With House Democrats passing Obamacare over the vociferous objections of a clear majority of Americans, Republicans are confidently predicting they will score big gains in November’s mid-term congressional election, quite possibly as big as the landmark 1994 contest.
But there is one very important difference between then and now that could negate or blunt GOP gains: Bill Clinton suffered two major defeats prior to the 94 elections – failure of Hillarycare and what was then the biggest tax increase in America, which was passed by the House by one vote, that of freshman Rep. Marjorie Margolies, D-PA. who was subsequently defeated.
Hillarycare never came to a vote in Congress, but the tax hike was voted on in early August 1994, only about three months prior to the election. Obamacare is being approved in late March, nearly eight months before the 2010 congressional contests. So much can happen between now and then.
