A pollster who works often with Missouri Democrats says this is an offensive, not a defensive, election year for Democrats.
Pollster Peter Hart has conducted the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll for the past 20 years.
"Let me tell you that 2008 is as good a year as it gets for the Democratic Party," Hart tells Missouri Democrats.
Hart predicts Democrats could pick up 20 seats in the United States House and as many as five in the Senate as well as win back the White House. Hart says there is a dynamic of change among voters.
"The American public is as unhappy and disappointed as any time I have been polling over the last 35 years," says Hart.
The big difference in the presidential race could be enthusiasm. Hart says polling shows 46% of Barack Obama’s supporters are excited by his candidacy. He says polls have shown that only 12% of Republican John McCain’s supporters are enthusiastic about his campaign. The enthusiasm level might have changed with McCain’s pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who has energized the Republican base. The next 60 days will tell.
