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By Colin DiersingPosted at 12:22 p.m. today

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DNC Chair Predicts Party Will Exceed Expectations in2014

Wasserman Schultz is a Forida Democrat. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said the strength ofindividual candidates will help her party outperform expectations in the upcoming midterms.

“Pundits are wildly misinterpreting or over interpreting,” the Florida Democrat said, specificallyresponding to a projection published by the Washington Post that gives Republicans an 86percent chance of taking control of the Senate.

“Models don’t elect candidates. Voters do,” she said, speaking at a Thursday morning eventorganized by centrist Democratic think tank Third Way.

Wasserman Schultz predicted Democrats would retain a majority in the Senate and pick upseats in the House — although she stopped short of predicting that they would gain the 17seats needed to capture the majority. Explaining her reasoning, Wasserman Schultz said themidterm election will be driven by individual campaigns and she believes a strong Democraticcandidate pool will help the party outperform expectations.

“If you’re putting a premium on polls, the polls we’re ahead in are the ones that matter most:head to heads of the candidates,” she said. “There’s not a generic candidate on the ballot.”

In the Senate, Wasserman Schultz pointed to what she said are strong campaigns being runby Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Mark Pryor, D-Ark.; and Kay Hagan, D-N.C..

Asked for House candidates who are running campaigns likely to outperform expectations in

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27 Comments At the Races deciminyan

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bluestatehostage • 4 hours ago

Well, what do you think she's going to say..."we're completely and hopelesslyscrewed"?

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districts where Democrats hope to gain seats, Wasserman Schultz named Pete Aguilar inCalifornia’s 31st District, Aimee Belgard in New Jersey’s 3rd District, and Gwen Graham inFlorida’s 2nd District. Aguilar’s race is rated Leans Democratic, Belgrad’s race is rated TiltsRepublican, and Graham’s race is rated Leans Republican by the Rothenberg Report/Roll Call.

Wasserman Schultz also emphasized two issues that she thinks will help Democrats appeal tovoters: the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Affordable Care Act.

The Hobby Lobby decision, she said, will increase turnout among women voters who shethinks will come out to support Democrats.

“I’ve spent most of my life with a part of a generation [of women] who really have been able totake their rights for granted. … They’ve awoken a sleeping giant,” she said.

On the Affordable Care Act, Wasserman Schultz predicted political backlash from constituentswho have newly received coverage under the law may force Republicans to avoid the issue.

“There’s a reason Republicans haven’t put up as many votes to repeal it,” she said. “Votersare going to use healthcare reform based on how it affects them. There are millions of voterswho are going to say I am better off today … certainly than I would be if Republicans wereallowed to take it away.”

In a written response, National Republican Committee Press Secretary Kirsten Kukowski said,“We have had more staff in the field working on Congressional and gubernatorial electionsthan ever before and are taking these elections very seriously because the GOP has anopportunity to talk to a lot of American voters about the Democrats’ brand of government andhow their mismanagement and overreach has impacted our everyday lives.”

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• Reply • 11

• Reply •

Layla • 3 hours ago bluestatehostage

Usually when one digs a hole so deep, they put down the shovel andstop digging.....just a thought...

2

• Reply •

fribble • 4 hours ago

Debbie Blabbermouth Schultz says, "We're going down, but we will keep righton blabbing."

9

• Reply •

mikeware • 3 hours ago

This is what happens when you start smoking crack 2

• Reply •

Whit_Chambers • 3 hours ago

Debbie Wasserpig also reports that yesterday she saw Elvis drinking longneckswith Jimmy Hoffa at the bar of the Machus Red Fox Restaurant in Bloomfield,Michigan.

1

• Reply •

chaos344 • 3 hours ago

ROTFLMAO! Debbie Wassername Schultz whistling past the graveyard.Toooooo funny!

1

• Reply •

PirateWoman • 3 hours ago

She is correct, of course.Republicans have over-played their empty hand, and will suffer theconsequences in November. Republican governors are a pox on their states,and the voters will not reward incompetence, and cronyism.

1

• Reply •

chaos344 • 3 hours ago PirateWoman

Hey PirateWoman:

DENIAL is NOT a river in Egypt! 7

• Reply •

Heywood Jablowme • 3 hours ago PirateWoman

What kind of crazy pills are you on? Pelosi or Bat Crap? 3

• Reply •

Layla • 3 hours ago PirateWoman

Republicans haven't overplayed anything. Does the phrase, "if you likeyour doctor you can keep your doctor" ring a bell?

