George F. Will: A Historic Shift in the Making This Election?
[George F. Will is a columnist for the WaPo.]
Voters seem to think Congress is like a weedy lot -- that anything done to it will improve it -- so they seem poised to produce something not seen since 1981-82. Then, for the first time since 1952, a majority of senators were in their first terms. This was the result of three consecutive churning elections -- 1976, 1978 and 1980....
After November, Republican eyes will turn to the prize of the presidency in 2012. Concerning which, McConnell sees cautionary lessons from three other years -- 1946, 1954 and 1994.
In 1946, President Truman's party lost control of both the House and Senate. In 1948, however, Truman won an improbable reelection running against the "do-nothing 80th Congress." In 1954, President Eisenhower's party lost control of the House and Senate. But two years later, Eisenhower was resoundingly reelected. In 1994, President Clinton's party lost control of the House and Senate. In 1996, Clinton cruised to reelection, partly because of reckless behavior -- e.g., the government shutdown of 1995 -- by congressional Republicans....
Read entire article at WaPo
Voters seem to think Congress is like a weedy lot -- that anything done to it will improve it -- so they seem poised to produce something not seen since 1981-82. Then, for the first time since 1952, a majority of senators were in their first terms. This was the result of three consecutive churning elections -- 1976, 1978 and 1980....
After November, Republican eyes will turn to the prize of the presidency in 2012. Concerning which, McConnell sees cautionary lessons from three other years -- 1946, 1954 and 1994.
In 1946, President Truman's party lost control of both the House and Senate. In 1948, however, Truman won an improbable reelection running against the "do-nothing 80th Congress." In 1954, President Eisenhower's party lost control of the House and Senate. But two years later, Eisenhower was resoundingly reelected. In 1994, President Clinton's party lost control of the House and Senate. In 1996, Clinton cruised to reelection, partly because of reckless behavior -- e.g., the government shutdown of 1995 -- by congressional Republicans....