DCCC FLAWED 2012 STRATEGY – 12/29/10
Citizens United Political Victory Fund (CUPVF), the affiliated PAC of Citizens United, released the following political analysis regarding the announcement yesterday of the DCCC’s 2012 target list. The DCCC is targeting districts in which the 2010 Republican House candidate won with less than 55 percent of the vote and that President Obama carried in 2008. Attached is a chart highlighting the DCCC’s flawed strategy.
“This is a flawed strategy based on the performance of Barack Obama in these districts in 2008,” said David N. Bossie, President of Citizens United. “Of the 32 districts highlighted by the DCCC, 18 were carried by George W. Bush in both 2000 and 2004. 2008 was an anomaly for Obama and the Democrats. The vast majority of these districts are conservative leaning and back where they should be – in Republican hands. America is a center-right country, and the DCCC looks like it is banking on “hope” and “change” to win the day again in 2012.
“The momentum that carried Barack Obama to the presidency will not be replicated in 2012. Currently, President Obama has an average approval rating of 45.5 percent. With the unemployment rate holding steady near 10 percent, President Obama’s approval numbers will not be going up anytime soon. 2012, like 2010, will see high Republican turnout with the help of conservative-minded independents coming back to the Republican Party.”
CUPVF set personal records for political spending and candidates supported during the 2009-2010 election cycle. CUPVF made direct contributions to candidates, states parties, and PACs totaling more than $739,000. On the House side, CUPVF supported 106 U.S. House candidates for a total of $458,500. 66 of these candidates prevailed. 52 of these candidates were Republican pick-ups and only 9 were incumbents. CUPVF is looking forward to building on these successes in the 2011-2012 election cycle by expanding the Republican majority in the House, retaking the majority in the U.S. Senate, and defeating President Obama. CUPVF will be releasing its own candidate target list for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate in January 2011.
DCCC Targeted Candidates
| DCCC Targeted Candidates | 2008 | 2004 | 2000 |
| Charlie Bass (NH-2) | 56 | 52 | 48 |
| Chip Cravaack (MN-8) | 53 | 53 | 49 |
| Blake Farenthold (TX-27) | 53 | 55 | 50 |
| Joe Heck (NV-3) | 55 | 50 | 49 |
| Quico Canseco (TX-23) | 51 | 57 | 54 |
| Joe Walsh (IL-8) | 56 | 56 | 56 |
| Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-25) | 56 | 50 | 51 |
| Renee Ellmers (NC-2) | 53 | 54 | 53 |
| Jon Runyan (NJ-3) | 52 | 51 | 54 |
| Tim Walberg (MI-7) | 52 | 54 | 51 |
| Robert Dold (IL-10) | 61 | 53 | 51 |
| Randy Hultgren (IL-14) | 55 | 55 | 54 |
| Dan Lungren (CA-3) | 49 | 58 | 55 |
| Dan Benishek (MI-1) | 50 | 53 | 52 |
| Mary Bono Mack (CA-45) | 52 | 56 | 51 |
| Steve Chabot (OH-1) | 55 | 51 | 51 |
| Sean Duffy (WI-7) | 56 | 50 | 47 |
| Richard Hanna (NY-24) | 50 | 53 | 48 |
| Nan Hayworth (NY-19) | 51 | 54 | 49 |
| Jaime Herrera (WA-3) | 53 | 50 | 48 |
| Dave Reichert (WA-8) | 57 | 51 | 49 |
| Scott Rigell (VA-2) | 51 | 58 | 55 |
| Bobby Schilling (IL-17) | 57 | 51 | 54 |
| David Dreier (CA-26) | 51 | 55 | 53 |
| Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-8) | 54 | 51 | 51 |
| Frank Guinta (NH-1) | 53 | 51 | 49 |
| Allen West (FL-22) | 52 | 52 | 52 |
| Lou Barletta (PA-11) | 57 | 53 | 54 |
| Chris Gibson (NY-20) | 51 | 54 | 51 |
| Pat Meehan (PA-7) | 56 | 53 | 51 |
| Reid Ribble (WI-8) | 54 | 55 | 52 |
| Steve Stivers (OH-15) | 54 | 50 | 52 |
*Blue indicates district was carried by Obama, Kerry, or Gore; Red indicates district was carried by Bush.