50,000 miles jetting from state to state,” BuzzFeed reports.
“When the Clintons travel, they fly private. This year, their airfare cost candidates at least $699,000, available state and federal campaign finance reports show.”
“That’s bullshit. I’m not going to put up with that.”
— Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), quoted by Politico, on the possibility of Democrats blocking the GOP agenda over the next two years.
The Fix: “While the GOP is likely to control 54 percent of all Senate seats and 56 percent (or so) of the House come January, it also will now control more than two-thirds of state legislative chambers across the country — as in nearly seven in 10. And given Republicans also won at least 31 governorships, they are basically in control of the state government in 25 states. That could soon hit 26 if they win the still-undetermined governor’s race in Alaska.”
“The Democrats, meanwhile, control just six states, with a seventh likely to come when the Vermont legislature picks Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) as the winner of last week’s closer-than-expected election, in which neither candidate attained the necessary 50 percent.”
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Bloomberg: “Big Republican donors are back. The 2014 midterms victories lifted their lingering 2012 depression, ending that period of sadness and disbelief that began when the GOP lost the presidency and failed to retake the Senate despite spending record amounts of cash. Republican leaders are stoking these new feelings of glee. Karl Rove’s American Crossroads is already turning to Hillary Clinton as its next target and GOP fundraisers are reminding the giving class that the 2016 Senate map won’t be favorable and the party will contend with a presidential electorate that’s been more supportive to Democrats in recent years.”
Former President George W. Bush likes the idea of a 2016 presidential matchup between his brother Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton, Reuters reports.
Said Bush: “There are some people that’ll say there’s no way I’m going to vote for somebody with that name. Of course if he were to run against Hillary Clinton then I think the name issue would somewhat dissipate and then people would pick which one would be the leader. But neither one of them has declared and I really don’t know if Jeb is going to run.”
Glenn Beck told viewers of The Blaze that he has been suffering from debilitating health problems for the past five years which have included severe pain and seizures.
Said Beck: “I had begun to have a string of health issues that, quite honestly, has made me look crazy. And quite honestly, I have have felt crazy because of them.”
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) said that impeaching President Obama “would be a consideration” if he moves forward unilaterally on immigration, TPM reports.
Said Barton: “Well impeachment is indicting in the House and that’s a possibility. But you still have to convict in the Senate and that takes a two-thirds vote. But impeachment would be a consideration, yes sir.”
“The uncertain shape of the 2016 Republican presidential field is, to an unusual degree, a product of a historically large number of potential aspirants coming from the same states,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Four states–Wisconsin, Texas, Florida, and Ohio–have two Republicans thinking seriously or already decided about seeking the 2016 GOP presidential nomination.”
“Candidates with a fellow Republican from the same state in the race may find themselves having to share or compete over political and fundraising bases. Some potential candidates may decide to pass on running precisely because they can’t be sure of having the same team they had in previous statewide races.”
“I think I just don’t really fit the mold.”
— Failed Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke (D), quoted by the Wisconsin State Journal, saying she won’t run for statewide office again.
“According to several top Republicans, Romney made more than 80 phone calls to GOP candidates last Tuesday and Wednesday to congratulate them on their victories,” the Washington Post reports.
“Some longtime allies also continue to prepare the ground for another Romney presidential campaign, despite his continued disavowals of interest. In the days after the election, a group of Romney supporters began circulating a memo that compared the success of his midterm endorsements with those made by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the front-runner for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. The documents concluded that two out of three Romney candidates won their elections, compared with one in three for Clinton.”
A Darmouth College student asked Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) if he would have anal sex in exchange for campaign contributions, The Dartmouth reports.
Another question: “I know you have been very strong on all foreign policy issues, including Somali pirates, but what is your stance on butt pirates?”
The student “who wrote and distributed these and other questions, said Perry’s views were more insulting than the questions. Several members of the audience said they were excited to hear Perry speak but offended by the questions.”
Roll Call: “Many faced long odds, crowded primaries, an unpopular president and millions in targeted attack ads. But through all that and more, these campaigns ably managed the curves of the cycle — and all but one were victorious.”
“With the walloping Republicans gave Democrats in the midterm elections, the GOP stands one Louisiana Senate runoff away from completely controlling Southern politics from the Carolinas to Texas. Only a handful of Democrats hold statewide office in the rest of the Old Confederacy,” the AP reports.
Glenn Reynolds: “So Republicans have taken back the Senate and in January will control both houses of Congress. That brings them to the question posed by a famous political book: You Won — Now What?”
“The problem for Republicans is that because they do not have a veto-proof majority, they can pass bills but can’t get them past President Obama. It doesn’t mean that they’re doomed to futility. They can pass three kinds of bills: those Obama will want to sign; those he won’t want to sign but will have to; and those he’ll veto, but where a veto is unpopular. With that in mind, I have six suggestions for the new GOP-controlled Congress.”
The Daily Beast has learned that “in the crucial swing states of Iowa, North Carolina, and Colorado, the DSCC made a decision in September to put an increased emphasis on persuasion, talking undecided voters into supporting Democratic candidates rather than turning out its base voters. In other words, instead of going after the type of people who reliably vote Democrat but don’t reliably show up on Election Day, they focused on voters who were somewhat more likely to vote but hadn’t firmly made up their minds”
“These undecided, persuadable voters were identified via a computer model that ranked and ordered voters as targets of persuasion not just through volunteer contact but through direct-mail paid media as well. The problem was that, at least in Iowa, this model was imperfect… Initial data indicate that more than 60 percent of voters in this group who actually turned out on Election Day supported Republican candidates.”
“I think all the polls show if she does run, she’ll win the Democrat nomination. But I don’t think it’s for certain. It’s a very taxing undertaking to go through. It’s a rigorous physical ordeal, I think, to be able to campaign for the presidency.”
— Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), quoted by Politico, “none too subtly” suggesting that 67-year old Hillary Clinton may be too old to run for president.
“Net Neutrality” is Obamacare for the Internet; the Internet should not operate at the speed of government.
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) November 10, 2014
“Within hours of landing here on Monday, President Obama took credit for the release of two Americans detained in North Korea, defended his decision to send more military trainers to Iraq, vowed to expand trade with Asia and unilaterally extended the life of U.S. visas held by Chinese students, businesspeople and tourists,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“With the efficacy of his waning presidency in question, Obama began a weeklong trip to Asia and Australia seemingly bent on demonstrating the tools still at his disposal.”
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
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