Despite 2010 being classified as a Tea Party Wave, it was also a big example of what happens when a party can't control its nominating process effectively. A number of races were blown because comparably weak candidates beat the party leadership's preferred candidates that year.
Delaware: Mike Castle, the Congressman, former Governor, and Centrist/Liberal Republican would have handily defeated Chris Coons.
Colorado: Jane Norton, the Lieutenant Governor, would have beaten Michael Bennett.
Nevada: Sue Lowden, the State Senator, likely would have beaten Harry Reid if she'd won
Connecticut: Rob Simmons, the Centrist Republican, lost to Linda McMahon
California: Tom Campbell, the socially libertarian Republican who had already held State Office in the form of California Finance Director, lost in his primary to Carly Fiorina
So what if the GOP took the Senate in 2010?
How would this have impacted Obama's governing style? He already tried to pull a grand bargain on entitlements historically - would he have been more likely to do so here?
If the GOP takes the Senate, but does so via running a number of less-than-conservative candidates (by Tea Party standards), would the GOP civil was escalate sooner?
Delaware: Mike Castle, the Congressman, former Governor, and Centrist/Liberal Republican would have handily defeated Chris Coons.
Colorado: Jane Norton, the Lieutenant Governor, would have beaten Michael Bennett.
Nevada: Sue Lowden, the State Senator, likely would have beaten Harry Reid if she'd won
Connecticut: Rob Simmons, the Centrist Republican, lost to Linda McMahon
California: Tom Campbell, the socially libertarian Republican who had already held State Office in the form of California Finance Director, lost in his primary to Carly Fiorina
So what if the GOP took the Senate in 2010?
How would this have impacted Obama's governing style? He already tried to pull a grand bargain on entitlements historically - would he have been more likely to do so here?
If the GOP takes the Senate, but does so via running a number of less-than-conservative candidates (by Tea Party standards), would the GOP civil was escalate sooner?