Is the late 90s through 2010s the opposite to the 70s to early 90s?

[Person Man]

I mean, think about it, outside of W and the extreme things that caused him to be elected and reelected  (the Florida fuck up,  9/11), we have had 3 Democratic Victories to 2 Republican victories in the last 20 years. However, in the same time, the Democrats have won congress only  twice and the Republicans have won 7 times with  a split congress just recently. If the Dems get their asses kicked in the Senate yet Obama wins in a landslide, won't that make the tally 8-2 for the GOP in Congress and 4-2 for the Democrats for POTUS?

Isn't this the opposite of 1970 and 1990 where the Democrats won congress 7 times and the Republicans split Congress  three times but never actuall won, but the Republicans won POTUS 4-1 between 1970 and 1990?


Does this mark a shift in who are the Establishment and the "grass roots" or simply a change in the desirability of policy?

  I mean, I heard that in the 70s and 80s, the average swing voter in Ohio or Illinois wanted a strong president to kick the Commies' asses and nominate hangin' judges to stem the tide of liberal judges who appeared only interested in reading the constitution  in a way to kill babies, coddle criminals and  push "reverse descrimination" yet wanted a Congress that would  do everything to keep Social Security, Medicaid/are strong, the schools and police stations open when the city/state can't and the boss from pissing on their legs while telling them its raining.  

and with the advent of Clintion, I am guessing that the average swing voter in Colorado or Virginia  wants the opposite- a level-headed President that won't constantly start brush fires in Asia or risk nuclear war and won't give religious nutjobs the time of day....especially after the Schiavo thing, the Stem Cell debate and the current "why won't my pharmacy/insurance comany let me get the pill/IUD" fiasco...and yet these voters want a Congress that won't spend us into an inflationary frenzy. Who wants to live in a world where you can see a doctor for no more than $20 a visit "no matter what" yet a gallon of milk cost 5 bucks and a gallon of gas costs 7?


Or it could simply be that there are more brown people voting and corrupt  rich people redistricting than there was 20 years ago.

What do you think?

[Tidewater_Wave]

Part of the reason that the Democrats lost the White House so many times in a row and by the numbers that they did during the 70's and 80's is because circumstances in the country seemed to favor incumbent Republicans such as Nixon and Reagan while at the same time they ran against some of the worst candidates our nation has ever seen. The Democrats from the start of the depression until 1994, were the majority party of the house simply because there was much fear of the GOP after 1929. In the decades between the depression and 1994, the GOP won the House a few times in the 40's and once in the early 50's but that was it. I'm also noticing now that the Democrats have had rockstar candidates. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were very good at campaigning and politics, but the Democratic party's image has hurt them in the house and senate elections much like the GOP's image was hurt for most of the 20th century. Nixon and Reagan were rockstar candidates in the generation before us.

Each generation has also seemed to have a Republican that leads for most of their career. Abramam Lincoln was "the Republican" from the start of the party until the turn of the 19th-20th century.  Teddy Roosevelt was the next one to carry the torch. Thomas Dewey took over from there. Ronald Reagan was the last one to be what I'm referring to as "the Republican." Now I can only think of John McCain as the voice of a generation of Republicans.

It's not as drastic now in the other direction as it was prior to the 90's. I find it to be more balanced in all 3 houses in modern day actually, but with the questions you raise, I see what you mean. Democrats have had the edge for the White House lately and the Republicans have had the edge for the House and Senate.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Whoa. That could actually make sense... I personally tend to prefer the mid-Western swing voter from the 70's.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Yes, and it will stay that way until one party reaches out more to the base of the other.