If you think American families are happy with the new found Democratconstituency swarming across our borders on an hourly basis, thinkagain.

You're both going down at the polls....one for the damage they havedone to this country and the other for doing nothing to stop it.

1

• Reply •

CLW • an hour ago PirateWoman

OMG.....it's Pirate woman of Politico fame.....thought she had slowlyfaded into the sunset with her cheerleading.....can't teach an old dog newtricks and the same goes for D Wassenidiot S.

Ronald W. Mann • an hour ago PirateWoman

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• Reply •

Incompetence, the dim party has no one under 70, mostly senile old fartslike Hairy Reid

• Reply •

LOTHAR BAIER • an hour ago

She wont even know what hit her come November !African americans are actually starting to turn on the Dems mostly because ofimmigration , they realize that the focus is now on Hispanics and no longer onblacks

• Reply •

LOTHAR BAIER • an hour ago

Democrats have nothing to run on so they seize on fringe issues trying to blowthem out of proportion mostly in a effort to energize the base !

• Reply •

Ronald W. Mann • an hour ago

I see electric hair was released on parole. For the dims to exceed expectationsthey would have to limit their losses to single digits in the senate and that is notgonna happen

• Reply •

LOTHAR BAIER • an hour ago

You can have the best salesman in the world but if the brand you are trying tosell sucks it wont do one bit of good !Yes there are some good candidates out there running as D and people mightlike them but they don't like the agenda of the democratic party and know thatthe guy will just tote the party line if he wins

• Reply •

LOTHAR BAIER • 2 hours ago

My prediction is that the GOP wins back the senate, picks up house seats, takesover some governors mansions and takes control of state houses andassemblies

• Reply •

LOTHAR BAIER • 2 hours ago

Her function is to raise money for the democrats and to energize the base that'swhy she is coming up with all this BS

• Reply •

LOTHAR BAIER • 2 hours ago

And on May 7th 1945 hitler still proclaimed that victory was close for the germanarmy

• Reply •

LOTHAR BAIER • 2 hours ago

I am going to laugh really loud if she is going to lose her house seat this fall

• Reply •

chaos344 • 30 minutes ago LOTHAR BAIER

Couldn't happen to a more obnoxious member of congress, excluding ofcourse The Wicked Witch Of The West!

• Reply •

LOTHAR BAIER • 2 hours ago

This woman is out of touch as usual !The only woman who care about the entire hobby lobby deal are the ones whovote D anyway and if the GOP starts to educate people that this was not aboutbirth control but abortion pills than things wont be looking all that great for dems

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Oregon Republican Raises $955,000for Senate Bid1 comment • 19 hours ago

daddyoyo — I love the smell ofRepublican money burning in ahopeless cause. It smells …

Chris McDaniel Attorney: MississippiElection Challenge …12 comments • a day ago

centerroad — The only voter fraud I'mworried about is that perpetrated bythe tea party on voter rights. Keep …

Former Congresswoman Loans$500,000 to Her Comeback …9 comments • 8 days ago

Mercyneal — Go, Nan! Proud to havevoted for her in the Independentprimary in June- where she beat …

Dan Benishek Raises $487,000 in TopMichigan House Race4 comments • 8 days ago

Nobama — Another Lee Terry type (i.e.a weak incumbent whose districtshouldn't even really be in play).

ALSO ON AT THE RACES

• Reply •

usagoingbroke • 2 hours ago

"Exceed Expectations"?You mean, instead of democrat candidates losing by double digits...... they'llonly lose by single digits?Just last year, didn't this same person predict the House of Reps was going tobe in play in 2014? And people still listen to this person? Why?

• Reply •

Heywood Jablowme • 3 hours ago

She would be a lot nicer person if kids hand't called her "Debby Wants-a-man"when she was in grade school.

• Reply •

Heywood Jablowme • 3 hours ago

Exceed expectaions how? Only losing 12 Senate seats instead of 15?

• Reply •

andrewp111 • an hour ago

Sometimes desperate people do win, but usually not.

• Reply •

Marsh hen • an hour ago

All prominent democrat leaders are sociopathic liars.ObamaNancyDebbieHarry

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