No, I was paying attention back in '95 when the Republicans had both houses of Congress and Clinton was stuck at 42 % in the polls, and they BLEW it, and came up with nothing on their wish list. In fact, Clinton got reelected , easily.
How can you say you were paying attention when you ignore the details. Clinton never got 50% of the vote. He was elected because of a third party candidate who split the conservative base. Nothing will insure a splintered Republican party or a third party candidate more than ignoring the Tea Party.
Right now the Tea Party is a mobilized faction, not an actual party. If they feel ignored by the Republican leadership, they will organize into an actual third party and then the Dems win in a walk. Splitting the conservative base is not a formula for success. That is what '92 and ' show.