What Senate Seats have Democrats thrown away?

[ElectionsGuy]

Over the past few years we see republicans throwing away seats over stupid comments or unelectable/bland/unappealing candidates. But I've never heard about the seats democrats have thrown to the side. There's so much talk about the Tea Party and the mistakes of the republican party that there's no talk about democratic losses. So what seats, if any, have democrats messed up/thrown away? I can only think of IL'10.

[Miles]

If they talked Meek into dropping out, they could have won Florida in 2010 with Crist.

[ElectionsGuy]

If they talked Meek into dropping out, they could have won Florida in 2010 with Crist.

Ah yes, Crist and Meek vote combined was slightly more than the Rubio vote.

[Maxwell]

I don't think Crist could've won that race even with Meek out of the race. Too many democrats would've just stayed home.

[Miles]

PPP had Rubio and Crist tied at 47%.

[RogueBeaver]

IL '10.

[Mr.Phips]

Illinois in 2010 and possibly even Wisconsin in 2010 as an early bombardment of negative adds would have knocked Johnson out of the race.  Instead, Feingold asked all negative ads on his behalf to stop.

[NewYorkExpress]

Minnesota 2002, Connecticut 2006 and Pennsylvania 2010 also come to mind here.

[SPC]

Arizona 2012, Nevada 2012, Tennessee 2006, Kentucky 2010

[bedstuy]

I think the fact is that the Democrats have done a great job with recruitment, fundraising and campaigning in the past 15 years.  There are races that bug you, like Mongiardo losing to Bunning and Daschle losing to Thune, but few easy opportunities lost.  And, then there's 2010 which was just a horrible election on the whole.  But, there's another big reason Democrats don't throw elections away like Republicans.  Democrats have a big tent party and are willing to compromise, and Republicans let the Tea Party dictate their candidates. 

Arizona 2012, Nevada 2012, Tennessee 2006, Kentucky 2010

Aside from Nevada in 2012, all of those were uphill battles in red states.  That's coming up short, not throwing a race away with mistakes. 

[Vosem]

Democrats have nominated lots of bad candidates too; it's just that Republicans have just been hilariously unlucky/stupid (depending on the race in question; mostly the latter, but some of the former as well) in picking candidates the past two cycles (we could've had Senator Norton; Senator Tarkanian; Senator Brunner; Senator Lugar; Senator Hovde; Senator Kalk and a majority. But we don't).

[publicunofficial]

Nevada 2012 (Bad candidate)
Illinois 2010 (Bad candidate, corruption)
Wisconsin 2010 (Bad campaigning)

[Mr. Reactionary]

The Halter primary certainly didn't help Lincoln in 2010.

[Miles]

Ford had the nomination locked up, but if a Blue Dog was the D nominee, like John Tanner or Bart Gordon, I think they could have beaten Corker in 2006.

[Mr.Phips]

Democrats have nominated lots of bad candidates too; it's just that Republicans have just been hilariously unlucky/stupid (depending on the race in question; mostly the latter, but some of the former as well) in picking candidates the past two cycles (we could've had Senator Norton; Senator Tarkanian; Senator Brunner; Senator Lugar; Senator Hovde; Senator Kalk and a majority. But we don't).

Hovde would not have won in Wisconsin in 2012 with Obama winning there.  Thompson was the best candidate Republicans had there.

[morgieb]

Illinois in 2010 and Nevada in 2012 are the best examples.

But I can't think of a time that we've nominated someone too left-wing for the state or make some kind of awful ideological gaffe.

[Brittain33]

I don't know what happened in Maine 1996 but it was a very costly error.



 

[windjammer]

Mass in 2010. And Nevada in 2012 u___________u. It depress me to see we lost this race because of Berkeley...

[Beet]

Massachusetts 2010.

[Miles]

I don't know what happened in Maine 1996 but it was a very costly error.

From what I've read, Snowe's popularity helped Collins win.

[bballrox4717]

If Specter had just retired or Sestak didn't run, Pennsylvania 2010 was certainly winnable. It's a shame Toomey has the political talent to get himself reelected now. He certainly wasn't held in high esteem back then.

[Mr.Phips]

I don't know what happened in Maine 1996 but it was a very costly error.



 

Yep.  That should have been as much of a free shot for Dems as Alabama was for Republicans that year.

[Mr.Phips]

I don't know what happened in Maine 1996 but it was a very costly error.

From what I've read, Snowe's popularity helped Collins win.

I don't really see how that could be the case.  Did Bob Kerrey's popularity in Nebraska in 1996 help Ben Nelson win? 

[morgieb]

If Specter had just retired or Sestak didn't run, Pennsylvania 2010 was certainly winnable. It's a shame Toomey has the political talent to get himself reelected now. He certainly wasn't held in high esteem back then.

Nah, given the climate Dems probably would've lost that anyway. Different from Illinois where with a better candidate the Democrats wouldn't have any problems.

[publicunofficial]

If Specter had just retired or Sestak didn't run, Pennsylvania 2010 was certainly winnable. It's a shame Toomey has the political talent to get himself reelected now. He certainly wasn't held in high esteem back then.

Pennsylvania 2010 was doomed from the start. Specter wasn't incredibly popular after switching parties (Voters don't like Traitors), 2010 was a rough year, and Toomey is a very strong campaigner.