Weak Bench, Losing Candidates Is The Democratic Party Of 2015. Can They Turn It Around For 2016?

From: Conservative Newsroom

Democratic Party in Weakest Position Since 1928?

ELECTIONS

The recent Republican gains in the 2014 election has overshadowed a growing problem in the Democratic Party. The party has become much more ideologically homogenous, losing most of its moderate wing as a result of the last two disastrous midterm elections.

This has resulted in a deterioration of the Democratic “bench,” or newer candidates to replace the older ones. According to a party-strength index introduced by RealClearPolitics analysts Sean Trende and David Byler, Democrats are in their worst position since 1928.

This dynamic has manifested itself in the Democratic presidential race, where the bench is so barren that a flawed Hillary Clinton seems to be barreling to an uncontested nomination. But less attention has been paid to how the shrinking number of Democratic officeholders in the House and in statewide offices is affecting the party’s Senate races.

It’s very unusual to see how dependent Democrats are relying on former losing candidates as their current candidates in 2016. Wisconsin’s Russ Feingold, Pennsylvania’s Joe Sestak, Indiana’s Baron Hill and Ohio’s Ted Strickland all ran underwhelming, losing campaigns in 2010 – are looking to return to politics six years later.

Party officials are courting former Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina to make a comeback bid, despite mediocre favorability ratings, and the fact that she lost a race just months ago that most analysts had expected her to win. More than half of the Democrats’ Senate challengers in 2016 are comeback candidates.

Will this weakness in the Democratic party be enough for Republicans to take back the White House and other races across the country?