These past seven days typified the fates of the two parties this election cycle. Democrats have been hit by retirements in tough states Montana, West Virginia, South Dakota and, to a lesser extent, Iowa and Republicans havent nominated the sort of extreme candidates who lack broader appeal in a general election.
Those realities along with a national playing field in which a handful of incumbent Democrats are defending Republican-leaning seats in places where President Obama is deeply unpopular have made a GOP takeover a better-than-50/50 proposition.