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Both
Parties Hope to Control Congress in Tight Midterm Election |
Posted:
11.06.06
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Democrats and Republicans are spending lots of money and energy
hoping to be the party that controls the House of Representatives
and Senate come Nov. 8.
Printer-friendly version: PDF
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 While
the Republican Party currently holds the majority in both the
House and Senate, some political experts believe that the Democrats
could win big Nov. 7, taking control of both legislative houses.
The Democrats last held both legislative bodies following the
presidential election of 1992, but lost it just two years later.
This midterm election, voters will determine all 435 seats in
the House and about one-third, or 33 seats, in the Senate. Democrats
need to gain 15 seats to win a majority in the House and six in
the Senate.
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Key races
and key issues |
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The outcome on Election Day will depend on several key races.
Over 40 congressional races in the House look to be competitive.
In the Senate, three races are especially close: Tennessee, Missouri
and Virginia.
 Key
issues in this midterm election include President Bush's approval
ratings, the Iraq war, and whether to allow gay marriage and federally
funded stem cell research.
According to a recent CBS News/New York Times poll, President
Bush's approval rating is 34 percent, and some Republican candidates
from more moderate states such as Maryland and Rhode Island have
tried to distance themselves from the White House.
In more conservative states, Republicans are highlighting social
issues such as stem cell research, abortion and gay marriage to
bring supporters to the polls on Election Day.
"At the end of the day it's these base voters who turn out
in these midterm elections and who make the difference in these
races," Jim VandeHei, political correspondent for The Washington
Post, told the NewsHour.
Midterm elections typically have a lower voter turnout than presidential
elections.
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Voter turnout |
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In the last 20 years, the percentage of eligible voters who exercised
their right to vote in midterm elections has not risen above 40
percent, the Christian Science Monitor reported.
 In
the 2002 midterm elections voter turnout was 39.5 percent. In
contrast, 60.3 percent of eligible voters went to the polls during
the 2004 presidential election.
Democrats, on the other hand, are hoping that increased dissatisfaction
with the Iraq war will bring out their voters.
"This year they've got the Iraq war that's got their Democratic
base so fired up," VandeHei said.
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Party control
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If the Democrats do win back either the House or Senate, they
will break the current one-party rule of the GOP leading the House,
Senate and presidency.
One-party control of the White House and Congress is rare. Since
1969, it has occurred for only 10 years.
When different parties control the executive and legislative
branches, there can be political gridlock, but it can also pave
the way to compromise.
 "Although
compromise does not guarantee sound or successful policy-making,
it does draw both parties to the center and produce bipartisan
buy-in. It's no coincidence that divided governments produced
the 1986 tax reform and the 1996 welfare reform, the great reforms
of their respective eras," Jonathan Rauch wrote in an editorial
for the National Journal.
If the Democrats gain the majority in either house, they also
gain leadership control of the many committees that shape legislation
and law.
Democratic leaders say they would use that control to scrutinize
Republican policies.
"This Congress has been derelict in providing oversight.
We need to do our job to restore checks and balances," Representative
Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., told MSNBC.
Potential areas of investigation include Iraq reconstruction,
Hurricane Katrina and homeland security, according to Representative
Henry Waxman, D-Calif., who could lead the House Government Reform
Committee.
"In all three of these areas, we see the same mistakes:
big monopoly contracts, no bidding, no competition. So, there
are a lot of abuses," he said.
Republicans counter that Democratic control would be dangerous,
especially in regard to U.S. Iraq policy.
"The only way we can fail is if we leave before the job
is done. And that's exactly what the Democrats want to do,"
President Bush said while campaigning in Montana last week.
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Getting out
the vote |
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With so many close races, those who make the effort to go to
the polls are the deciding factor.
 Both
parties are calling potential voters, and going door to door to
recruit residents and eliminate obstacles that might prevent them
voting, like a ride to polling stations.
One group that could have a big impact on the midterm election
is young voters.
According to a poll released by Harvard last week, 32 percent
of 18-to-24 year olds said they "definitely" plan to
vote this time.
If they do, this would be the highest youth turnout for a midterm
election since 18 year olds were given the vote following a constitutional
amendment in 1971.
"Younger voters could make the difference in campaigns across
the country," Jeanne Shaheen, director of Harvard's Institute
of Politics, which conducted the poll, told Reuters.
--Compiled
by Annie Schleicher for NewsHour Extra
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