I thought it odd that the Republican National Committee would have labeled its analysis of the 2012 campaign loss an “autopsy.” The GOP is far from dead and, more importantly, neither is conservatism as a political force in the life of the nation.
It would be a very serious error for the GOP to abandon its conservative principles just to win an election and, if history is any guide, it does not have to do that. After a term in office, President Obama is already losing the capacity to influence members of his own party and, in general, Congress gives evidence, even in the Democrat controlled Senate, of ignoring him and, with Republicans, fashioning a response to many issues with the exception of the nation’s indefensible $17 trillion debt. Democrats remain the “tax and spend” party, but their control of the Senate may end dramatically in 2014.
It was not until 1994 that the Republican Party won control of both houses of Congress after forty years. Briefly, in 1947 the 80th Congress was Republican in both houses. By 1955, the 84th Congress was Democrat in both houses. This would continue until 1981 when control of the Senate swung back to the GOP, continuing into 1985, but from 1987 through 1993, the Democrats were in control. In 1995, the GOP dramatically regained both houses in the 104th Congress and would retain this through 2001 when Democrats regained control of the Senate, but it was short-lived. Republicans controlled both houses in the 105th and 106th Congress, 2003 through 2005.