Today, the atmosphere is different. Republicans may win the House, but everyone is writing about anger, not inspiration. (Memo to young journalists: Democratic victories are always ascribed to hope; Republican ones to rage.)
The biggest change is in the camp of the potential victors. Two years ago, Democrats waxed romantic. This year, the Republicans seem modest and cautious. I haven?t seen this many sober Republicans since America lost the Ryder Cup.
We have to be careful not to get carried away, says Lamar Alexander, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate. ?I was thinking about putting photos of Nancy Pelosi and Henry Waxman in the Republican cloakroom to remind us not to overreach,? he told me on Monday.
We have to beware of unrealistic expectations, emphasized Senator Jon Kyl, the second-ranking Republican. Republicans can?t accomplish big things without Democratic help. They can?t defund Obamacare on their own or pass a new tax law.
Many Americans are still skeptical about us, acknowledged Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House. We can?t do anything that might unsettle them, like shutting down the government. Instead, Republicans need to offer reassurance. Businesses should be able to predict what their tax costs will be, what their health costs will be and what their regulatory burdens will be.
In 1994, Newt Gingrich talked about a Republican Revolution, but these Republicans are still suffering from the hangover. Gingrich concentrated power in the speaker?s office, weakened the committee chairmen and built his machine for speed. Today?s Republican leader, John Boehner, vows to do the opposite ? to weaken the speaker?s office, decentralize authority and move step by step.
Many Republicans figure the age of permanent majorities is over. Democrats once held the House for 40 years, but now control will likely flip back and forth with the tides. So lasting change has to be firmly implanted and gradually absorbed.
The Republican theory about how to revive economic growth, is best expressed by Alexander: ?We have to make it easier and cheaper to create private sector jobs.? Week by week, Republicans hope to issue a string of bills designed to reduce uncertainty, public spending and the cost of hiring.
