Oops! Ayotte gaffe: a turning point in campaign ’16?

The Hill‘s Alexander Bolton sees a huge “whoops” moment being swiftly exploited by Democrats:

Democrats are seizing on Sen. Kelly Ayotte’s (R-N.H.) remarks at a debate that Donald Trump is “absolutely” a role model for children as a pivotal moment in the race for the Senate majority.

The Democrats see Ayotte’s comments, which she immediately sought to walk back, as a potential turning point not only in the tight New Hampshire race but also in the broader fight across a host of battleground states.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released a digital ad Tuesday that simply contains unedited footage of the moment, while liberal star Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) issued a stream of tweets ripping Ayotte.
“Think about it: @realDonaldTrump calls Latinos rapists, African Americans thugs, & women fat pigs, & Kelly Ayotte thinks he’s a role model,” Warren wrote in one of the tweets.

“You can’t walk this back. … [You] can’t support @realDonaldTrump’s agenda, say you’re voting for him, then pretend to shake your finger,” she added in another message.

Bolton does the Senate math – and it does not look good for the GOP:

The overall race remains a tight one, with the fight for the Senate majority likely to come down to New Hampshire and four other states: Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina and Nevada.

Democrats are confident they’ll gain seats in Illinois and Wisconsin.

If they can hold on to Nevada, they’d need to win two of the other four seats and retain the White House to take the majority. If they lose Nevada, they’d need to win three of the four.

The presidential race will be a huge factor, with Republicans hoping their candidates can outpace Trump if he falters down the stretch.

In Pennsylvania, a poll released Tuesday from Monmouth University found GOP Sen. Pat Toomey and Democrat Katie McGinty tied at 46 percent despite a 10-point lead in the state for Clinton over Trump.

A separate poll released Tuesday by Franklin & Marshall showed Toomey trailing McGinty by 6 points and Trump trailing Clinton by 9 points.

By: dave-dr-gonzo

David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.

* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.