How Democrats Sound When They Are Losing Badly

“Losing badly” was the subject line on yesterday’s email from MoveOn.org. It’s a real day-brightener, if you’re a Republican:

Subject: Losing badly

Dear MoveOn member,

If you haven’t been paying attention to the midterm elections yet, here’s a quick update: Democrats are losing. Badly.

Nate Silver, who picked every single state right in 2012, says the Republicans have a 60% chance of winning the Senate. The Washington Post’s polling experts put it at 82%. And if they’re right, the tea party’s entire agenda will be on a fast track through Congress.

But there’s still time to turn this election around—and we’ve got a plan to do just that.

Here’s the deal: In 2012, we quietly tested a groundbreaking new voter turnout strategy that proved to be one of the most effective tactics we’ve ever seen. In state after state, Democratic voter turnout increased by between 0.5% and 3.5%. That might not sound like much, but in a toss-up election, it’s huge. And because turnout is usually lower in a nonpresidential election, our impact this year could be even bigger.

Here’s the rub: in 2012, MoveOn members donated $850,000 for this project—enough to allow us to contact 12 million voters in 20 states. And we can only run projects like this again if MoveOn members pay for it—can you donate $3?

Maybe you’re thinking you’ll just take a break this election, that there isn’t that much at stake. If so, think again.

If Republicans take over both houses of Congress, they’ll have total control over the budget. Can you imagine what a true tea party budget would look like?

Mention of the tea party is catnip to the Democrats’ base. Few fund-raising appeals fail to mention the tea party, several times.

They’ll voucherize Medicaid, slash funding for the EPA, and the budget cuts in the sequester will seem like a warm-up act.

We should be so lucky.

And you can forget about getting any reasonable judges confirmed for the Supreme Court if there’s a retirement in Obama’s last two years. Republicans will shut down the entire court system before they allow Obama to replace Scalia or Kennedy with a progressive and overturn Citizens United.

Interesting that they are talking about replacing Scalia (age 78) and Anthony Kennedy (age 78), but not Ruth Bader Ginsburg (age 81) or Stephen Breyer (76 on Friday). It would be fun, too, to see MoveOn’s criteria for a “reasonable” judge.

Polling experts agree that if the election were held today, Republicans most likely would take over the Senate. There’s still time to prevent it—but we need to get started NOW.

Can you contribute $3 to help stop the tea party takeover of the U.S. Senate?

As always, MoveOn is committed to electing not just any Democrats—but progressive Democrats.

So if you donate here you can be sure none of your money will be wasted on pro-war, anti-choice, Wall Street-loving pseudo-Democrats. Chip in $3 today.

DINOs, in other words. It is interesting to look at the Senate from the far left’s point of view. Wall Street loving, sure. But what current Democratic senators would you put in the the pro-war, anti-choice category?

Thanks for all you do.

You’re welcome.

Of course, the point of being a prophet of doom is to be heeded and thereby avert the doom. Republicans shouldn’t be overconfident, especially when it comes to money, where the Democrats are out-raising us as always. But for the moment, it is fun to enjoy the Democrats’ moment of panic.