The Stronghold

How Republicans Captured Congress but Surrendered the White House

Thomas Schaller, Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at UMBC, and author of Whistling Past Dixie and The Stronghold

Once the party of presidents, the GOP in recent elections has failed to pull together convincing national majorities. Republicans have lost four of the last six presidential races and lost the popular vote in five of the last six. New Gingrich's "Contract with America" set in motion a vicious cycle, Schaller contends: as the GOP became more conservative, it became more Congress-centered, and as its congressional wings grew more powerful, the party grew more conservative. This dangerous loop, unless broken, may signal the future of increasing radicalization, dependency on a shrinking pool of voters, and less viability as a true national party.