GOP prospects in 2010

Let's preface this post by stating the obvious that's it's way to early to make any firm predictions.  A month, much less 14, can be an eternity in politics.

That said, Michael Barone [6]over at the Washington Examiner has some interesting numbers and historical facts to take a look at:

Currently Real Clear Politics reports [7]that Democrats lead Republicans by only 41%-39% in the generic ballot. But there’s a clear difference between the results shown by pollster Scott Rasmussen, who limits his surveys to those he determines to be likely voters, and other pollsters. Rasmussen [8]currently shows Republicans leading 42%-38%...

 

Now comes political scientist Andrew Gelman, on the 538.com blog [9]run by the Obama enthusiast and gifted numbers cruncher Nate Silver, saying that the generic polls suggest that Republicans could recapture a House majority in 2010. I have noticed that over the years generic vote questions have tended to understate the ultimate Republican percentage of the popular vote for the House; Gelman says his research indicates “the out-party consistently outperforms the generic polls.” Gelman says that in current generic polls Democrats get 52% of the two-party vote, comparable to what they got in 1946, 1994 and 1998—all years in which Republicans got more popular votes and won more House seats than Democrats....

 

...Ronald Reagan’s Republicans and Bill Clinton’s Democrats lost more seats in year 2 than in year 6; only George W. Bush of the presidents of the last 30 years saw his party do worse in year 6 than year 2.  Reagan’s Republicans suffered from recession and high unemployment; Clinton’s Democrats suffered from liberal overreach. Both factors could—not necessarily will, but could—work against Barack Obama’s Democrats next year.

Again, it's early, but those are facts.  And they show that the GOP is likely to have a tremendous opportunity next year.  The trick is not to blow the opportunity.  Use it to paint a clear contrast between yourself and  what the public is rebelling against.

Me-tooism "lite" won't cut it.