Republicans have an opportunity. With a seriousness of purpose, they can demonstrate to a skeptical electorate something that has long been missing at the federal level: a basic ability to govern. Voters are deeply dissatisfied with the direction of the country. The RealClearPolitics polling average shows 65% believe the United States is on the wrong track, but individual surveys show that number reaching as high as 72% in mid-November.

That is consistent with what nearly 3 out of 4 voters said in the exit polls conducted during the midterm elections. A 41% plurality was dissatisfied with the way things were going in the country, while 33% were angry. Only 20% were satisfied, and a scant 5% were enthusiastic — and that’s with a heavy partisan tilt to the results, in which large majorities of Democrats expressed a favorable opinion of the status quo.