The Democrats have their problems

Douglas Schoen:

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Here it is: Democrats have moved so far to the left that Republican attacks on them for being extremist and too far in the clutches of their tired, out-of-touch leadership have been working. And working well, according to the recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.

The Republican campaign now is simple: just focus on how far left the Democrats are, and how beholden its candidates – particularly Congressional candidates – are to the unpopular Democratic leadership in both the House and the Senate.

I have argued here and elsewhere that Democrats need new leadership. I have also suggested that those candidates who have rejected their leadership are likely to do better than those who remain mute, take the money and suffer the political consequences.

But right now, as we head into the final two weeks of the election campaign, it appears that both the Senate and potentially the House races are tightening. And it appears that Donald Trump’s attacks on the Democratic Party for being out of touch with the electorate and too confrontational – as well as led by two failed leaders of the past – are working.

Rest assured, the Republicans have failed to take advantage of what has been their principle opportunity, which is to run on the economy, and get political credit for something the voters themselves see as improving and beneficial.

That being said, the caravan currently moving from the Mexico-Guatemala border towards the United States gives Trump and the Republicans a chance to double down on immigration, an issue that the Democrats themselves remain vulnerable on.

Why are the Democrats vulnerable on immigration? Because they have not disavowed the attack that they are for open borders. Having a substantial number of their candidates supporting either the denuding or the elimination of ICE doesn’t help either.
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They also made a mistake by rejecting a compromise offered by Trump on immigration.  I think they have decided that they can do better by allowing illegals into the country to help create more majority Democrat districts for House races whether those people vote or not.  That is why they are so adamantly opposed to a citizenship question on the census.  Note, that I have not seen one Democrat leader condemn the "caravan" coming through Mexico now.  They are playing into Trump's strong suit on this issue.

I do think the Republicans are running on the growth economy in many races.  I know that to be true in Texas and I expect it to be true in areas where there has been significant job growth like Florida, Texas, and Ohio as well as Pennsylvania.