Ex-Party Chairs Weigh In On Midterm, 2012 Elections

By Kyle LaFleur

With November’s midterm elections less than a week away, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted a bipartisan panel Wednesday during its 11th Annual Legal Reform Summit top discuss the potential turnover rate for Republicans come November 3.

Ed Gillespie, former Chairman of the Republican National Committee, predicted the GOP grabbing “north of 45 seats in the house.”

Terry McAuliffe, former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, disagreed saying “I think we are looking today somewhere anywhere from 35 to 45 seats. I think a month ago people were talking about 50, 60, 70… and that’s gone.” 

The two pundits also failed to see eye-to-eye with regard to the Tea Party. Gillespie felt the new grassroots group was good for Republicans by increasing the right-leaning voter turnout, but McAuliffe argued that the extremism of the Tea Party benefitted the Democrats. 

“We’ve had 19 million people vote in Republican primaries around the country versus 15 million in Democratic primaries,” said Gillespie. “I think that’s the first time since Franklin Roosevelt more people have voted in Republican primaries then Democratic primaries and a lot of those folks are new folks who are energized and are Tea Party voters.” 

“I think a lot of people went out and voted and showed their frustration in the primaries but now are saying, ‘Do I really want a candidate that wants to privatize social security and get rid of Medicare as we know it?” McAuliffe said. “Some of these candidates have some very extreme views which are really outside the mainstream of America.” 

Both Gillepsie and McAuliffe weighed in on 2012 presidential elections predicting no Democratic challengers would have the gusto to face Barack Obama and Sarah Palin would throw her hat into the race.

“She opened the door more then I’ve seen her recently and she would be a big factor in the Republican Party primary if she does [run],” said Gillespie.