The reason that Congress (whether repubs and dems) has such a powerful effect on the coloration of national politics is due to the low participation in off year elections. The system discrimiantes in favor of the relatively hyper-active constituents who vote off-year. The process acts like a sieve, on left and right. Your Dems go more left than the average Joe and your Repubs more right. It is clear that as a strategic matter the coloration of national politics depends heavily on mobilization for off-year elections. -gn
-- Gregory P. Nowell Associate Professor Department of Political Science, Milne 100 State University of New York 135 Western Ave. Albany, New York 12222
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