GOP MUST NATIONALIZE ELECTION VOTING

While Republicans are investing much energy in the presidential race, they may be losing sight of the other half of the equation. Regardless of whether they win the White House, their ability to effect meaningful change will be severely limited unless they also recapture Congress.

Many assume that a strong presidential candidate will usher in congressional majorities on his coattails. I'm afraid it's not going to be that simple. Republicans have a slim 10-member majority in the House, which means that if they lose more than five seats to Democrats, their majority will evaporate.

What's more troubling is Democrats are the statistical favorites at least to win back the House. That's because only six Democrats are retiring, compared with 21 Republicans, giving a strong advantage of incumbency to the Democrats. Dick Gephardt is foaming at the mouth to be majority leader.

Though there is no way to completely avoid the nitty-gritty election battles in every congressional district, Republicans have one weapon to neutralize the Democrats' incumbency advantage. They must try to nationalize the congressional elections.

Prior to Newt Gingrich's 1994 Contract With America, congressional elections were largely local elections. But with a unified message (aided by universal horror about Hillary's universal health care), Newt was able to convert those elections to nationwide status.

The landscape is different now. Because of Congress' performance against Bill Clinton, the GOP has lost substantial credibility. Grass-roots cynicism is quite pronounced, with many disenchanted and others considering third parties. And while some may shudder at the prospect of yet another year of gamesmanship between Clinton and Congress, we should look to this year as an opportunity for congressional redemption. If Congress performs admirably this year, GOP voters will most likely forgive past indiscretions.

Admittedly, Republicans in Congress have disappointed many in the last five years. But in their defense, they have not enjoyed a real majority. Their slim numerical majority was more than outweighed by liberals among their ranks. And even when they could muster a majority, they were entirely stalemated by a recalcitrant president. Republicans must be prepared to communicate these facts in this election cycle.

Efforts to nationalize congressional elections will be met with the conventional wisdom of political commentators, who uniformly preach that the American voters consciously choose divided government, i. e., different parties in control of the executive and legislative branches. This assumes that voters factor this in when they vote. With the exception of 1994, I don't believe this for a second.

For Republicans to hold their base, they must project a sharply contrasting message from that of Bill Clinton. For starters, they should anticipate the inevitable budget war that will occur toward the latter half of this year. With surpluses guaranteed to be even greater than earlier expected, Clinton will be unusually ambitious in devising novel uses for federal expenditures.

To Clinton, surpluses are a license for more spending and an excuse to ignore existing problems, such as Social Security and Medicare. Why forge a long-term solution for Social Security solvency when you can just siphon funds from general revenue?

To Republicans, surpluses should represent one simple truth: The American people have been overtaxed and deserve their money back. Congress must not negotiate with Clinton on the budget, especially in this election year, but just pass its bills, and let him exercise his veto power. It will save a great deal of time, effort and agony.

Beyond an improved congressional showing, the surest way for Republicans to succeed in nationalizing the races in their favor is to convey to the voters what a Democratic takeover will mean: full-throttled-liberalism. Charles Rangel will chair Ways and Means, John Conyers the Judiciary Committee and Henry Waxman the Government Reform Committee. That ought to be enough to scare the socks off of capitalists everywhere.

~David Limbaugh of Cape Girardeau is a columnist for Creators Syndicate.