Okay, I didn’t manage to respond to David yesterday on DKos so I figured I’d write a detailed response diary here.
I had asserted that nearly all Senate pickups we’ve had in recent years outside of wave years are people who, at the time, had some affiliation with the DLC (not necessarily members, since the DLC doesn’t have members, per se, according to their response to my query on the subject several weeks ago)
Detailed, exhaustive proof of my point below.
1996-Ron Wyden, special election (seems to be a member, has written for a publication of theirs.
Tim Johnson (member link)
1998-
Chuck Schumer(?, has written for their Blueprint magazine, but no affiliation is clear)
John Edwards(was a founding member of the Senate New Democrat Coalition)
Evan Bayh (former DLC chairman)
2000-
Maria Cantwell(Link)
Debbie Stabenow (see above link)
Bill Nelson (see above link)
Jean Carnahan (Link
Tom Carper(current DLC Vice-chair)
Mark Dayton(not a member)
2002
Mark Pryor(member, Link
2004
Barack Obama(not a member)
Ken Salazar (longtime New Democrat; Link
So that’s between 10 and 12 out of 14. Like I said, generally only DLCers have won in non-wave years post-1994.