With White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs publicly announcing Republicans could gain control of the House of Representatives and less than four months until the elections billed as a referendum on the Obama agenda, the president's party isn't even bothering to put candidates on the ballot in some states.

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Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) is running unopposed for a second term and has therefore suspended his campaign. Since the Democrats' failure to mount even a minimal challenge, Mr. Thune can now focus the time, energy and money he would have spent campaigning on helping other Republicans both in and beyond South Dakota. The popular, conservative senator who has been mentioned as a potential 2012 presidential candidate has already campaigned for Senate candidates in Ohio, Missouri and California and is planning to help the state party with fundraising within South Dakota. (source)

Meanwhile in Nebraska, former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mark Lakers has dropped out of the race under the weight of an investigation into his financial dealings and his party isn't sure if it's worth it to replace him on the ballot.

Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning (R) is considering criminal charges against Lakers who reported receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign pledges from people and companies who say they never promised to give any money to his campaign. Lakers has denied any wrongdoing, claiming it was all a misunderstanding but dropped out of the race under pressure from his party.

Several key Democrats have already rejected the opportunity to take Mr. Lakers' place on the ballot with one, State Senator Jeremy Nordquist, saying, "If it's just to have somebody on the ballot, I think it's a waste of everybody's time." (source)

There is a chance that Nebraska Democrats may nominate a candidate from the floor of their state convention at the end of the month but first they have to find someone who is willing to play the role of sacrificial lamb and challenge Republican Governor Dave Heineman.

As the future of the Democratic Party gets bleaker with every decision made and speech given by their leadership, is it any wonder it has become difficult to find candidates willing to follow them off the political cliff?