2016 Political Forecast

Former Republican National Chairman Frank Fahrenkopf joins Jim Braude on Broadside to discuss the swing from Democratic to Republican control in the U.S. Senate and what this year's elections spell for the next presidential election.

Late last week, President Obama embarked on a three-nation trip to Asia. The first stop was China, an important trade mission involving months of planning.

It also fit a pattern well-known in Washington - presidents who escape political headaches at home by boarding Air Force One to put foreign policy back in the spotlight.

Former Republican National Chairman Frank Fahrenkopf spent six years of Ronald Reagan's presidency in that position. Now a fellow at Harvard's Institute of Politics, Fahrenkopf joins Jim Braude on Broadside to discuss the swing from Democratic to Republican control in the U.S. Senate.

"I think it was primarily an 'Obama no,'" said Fahrenkopf, asked whether the election was a rejection of the president or an acceptance of conservative principles. "In some states, it really was a turning to conservative principles. For example, my home state - I haven't lived there for 30 years - is Nevada. Harry Reid has run it with a tight hand for many, many years. The Republican party took over everything."

The former chairman said that in places like Massachusetts, the quality of the candidates was in play more than a desire by the public to move to the right.

Fahrenkopf also serves as the co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, now involved in planning the debates for the 2016 election.

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