Election Day 2002 may go down as one of the most exciting and unpredictable events in American political history, as the Republicans gained the perfect trifecta of national politics'establishing majority control of the House, the Senate and the presidency.
The GOP garnered several high-profile Senate races and also managed to maintain and solidify its hold on the House, bestowing Republicans with the power advantage in Congress for at least the next two years.
In the Senate, Republicans greeted Wednesday morning with 51 seats to the Democrats' 46, while in the House, the seat split was also in favor of Republicans, 227 to 203, marking one of three times in history that the party controlling the White House did not lose seats in mid-term elections. Both the South Dakota and Louisiana Senate races are yet to be officially decided.
UW-Madison political science Professor emeritus Charles Jones said he felt of the many upsets of the night, the most surprising was the Senate seat in Georgia, where Republican newcomer Saxby Chambliss unseated incumbent Democrat Max Cleland, a celebrated war hero.
\I really thought Chambliss had a chance. Over the years, you develop a kind of sense of how things are moving [politically], and I got the sense that it was moving in his direction,"" Jones said of the GOP victory.
Of the reasons given for the Democrats' numerous negative outcomes, the argument that President Bush's campaigning made the difference was hardest to refute, according to Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
""They had a wartime president with the highest sustained approval ratings in history, who made these elections his No. 1 domestic priority,"" he said.
According to Jones, holding power over Congress and the presidency is not the ""slam dunk"" that it is made out to be.
""What this really means is that, on a number of votes in the Senate, [Republicans] are probably going to have to have some Democratic support, either to prevent a filibuster or a hold, to avoid a block in legislation,"" Jones said.
White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer outlined the President's top goals in his agenda for the future during a press briefing Wednesday.
""The good ideas that the President believes in are keeping taxes low; increasing spending for the vital priorities that we face as a nation,"" he said. ""I think there's no question that last night's results increase the likelihood of getting things done for the American people.""
Jones said he predicts Bush will not try to push anything too excessive.
""They're in a better position to get through what they've already tried to get through'faith-based initiatives, maybe a patients bill of rights, maybe some control over litigation. All of that is a part of their regular agenda,"" he said.
