Interesting bit I was reading last night in Newsweek on Haley Barbour
Will Haley Barbour Be the Next President? - Newsweek.com
Quote:
The year 2012 won't be an easy one for the GOP. After all, "the predisposition of voters" is to reelect a president. At the same time, he cautions those who foresee a great, long liberal era to recall recent history. "After 1992 the press wrote, 'The Republicans are dead; there's going to be a long Democrat era.' And after 2004 they wrote, 'They're going to have a long Republican era.'"
|
There are also a large number of Senate seats retiring this year on both sides of the aisle.
For Senate GOP, 2010 Losses on Top Of the 2008 Losses - washingtonpost.com
Quote:
A spate of retirement announcements by Senate Republicans this year have further complicated attempts by GOP strategists to begin rebuilding a party devastated by across-the-board losses in recent elections
|
The Fix - Retirements worry House Democrats for 2010 midtermsRetirements worry House Democrats for 2010 midterms
I think both 2010 and 2012 are going to be very difficult elections to put a finger on and we are seeing a large turn over of senior political figures. Additionally there is a huge anti-incumbency sentiment out there were people may not be thrilled with the current administration, but don't see the GOP as an answer either, so are likely turning to more independent and underdog type candidates.
On one good side we are getting rid of some of the old system, but the downside is that we will lose the elder wisdom and what is left of old school civility in Congress. I suspect we will see something more like a school board meeting in Taiwan with council members on a nightly episode of "legislators gone wild" hurling shoes at each other.
With so much bile in the mouths of everyday citizens towards their government, it makes you wonder if the boys in Washington will ever "get it".