American voters have a huge opportunity this November to send a message to President Obama by electing a Republican majority in both the U. S. House and Senate. Republicans currently have a majority in the U. S. House and should expand that majority in the November elections. But all eyes are on the U.S.  Senate, which is currently controlled by the Democrats.

Republicans can take the Senate by picking up a net gain of six seats. Even the New York Times is predicting a 67 percent chance that Republicans will gain the majority.

By electing a Republican majority in the Senate, Americans would be making a strong statement that they are ready for responsible leadership and real change to put our nation back on the right track. This is the last thing that Hillary Clinton and Democrats want before the 2016 election cycle.

It is abundantly and continuously being made clear that the country is dissatisfied with President Obama’s performance. The nation’s poor economy, the president’s failed health care program and his devastating foreign policy strategy all contribute to less than half of Americans thinking he has done a “good” job. It’s become a struggle for Obama to keep approval ratings above 40 percent.

>>>Obama’s polling numbers have dropped like a rock in ultra-liberal California and New York. His approval rating in California is down to 45 percent and 39 percent in New York. Obama has lost the support of the millions who got him elected. His visions of hope and change have turned into despair and disaster, leaving Democrat elected officials scrambling.

Democratic candidates across the country have been avoiding President Obama, even when he comes to their state. In Senate battleground states like Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana and Montana, Democrats have kept their distance, feigning scheduling conflicts when the president comes to visit and attempting to highlight their differences from Obama. The same is true in Georgia and Kentucky, where Democrats are trying to gain seats.

Taking away the Democrat’s Senate majority seems to be getting closer with each passing day. Republicans only need to pick up six seats to win the Senate. Right now, we are heavily favored to win the Democratic-held seats in Montana, South Dakota and West Virginia. Then there are incumbent southern Democrat senators who are in jeopardy of losing their seats in Arkansas, Louisiana and North Carolina. That is six seats right there, and it now appears that Republicans have a good chance of taking out Alaska’s Democrat senator which would give us a pickup of seven seats.

But, let’s not stop counting quite yet. Republican candidates in Iowa, New Hampshire and Colorado have now closed in on the Democrats and an upset could be in the making there. Now that adds up to 10 possible pickups for Republicans. But, in order to have that many net gains in the senate, Republicans would have to hold our own by not forfeiting any of our current Republican seats. The two seats Republicans are most concerned about holding are Georgia, where Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss is retiring, and traditionally Republican Kansas, where Senator Pat Roberts is in a tight race with an independent.

The bottom line is Republicans are favored to win, but we can’t count our chickens before they are hatched. With five weeks to go until the election, a lot can change. Remember when the race between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney seemed too close to call but then Obama walked away with a solid win?

There is a lot of campaigning left to do and the Republicans need to keep building their momentum. One thing remains clear, American voters are tired of our weak president with his mindless political followers. It is time to give Obama a message by sending responsible conservatives to protect us in Washington D.C. We are ready for a Republican majority.

If the Senate flips from Democrat to Republican, there is no other state that will fare better than Alabama. With Jeff Sessions moving up to be Chairman of the prestigious Senate Budget committee and Richard Shelby moving up to be Chairman of the powerful Senate Banking committee, Alabama will have two of the most influential senators in Washington D.C.  Now it’s Alabama’s turn to show real leadership in the nation’s Capitol.

By Bill Armistead, Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party