Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi seemed less than confident Democrats can retake the House in November’s elections, telling reporters on Wednesday that this year is preparation for retaking control of both chambers in 2016.
“Their days are numbered, their days are numbered — I know in two years there will be a Democratic Congress and a Democratic president,” the California Democrat said when asked about prospects this year.
After reporters reacted with surprise to the candid statement, Mrs. Pelosi tried to recover.
“I’d like it to be in two months,” she said. “This fall it’s important for us to come as close to that as possible.”
Democrats would need to win 17 seats to gain control of the House, but prognosticators predict it is Republicans instead who will gain House seats in November’s midterm election.
Still, despite the tough playing field, Democrats are doing better at financing their candidates, which could help keep their losses to a minimum.
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They use their politics of personal destruction, which is their stock in trade.
“We have out-mobilized them, we have out-recruited them, we have out-raised them to a shameful extent, and they’re desperate,” Mrs. Pelosi said.
There’s a precedent for Democrats’ doom-and-gloom predictions to be belied at the ballot box.
In 2005, Sen. Harry Reid, Democrats’ leader in that chamber, had said it would take a “miracle” for his party to win control of the Senate in the 2006 elections. But buoyed by the backlash against then-President George W. Bush, Democrats did win enough seats to take control — something they’ve held for the eight years since.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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