Former McCain/Palin adviser Steve Schmidt told the “Morning Joe” crew Tuesday morning that losses incurred by the GOP on friendly territory, and a favorable climate during the midterms elections, would be “a disaster” and a “catastrophic statement of ability… to compete as a national party.”
Schmidt, who added that he expects “a big night for Republicans,” also remarked that a GOP loss would be a “repudiation” against the party for simply running against President Barack Obama while not running on a “positive agenda” of their own.
“I think tonight is going to be a big night for Republicans across the country in the U.S. Senate, though I think it’s going to be a difficult night the for Republicans in some of the governors’ races,” Schmidt opined. “So this is not a Republican tide that is sweeping the country, I think this is an anti-Obama tide, which is going to impact in these U.S. Senate races.”
“I think if anything short of a clear majority here is a disaster. A disaster for the Republican Party,” said Schmidt. “If we cannot win in this geography, in this political climate, it is a terrible omen for 2016 and it is a catastrophic statement about the Republican Party’s ability to compete as a national party.”
“And it would also be a repudiation of the strategy that we’re not going to try to legislate, we’re not going to try to put forward a positive agenda at any level, we’ll just run against Barack Obama,” Schmidt added.
Schmidt appeared alongside political prognosticator Charlie Cook, of the Cook Political Report, who predicted that the GOP would take over the Senate with either 52 or 53 seats.