Amy Walter, nationally recognized political analyst, gave a lecture about the current U.S. political climate Monday afternoon at the Holliday Forum in the Journalism Building.
“Individual issues and the micro matter less than the macro,” Walter said of the approaching congressional elections.
Walter compared the 2006 midterm elections to the congressional races of 1994. That year signaled a shift in congressional power from Democrats to Republicans, a standard which has been maintained for the past 12 years.
Walter said polls and other available data indicate conditions are ripe for Democrats to gain control of both houses of Congress.
“Midterm elections are a referendum on the party in power,” she said.
Walter said many voters are dissatisfied with the current performance of the Republican controllers of Congress. Though polls indicate both parties have poor approval ratings, the Republican rating has been dropping while the Democratic rating has remained relatively stable. Walter said this is an indication that voters will support Democrats.
“A lot of pessimism that voters are expressing is about Iraq,” Walter said. “At some point the frustration level of voters hits a point of critical mass.”
Walter said Republicans may be able to retain their control of Congress if they can convince voters that Democratic candidates are unsuitable replacements.
Walter said predictions about the congressional elections depend on what she called the “Generational Divide.” Those of the “old-school” generation maintain that Democrats will inevitably gain control of Congress due to the cyclical nature of politics. The “new-school” generation holds that increased political awareness and new technologies allow parties to overcome traditional political cycles.
Walter addressed ways the national political climate will affect congressional races in Louisiana.
“Nobody is going to fund a Republican challenger here because the game is all about defense,” she said.
Jimmy Dunphy, University alumnus, attended the lecture. He said he enjoyed Walter’s presentation.
“I can’t think of anyone better to give us information on the races,” Dunphy said.
Walter is the senior editor of “The Cook Political Report,” a non-partisan newsletter that analyzes trends across all levels of U.S. politics. She is also a regular analyst for CNN and has appeared on all the major news networks.
The lecture was organized and hosted by the Reilly Center, a division of the Manship School of Mass Communication.
—–Contact Daniel McBride at [email protected]