It sounds as if the seemingly nonstop string of uncontrollable events, legal problems and political foot-stumbling have begun to have an impact on the GOP:
Republican politicians in multiple states have recently decided not to run for Senate next year, stirring anxiety among Washington operatives about the effectiveness of the party’s recruiting efforts and whether this signals a broader decline in GOP congressional prospects.
Prominent Republicans have passed up races in North Dakota and West Virginia, both GOP-leaning states with potentially vulnerable Democratic incumbents. Earlier, Republican recruiters on Capitol Hill and at the White House failed to lure their first choices to run in Florida, Michigan and Vermont.
These setbacks have prompted grumbling. Some Republican operatives, including some who work closely with the White House, privately point to what they regard as a lackluster performance by Sen. Elizabeth Dole (N.C.) as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the group that heads fundraising and candidate recruitment for GOP senators.
But some strategists more sympathetic to Dole point the finger right back. With an unpopular war in Iraq, ethical controversies shadowing top Republicans in the House and Senate, and President Bush suffering the lowest approval ratings of his presidency, the waters look less inviting to politicians deciding whether to plunge into an election bid. Additionally, some Capitol Hill operatives complain that preoccupied senior White House officials have been less engaged in candidate recruitment than they were for the 2002 and 2004 elections. These sources would speak only on background because of the sensitivity of partisan strategies.
Why does all this matter? The Washington Post goes on to say:
Historically, Senate and House races are often won or lost in the year before the election, as a party’s prospects hinge critically on whether the most capable politicians decide to invest time, money and personal pride in a competitive race. Often, this commitment takes some coaxing.
The bottom line is this: the fact that “Republican operatives, including some who work closely with the White House, privately point to what they regard as a lackluster performance by Sen. Elizabeth Dole” is something we see too often. The “blame game” that White House folks or their operatives play to deflect criticism of them. Certainly a poor performance by Ms. Dole wouldn’t help but this administration has definitely seen better days.
It’s hard to imagine how 2006 can be anything but a year of loss for the GOP in Congress. There seems to be an anger out there and it’s less partisan than over a sense that some of the people in charge feel they own the government, rather than are caretakers of it.
A 2006 setback for the Republican party would be the best thing that could happen to Republicans: it could start to get newer people in place with new ideas and begin to decrease the control of the people who now control their party.