Ramesh’s point is correct, about the marginal benefit of an additional dollar spent on certain Senate races as opposed to the presidential race. But remember David’s second suggestion was that “We need a message change that frankly acknowledges that the Democrats are probably going to win the White House — and that warns of the dangers of one-party, left-wing government.” Well, that’s exactly what the two senators in close races whom Ramesh mentioned are already doing:
On the defensive across the country and staring down an election that could see them reduced to an ineffective minority in the House and the Senate, congressional Republicans are offering a new argument to voters: the danger of single-party rule in the nation’s capital.
. . .
In their eleventh-hour appeals for ticket-splitting, Republicans on the campaign trail are warning of Democratic overreach.
“If I lose this seat and one party has control across the board, then you’ll see changes,” Sen. Norm Coleman told voters last week in Minnesota, where he is trailing comedian-turned-politician Al Franken (D) in several polls. In North Carolina, imperiled Sen. Elizabeth Dole warns in a new television spot that Democrats will “get a blank check” if challenger Kay Hagan wins.
Now, maybe Coleman and Dole are wrong to be doing this, but they are, you know, professional politicians whose jobs depend on being right on this sort of thing, so maybe they’re onto something.