Palin Effect Reinvigorates GOP Slate

Enthusiasm for VP pick may help limit damage in Senate, House races
By Sarah Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 19, 2008 2:09 PM CDT
Palin Effect Reinvigorates GOP Slate
Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-NC, left, with first lady Laura Bush. Dole is fighting to keep her Senate seat.   (AP Photo)

The Sarah Palin factor has energized Republican donors and campaign volunteers, giving the party a boost in the fall’s congressional races, the Washington Post reports. Everyone agrees the GOP won't be able to win back the House or Senate, but it looks like the Democrats won't get to a filibuster-proof 60 Senate seats, either.

Democrats see their best shots in the Senate as Virginia and New Mexico, two regions where the party would love to gain ground. In North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole's campaign felt a post-convention bump, one analyst still calls the race a "tossup." One place Dems will acknowledge they're losing ground? Palin's home state of Alaska. (More Senate stories.)

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