The tide is running against the Democrats. Michael Barone's take on it is that this election will resemble 1966, when the Republicans won back 57 seats they had lost in the 1964 Johnson landslide.
My own calculations based on some current political science research using the Generic Congressional Ballot polls support that, and show that the Democrats will lose 52-55 seats in the November returning the House to the the halcyon Republican days of 2002-2004 when the Democrats held only 202 to 206 seats. Whether Republicans will mend their spending ways of those days remains to be seen, but appropriations bills must begin in the House.
Take my word for it, Dem prospects are very dim. Without a cataclysmic event, there is almost no chance that they will hold the House of Representatives. Virtually all of their gains in 2006 and 2008 are likely to be swept away.
How then should we who love economic liberty act? The only possible course is to redouble our efforts to defeat every supporter of a government-controlled economy, i.e., every Democrat, but we should pick your targets a little differently.
Republican candidates for the House of Representatives who might have had little chance to win, now could win on the tide. If you are contributing in New Mexico, Jon Barela is that candidate. Steve Pearce is likely to be able to do with a little less help. Republican gubernatorial candidates around the country, including Susana Martinez in New Mexico now have their chances enhanced. Senatorial races are more case-by-case but even there Republican candidate chances are enhanced. Who would have thought that Russell Feingold would be trailing an unknown Republican in Wisconsin.
The tide will lift down-ballot Republicans, too. Giving to Republican candidates for State Representative and concentrating on not-too Democrat districts could pay dividends when redistricting starts next year. I will try to provide a list of those candidates in New Mexico soon.
And we should take heart. The American people aren't in favor of European social kleptocracy yet.
