For Republicans...

[A18]

Vote

[12th Doctor]

1994, not to belittle 1980, but I think that 1994 was the closest the American people came to whole heartedly embrassing a visionary, forward-thinking Republican agenda.  Sigh, I miss those days.  I want Newt and the contract back dammit.

[bullmoose88]

1980. Saved the country from four more years of Jimmy Carter.

[dazzleman]

It's hard to say.  They were both glorious moments.

I'd say 1994 was a more enduring victory, because Congress changed hands fully for the first time in 40 years.  Republicans had won the White House many times, but congressional victory eluded us until 1994.  Prior to then, Republican presidents had been forced to work with horrifically Democratic congresses who undermined the country's well-being.

But 1980 was an extremely important victory.  I shudder to think of what would have happened to the country, both domestically and in terms of foreign policy and national defense, with four more years of that dreadful Jimmy Carter.  We might not have made it until 1994 under those circumstances.

[Alcon]

Whatever happened to the Contract with America?  The House snapped back amazingly quickly - was such an aggressive strategy actually more harmful in the end?

[dazzleman]

Whatever happened to the Contract with America?  The House snapped back amazingly quickly - was such an aggressive strategy actually more harmful in the end?

Actually, much of the contract with America was passed into law.  Balanced budget, which was effectively forced on Pres. Clinton, and welfare reform, which Pres. Clinton signed, were key components of the contract.

We've seriously gone off the rails since then, but that's another topic.

[bullmoose88]

Whatever happened to the Contract with America?  The House snapped back amazingly quickly - was such an aggressive strategy actually more harmful in the end?

Immoblization. GOP congress and Clinton...lead to the shutdown which the public wrongly put most of the blame on the congress...(where it should have been shared equally).

But, the GOP was able to keep clinton under control...but also, unfortunately, make his presidency unpalatable (yeah...Clinton wasn't too popular for his first two years...)

[AkSaber]

It hurt me to say this, 1994.

I'm still a HUGE Reagan fan!!!

[Hitchabrut]

Definitely 1994.

[Virginian87]

But, the GOP was able to keep clinton under control...but also, unfortunately, make his presidency unpalatable (yeah...Clinton wasn't too popular for his first two years...)

Yes, but Democrats controlled Congress during Clinton's first two years.

[bullmoose88]

But, the GOP was able to keep clinton under control...but also, unfortunately, make his presidency unpalatable (yeah...Clinton wasn't too popular for his first two years...)

Yes, but Democrats controlled Congress during Clinton's first two years.

Yes...and Clinton (and the dems in congress) were quite unpopular...I think those were the lowest approval ratings of his presidency, save the brief time around Lewinsky gate.

The democrats should have thanked the 94 Republicans for saving their presidency.

[WiseGuy]

1980

[Giant Saguaro]

Tough to choose - both represented a sudden, abrupt change from individuals attempting to govern the country from a pretty solid leftist position. Nostalgia says 1980, but I have to lean toward '94. I mean Reagan was the prologue, '94 put us on the map and where we are today. There was some outstanding leadership from those GOPers in not only saying no to Clinton, but in offering a real alternative that went right to the people.

It's always interesting to me that Clinton is so revered by the cultural and economic left of center folks and regarded as such a success! He instigated a mass vote of no confidence and the very thing that put us where we are today and along with it Clinton himself moved to the right so far he began to resemble a '70s era Republican. To the private chagrin of Gore, I can imagine.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

1994