In the upcoming elections, Democrats have the strongest chance of seizing control of the House of Representatives since 1994. Perhaps they will take the Senate as well.
Republicans, after all, have left the door open for Democrats: They have pushed an unpopular war in Iraq. They have tainted themselves with the stench of Jack Abramoff. They have supported a president who, through incompetent response to terrorism and Hurricane Katrina, has earned the ire of the American public. And, recently, they have bickered amongst themselves over how to treat detainees as part of the War on Terror.
Democrats will not repeat the historic Republican success of 1994, though. Certainly, one of the ingredients for a sweeping and enduring victory is present: A party in power has disgraced itself before the American electorate. But Democrats lack a coherent vision of where to guide the country. They adeptly illustrate how Republicans have maladministered the government; what they don’t do is explain how Democrats would perform better.
Without an overarching vision, like the Republican Contract with America in 1994, Democrats can still take the House and maybe the Senate in 2006. Americans have become so angry about the course of the nation they could think anyone would steer the helm of government better than the GOP. Any Democratic victory would be soft, however, absent a clear agenda. Democrats would be unable to govern cohesively or decisively. Without anyone else to blame for the consequent mediocre performance of government, Democrats would be vulnerable to Republican counterattack in 2008.
When Democrats controlled the legislative branch, Republicans nevertheless won the Senate in 1980. This did not portend a change in Republican fortunes, however, for Democrats retook the Senate a few years later. Unless Democrats figure out what they stand for, they could experience the same fate as 1980′s Republicans.
About the Author
I'm Jason Vines, a web developer at a research institution in Washington, DC. I graduated from George Washington University with a bachelor's degree in political science, with a minor in journalism. I enjoy philosophy and web scripting, as well as reading, writing, history, video games, travel, and photography.
