Prediction

I have determined to put my money where my mouth is by offering a prediction for the upcoming elections. I believe the following will occur:

• The Democrats will take the House of Representatives by five seats.
  
• The Democrats will not take the Senate, but will be within one.
  
• We will pick up Senate seats in PA, MT, OH and RI.
  
• We will maintain all Senate seats currently held by Dems
  
• We will lose in TN and VA.
• Howard Dean will not get any credit for our successes.

This last prediction is particularly irksome, if there is one person who is responsible for the change in the Democratic party it is the good doctor. He has employed a brilliant strategy in going back to the local level, as more districts were in play than ever before. This strategy will continue to play huge dividends in the coming years.

Why won't he get the credit he deserves? Because he went outside the Beltway. To the mob of political insiders, the idea of actually building a base at the community level is like putting ketchup on Cheerios. In their view, the way to build political movements is to meekly put your points across on the Sunday talk shows.