60 seats for the Dems in the Senate?

The NYT reports on the salivating going on in Dem circles over the possibility of having 60 seats in the Senate after this fall’s election:

For Democrats hoping the November elections set off a seismic shift in Washington, the dream scenario is not just capturing the White House, but also winning a filibuster-proof majority of 60 seats in the Senate β€” a luxury no president has enjoyed since Jimmy Carter 30 years ago.

As far-fetched as that might seem β€” Democrats now control the Senate by a razor-thin 51 to 49, thanks only to two independents who vote with them β€” some Democrats have started thinking aloud that such a scenario is within reach.

From the Northeast to the Southwest, the Democrats have such a strong hand in this year’s Senate contests that they sense the possibility of victories in unlikely states like Oklahoma and Mississippi, and now even Alaska, which last elected a Democratic senator in 1974.

“It’s a remote possibility, but it is within the realm of plausible” said Paul Starr, a public affairs professor at Princeton University and a liberal commentator.

Numbers help tell the story. Republicans have 23 seats to defend, including five left vacant by retiring incumbents, while the Democrats have just 12, with a competitive race expected only in Louisiana. Even there, the incumbent, Mary L. Landrieu, is still a heavy favorite.

I think it’s a long shot, but not out of the question.

This brings back to mind the argument that even if you are unhappy with McCain’s nomination, it’s still important for you to get to the polls in November to vote in your Congressional and local elections. Unfortunately, there’s a real possiblity that either Hillary or Obama will be our next president. We don’t have to make the next four years easier for them by sitting out the election.

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