However, a large number of good conservatives think there is a difference between the leadership of the two parties. They think that by winning the Senate, Bush and the GOP will take a hard turn to the right.
The only way to know for sure is to vote the Republicans into office, such that they have a majority in both Houses of Congress. I'm supporting my incumbent GOP congressman and I urge others to do the same.
If the GOP takes back the Senate, one of two things will occur.
The first possibility is that a conservative agenda will finally be advanced in DC. I would be very happy with this outcome.
The second possibility is that a conservative agenda will not be advanced in DC. Under this scenario, many of the grassroots Republicans will "wake up" and realize what is happening. This would lead to an increase in conservative activism at the grassroots level, and would lead to many challenges against RINOS during the primary elections. It could very well spawn another Reagan revolution or Contract With America.
The best way to "force the issue" is to give the Republicans the Senate.
I thought Ike might make more efforts to retake Congress, but he was too old and his failing health prevented any efforts on his part. I thought this when Nixon was elected in 1968. I thought he would make the congressional elections the centerpiece of the 1972 elections. If Ronald Reagan had any failing, it was that he did not make an all out appeal to the American people to give him the Congressional mandate to finish the Reagan Revolution and to begin the Reagan Renaissance. After the 1994 Republican sweep, Newt was in firm control of the Republican party. Letting Bob Dole have the 1996 Republican Party Presidential nomination was the among the worst political mistakes in history. And when Newt caught his brain in his zipper and the next in line (I have forced his name out of my brain and hope no one reminds me of this catastrophe of moral failure) was guilty of the same transgression, the Republican party collapsed and lost any political direction that it had. These are only some of the reasons why your premise that Bush with sufficient margin will restore the Constitution is false. Bush has risen to the occassion as Commander in Chief. But Bush is not a true conservative. Bush is a child of politics and government. All of his forays into private business are tinged with problems. Bush I was pure government. And so is Bush II. He truly sees government as the solution to many of our problems and has no trouble embracing many of the socialistic schemes of Democrats. If Newt could magically undo the past and return to power, there would be a clash of titans over domestic policies.
It is pure myth that conservatives can run on a platform that embraces less socialism as a strategy that says some degree of socialism is ok as long as we limit it to what we can afford. The Media will absolutely crucify a Republican poltician or the Republican party that shows any significant deviation from the platform they ran on and the way they try to govern. And the Republican electorate will easily feel betrayed. Democrats have no problem with being lied to. Lying is a way of life for Democrats who are all corrupt including rank and file average Americans. There are far fewer depression era, WWII Democrats left where there is some semblance of character in the rank and file Democratic voter. And they are corrupt themselves, they just don't realize it or think of themselves in that fashion. Republicans on the other hand do not accept lying as a routine way of life the Media will manipulate Republican voters' emotions against the lie sufficiently that enough Republican's will forget they should actually be glad the Republicans are trying to pass something that is more conservative than they ran on. Truth and Integrity are important, especially to rank and file Republican voters. People have a right to know what is going to happen when they vote for a candidate and why. If it doesn't happen because of deceit, Republican candidates will not be forgiven because the Media won't let them apologize, justify or explain their actions. Democrats get away with this, precisely because Democrats are basically corrupt and the Media will massage any repurcussions away.
I divided my reply because this statement deserves to be treated separately. Giving the Republicans the Senate will not force a single issue. The only change will be that Bush's judicial appointments will be approved. It will take decades before these appointments have a substantial effect on government. The United States is not going to live long enough for the Federal Judiciary to restore Constitutional law. We must have a legislative solution and it must come before 2012 and very likely no later than the 2008 election. I believe that we can ensure the survival of the United States as a Constitutional republic if we can force Republicans to make the Contract with Congress the center piece of the 2004. Anything less increases the risk of bankruptcy immensely.
The present Republican leaders, including Bush are not strong constitutional conservatives. They are first and foremost politicians, not statesmen or leaders. They are motivated to remain in office and get along more than they want to make changes. They believe they have to deal with the reality of RINO Republicans rather than dragging them to the conservative agenda or working to replace them with geniuine conservatives.
The changes that Republicans must make are not going to come from the top down. These changes are going to come first from FreeRepublic, widening to other grass roots groups and finally to Republican candidates faced with electoral loss before Republican candidates will begin the effort to restore the Constitution using the Contract with Congress as a blue print. Conservatives have to convince candidates that they will lose without the Conservative vote and once convinced the Republican candidates will have to convince the Republican leaders and they in turn must convince the Republican electorate.