If the predictions are on the money, the signs are all there for a trainwreck for the GOP, come November…

Chris Cillizza has pieced it all together on The Fix, noting “a column from Stu Rothenberg who, along with former Fix boss Charlie Cook stands atop the congressional handicapping game in Washington, in which Stu declares that the GOP stands on the precipice of an electoral “bloodbath.””

Cillizza also says:

Rothenberg goes on to revise upwards his previous seat gain predictions for Democrats in the House and Senate; in the upper chamber he says that 60 seats are now within reach while projecting gains of between 20 and 30 seats in the House. (Need more on the most vulnerable races in the Senate and House? Check our latest Senate and House Friday Lines.)

The impact of such a high-profile handicapper declaring that a second Democratic wave in as many election cycles is forming is hard to overstate. Watch for a series of pieces from major newspapers and cable outlets on the increasing peril for Congressional Republicans this fall — like this one penned by the New York Times’ Carl Hulse today.

What will all that coverage do? Embolden Democrats, depress Republicans and generally make an already bad situation for GOPers even worse.

And, remember: While McCain still has the power to change his situation — as a presidential nominee he can directly affect the news on any one day between now and Nov. 4 — House and Senate candidates have little ability to fundamentally alter the national narrative. That’s bad news for anyone running downballot with an “R” after his or her name.

Let’s not rest on any laurels however… or the predictions of the handicappers. There’s work to be done to make Democratic victory and reality come November and it will be sweet to watch the GOP train go headlong off the rails.

Filed under: Barack Obama '08, Congress, D.C., Democrats, Election '08, General Election, House of Reps, In The News, John McCain '08, N.Y. Times, Pamela Leavey, Political News, Politics, Presidential Election, Republicans, Senate, WaPo | Get Permalink or trackback |