Granted, 2014 will be a tough year Democrats (unless we can turn that around). mid-term election turnout tends to be lower then general elections. The energy is not there. My bet is that we could lose senate seats in LA, AK, NC, and ARK. Those states, excluding NC, are trending red. The solid south is turning pure crimson. We have 55 senates starting in Jan 2013. We'll be lucky if we have 52 seats. That would still be an accomplishment despite potential loses. Now forward to 2016. I think Hilliary will run for President. Her popularity hovers in the mid 60's. If she does run, she would win big perhaps between 8-10 points. The G.O.P. would be in dire straits at that time. The white vote will drop from 72% in 2012 to 70% in 2016. The G.O.P. base is made up of mostly white voters begining with Nixon's Southern Strategy which peeled mostly white southern and white ethnics which made up the New Deal coalition. By 2016, the demographics would continue to transform the electorate as it has in 2008 and 2012. This will favor democrats for decades. My plan for getting a fillbuster-proof Demcratic senate majority in 2016 is too recruit strong candidates. The republicans who were elected in the 2010 wave are up in 2016. The states are AZ, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, MO, NC, OH, PA and WI. The candidates the DNC and DSCC should would be as follows: PA-Attorney Gen Kathleen Kane, FL-Debbie Wasserman Schultz, ILL- Lisa Madigan or even Michelle Obama. IN-Evan Bayh, IA-Tom Vilsack or Christie Vilsack, MO-Gov Jay Nixon, NC- Heath Schuler, OH-Tim Ryan and WI- Russ Feingold. That is a top-notch bench to expand a senate majority. With Hillary on the ticket it would be unstoppable.
