Democrats see glimmers of hope in election gloom

With only weeks left in the campaign, some staggering Democrats have jumped back into contention in congressional and gubernatorial races around the country, giving the party glimmers of hope that Election Day won't also be doomsday.
In Illinois, Gov Pat Quinn has caught up in recent polls after running scathing ads suggesting his opponent is a gun-happy tax cheat who wants to cut the minimum wage. And California Sen Barbara Boxer gained by portraying the Republican candidate as a heartless corporate bigwig.
The Democratic movement, seen in about a dozen races in six states, is limited and hardly amounts to a surge, as some Democrats have boasted. Republicans still have significant momentum in a year when voters are scared about their jobs.
But the latest developments suggest that a midterm campaign already marked by surprising victories and defeats, and which could change control of Congress, still remains somewhat unsettled. Strategists in both parties maintain that aggressive campaigning and advertising could still energize enough listless Democrats or sway enough independents to make a difference in key races.
"The results were called about a month ago, but it turns out we might have an election after all," joked Democratic strategist Bob Shrum.
The latest ABC/Washington Post poll found Democrats strengthened their position in the past month but still generally trail. The survey shows Republican congressional candidates with a 6 percentage point lead, compared with 13 points a month ago on the question which party the voter plans to support this fall.
There's no evidence that Democrats have gained enough to change the number of House and Senate seats that are up for grabs. In fact, it's the Republicans who are expanding into new districts as they see potential weak spots.
Some 75 House seats and about 16 Senate seats are competitive, the bulk of them now held by Democrats. Currently, Democrats have a 255-178 advantage in the House and a 59-41 Senate majority.
Republicans acknowledge some movement, although they maintain it signals no fundamental shift in the election landscape.
"I think what you're seeing around the country is that the base is starting to come back," said Bill Pascoe, a Virginia-based Republican political strategist.
Some Republicans are trying to use the situation to their advantage. "Don't let the Democrats bounce back," South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint warns in a new fundraising appeal.
Democratic insiders attribute the uptick in part to longtime Democratic voters being scared into action by warnings that Republicans might capture both the House and Senate.
Another possibility is that voters are getting to the point of comparing specific candidates instead of expressing general discontent. It's one thing to be fed up with Washington, according to this theory; it's another to reject a familiar officeholder who has served your area for years.
Recent controversies surrounding some tea party candidates, such as Christine O'Donnell of Delaware, could be contributing to doubts among some moderates. "In a lot of places, Democrats have been able to narrow the gap by talking about how out of touch their Republican opponent is," said Democratic political consultant Mo Elleithee.