THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE – BUMPS FOR DEMS – AT 8:04 A.M. ET:  Michael Barone, one of the very best political analysts around, surveys the current political scene, and finds it incredible.  From the Washington Examiner:

The political numbers tell a grim story. In five decades of closely following American politics, I have never seen the Democratic Party in worse shape. Democrats trail in polls in 11 of the 18 Democratic-held Senate seats up this fall and lead in polls in none of the 18 Republican-held seats.

And they sit around and talk about the good old days – 2008.

Republicans currently lead Democrats in most generic polls — which party’s candidate will you support for the House of Representatives? — even though Democrats have almost always held the lead since Gallup began asking the question in 1950. Incumbents usually lead in individual House race polls. But polls have shown Democratic incumbents trailing Republican challengers in Arkansas, Indiana, Massachusetts and North Dakota.

Of course opinion can change, and the balance of enthusiasm, which currently favors Republicans, could shift. But if the election were held today, the numbers tell me that Democrats would fare worse than they have in any election since 1946.

I guess they didn't bring change we can believe in.

But Barone also has a warning.  If Republicans win in November, they'll have to come up with a legislative plan, and that could be hazardous to their political health.  Barone's advice?

Americans have rejected the Europeanizing policies of the Obama Democrats. Republicans may get a chance to put us on a better American path. They need to be prepared to do so.

If they win and fail, we'll be writing about the new Democratic majority in 2012.

February 17, 2010