Recently I wrote about the prospects of Democrats facing a long minority in the House of Representatives.  The same is true of the Senate.  Democrats have tried to put a brave face on the 2014 results, noting that in 2016 the Senate map will favor their party, when the Senate Class of 2010 – the Republican landslide midterm – face voters.  A review of those races, however, suggests that some states may in a good year be able to gain three seats – Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – but the other imagined “tough race” for Republicans would require a Democrat wave to unseat. Ayotte in New Hampshire, Portman in Ohio, and Rubio in Florida are considered so strong that each has been mentioned as presidential timber.  The other two “vulnerable” seats – North Carolina and Iowa – are not vulnerable at all.  North Carolina is a red, not a purple, state, and Grassley in Iowa is very popular. ...(Read Full Article)