Michael Barone: Party Like It's 1962

Opinion Journal ^ | 11/09/2002 | Michael Barone

[Pokey78]

George W. Bush's Republican party won a historically unusual victory in Tuesday's elections. It was only the third time in 100 years that the president's party gained seats in the House in a midterm election. It was also the first time since the Civil War that the president's party wrested a majority of Senate seats away from the other party in an off-year election.

[ThePythonicCow]

Bump for a good comparison.

Just hope God's watching over W.

[fatguy]

George Will said on C-Span this weekend that Barone have the best political insights in Washington.

[Don W]

Interesting and insightful. Today, JFK would be considered a "right-wing nut".

I also learned something about Mondale that almost raised his respectability in my eyes. Then I remembered whst he and his party are trying to do to us.

[ArneFufkin]

It's hard for me to link Michael Barone and any happening "party", but the guy is a human reference desk.

[Don W]

DANG!, and I DID edit it, too. whAt. Dagnabbit!

]

[bybybill]

Why would any Rat want to run against GWB in 04? Seriously, other than a has been like Gore or Hart who have nothing to loose, why would anybody else want to get embaressed?

[fortheDeclaration]

Why would any Rat want to run against GWB in 04? Seriously, other than a has been like Gore or Hart who have nothing to loose, why would anybody else want to get embaressed?

A lot can happen in two years.

Kennedy was growing more and more unpopular and had he lived Goldwater might had beaten him.

[goldstategop]

In Goldwater's dreams. It wasn't his time yet and the Democrats had yet to run out of ideas.

[Tall_Texan]

And, like JFK, Dubya is amassing his share of enemies, both foreign and domestic, who would consider it a great day if he were taken out. I surely hope history doesn't repeat itself to *that* degree.

At least we know Dubya isn't bopping startlets...

[karlamayne]

A couple of years back, I came across some old Life magazines from the summer of 1963, stashed in my cousins attic. A poll commissioned by the Time-Life folks at that time actually did show Goldwater beating Kennedy "if the election were held today." November 22, 1963 gave us the Kennedy mystique probably as much as Dubyuh's stint as governor in Texas causes many to think of him as an "outsider," perhaps even as a conservative. Barone wisely points out that both come from entrenched political families. What he failed to note however is that both have unshakable roots in the Eastern Establishment.

[Timesink]

Kennedy-Johnson Democrats thrived on the vitriol of their enemies. I can remember Republicans--not just conservative Goldwater Republicans, but liberal Rockefeller Republicans--speaking with contempt about Kennedy, dismissing him as a lightweight who had gotten in office by luck and vote-stealing and who would soon be swept out. Many Democrats today feel the same way about Mr. Bush.

Wow ... you mean we used to be as bad as they are now? Goldwater/Kennedy was before my time.

[The Raven]

[fortheDeclaration]

In Goldwater's dreams. It wasn't his time yet and the Democrats had yet to run out of ideas.

Goldwater was not that out of step with America, he was only potrayed that way by the Left.

No more then Reagan was.

Kennedy was not as popular as the historians want to make him out to be.

[Darling Lili]

Great piece. Thanks for posting!

[Tennessean4Bush]

I think this is a great article with good insight and analysis. If Bush can get real marginal tax rate reductions and a cut in capital gains quickly then I think it will sufficiently stimulate the economy for the next 4-6 years and he will win landslides and possibly usher his brother into office in 2008.

[fatguy]

That's what they said about GW's father?